Glossary of Terms

Alternate Earth

A planet similar to Earth in physical characteristics, natural phenomena, living species, and most other respects. The main differences are in history. Alternate Earths exist in another dimension. An alternate Earth may either be a divergent Earth or a parallel Earth. The historical differences are more marked on a divergent Earth.

You will excuse my continued references to ‘Earth’ throughout this tome, but it is my homeworld and the basis for comparison I use for the remainder of the multiverse.  I am simply not disciplined enough to remove it as an anchorpoint from my mind.  I will let you consider whether that makes me less open to true understanding or more grounded against oblivion.

Alternate Future

One of the possible future time-lines, a result of the present reality through a specific sequence of events. One cannot tell which alternate future will become one's present reality until the point of divergence has been passed. At that point, one's reality diverges into more than one, and versions of one's self will exist in each resulting alternate future.

Hence, one's divergent self will experience one of the alternate futures as his present reality, while another of his divergent selves will experience a diff e rent alternate future as his.

Alien World

A planet in another dimension that usually contains life, but has important differences from Earth, although they may resemble Earth. Intelligent lifeforms, though they may be humanoid, are not human. Such a world may occupy a position equivalent to Earth's in another dimension.

An alien world in which magic operates strongly is often called a Mystic Realm.

Astral Dimension

A dimension that does not contain physical matter, but does contain ectoplasm, Access to an astral dimension usually requires the use of magic or psionic powers.

Divergent Earth

A world resembling Earth in every way up until a single moment in time where events occurred a different way than on Earth.

There is an infinite number of possible divergent Earths, but no one knows how many actual divergent Earths really exist. Divergent Earths exist in the equivalent space to our Earth's in other dimensions. A divergent Earth is an alternate Earth but not a parallel Earth.

Ectoplasm

An quasi-material substance from which astral bodies and other astral phenomena are formed. All of the matter of the astral plane is composed of ecto-plasm. Ectoplasm is usually invisible to people without certain magical or psionic powers. Normal matter can usually pass through ectoplasm as if the ectoplasm did not exist, Ectoplasmic objects may seem solid in relation to each other.

Extra dimensional

(1.) A being from a dimension other than Earth 's. (2.) Of or having to do with a dimension other than that of the Earth.

Inter dimensional

Of or concerning the space between two universes, each of which exists in its own dimension.

Limbo

A generic term used to describe any of a number of dimensions characterized by a static or unchanging quality. Properly this term is used to describe True Limbo and its associated pocket dimensions.

Microverse

A parallel universe that can be reached from the Earth dimension by compressing one's own mass to a certain point, thereby forcing it through an artificially created nexus into the other universe.

Microverses were once erroneously believed to exist within atoms.

Micro-world

A world existing within a parallel universe known as the microverse. Micro-worlds were once erro-neously believed to exist on subatomic particles.

Multiverse

A group of universes which are in some way related.

Nexus

A point in a dimension through which access to other dimensions or time periods is more easily achieved than at other points.

Parallel Earth

A counterpart to Earth (usually in another dimension) that matches Earth and its history very closely. Any world that seems to be a parallel Earth may actually be an alternate Earth with differences that are very subtle and hard to spot.

Parallel World

A world which exists in a dimension in a space equivalent to that occupied by a world in another dimension, and whose reality never diverged from that of this other dimension.

Pocket-dimension

Also called a pocket-universe. A universe whose size is far more limited than that of the Earth dimension.