The Parallel Universe--Defined (Part 1 of 2)

It's amazing how many people have asked me what the intent of this blog is and why it's been called "The Parallel Universe". To those that have inquired, the easy answer is: "Just because". However, there is much more to it than that. Like I have stated before, this is an ongoing project that hopefully will culminate in a moving portrait of my life. Each post will hit upon a time of my life that stood out as extraordinary in that it impacted me in a way that altered my life forever. To those reading this blog, think of each post as a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, taken from a box that doesn't have the completed picture on it.....the final product being unknown until everything is pieced together correctly.

Wikipedia defines parallel universe as a form of alternative reality that is a self-contained separate reality coexisting with our own. Some would say that this "place" actually exists and that it's a matter of finding the right gate to go through to gain entry (think of C.S. Lewis and "The Chronicles of Narnia"). Others, however, are of the opinion that this place is a mental state that usually comes into being when a person is overwhelmed by a severe case of cabin fever-----like Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) in Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of "The Shining".



I believe we all have a parallel universe that exists somewhere in between these two extremes.

We all hear voices. Most of us, though, decide not to acknowledge them or tell others for fear of being classified as a nut job. However, it's my contention that these "voices" are real. Somehow, they are being transmitted and our brain acts like a receiver and picks them up. But, as we age and "mature", we believe that this phenomenon can't be occurring. Maybe the old saying that the insane are actually the normal ones and the normal ones are the insane is true. Nonetheless, these "voices", thoughts, ideas, perceptions, and beliefs are coming from somewhere, and that somewhere is what I believe to be The Parallel Universe. We all have one, it's just a matter of whether or not you chose to tap into it.