| of Otherworlds are almost universal in folklore and | | | | Yet another, more modern, version of time |
| myth. There is not space to recount all of them, | | | | distortion occurs in stories (whether true or not) |
| but today there has been a renewed interest in | | | | of alien abductions. These are often frightening |
| tales from the British Isles and Scandinavia, | | | | experiences, though sometimes the aliens |
| specifically those related to faeries, elves and | | | | encountered are friendly. In many cases, a |
| other such Otherworldly creatures. | | | | common feature is that when the person is |
| An interesting question to consider is whether | | | | fortunate enough to be returned to earth, a |
| these ancient tales were perhaps references to | | | | distortion of time has occurred. As with faerie |
| what modern philosophers and quantum physicists | | | | stories, this time distortion can go either way |
| now call multidimensions, parallel worlds or possible | | | | -even much more or much less time has passed |
| worlds. These are all terms for the theory that | | | | than the "victim" believed. |
| reality is made of many dimensions, not all of | | | | We can, of course, simply categorize all of these |
| them conforming to the same laws, especially in | | | | tales as just that -tales, based on superstition, |
| terms of time. | | | | imagination or just plain fabrication, perhaps with |
| Faerie stories from the British Isles are of | | | | alcohol or drugs thrown in the mix. However, |
| particular interest here, because they often | | | | when we consider the enormous number of such |
| specifically refer to the distortion of time that | | | | tales that are similar in so many respects, we |
| occurs when mortals interact with denizens of | | | | might just as likely consider that there may be |
| faerie. One of the most popular stories, from | | | | something to them. Could there not be a myriad |
| Ireland, is that of Oisin, a young man who falls in | | | | of realities, some of which, under certain |
| love with a faery woman, Niamh, and follows her | | | | conditions, overlap with our own? |
| to Tir Na Nog, the Land of Eternal Youth. Tir Na | | | | Shamans have traditionally believed something |
| Nog is a fascinating topic of its own, as it is a | | | | similar. Shamanic journeying involves visits to |
| place where time as we know it does not exist. | | | | other realities and interacting with spirits and |
| Oisin, of course, is mortal, but has the choice of | | | | beings who reside there. Another aspect of |
| remaining in Tir Na Nog where he would become | | | | shamanism is the belief that the dream world is |
| immune to the passage of time. As often occurs | | | | just as real as the waking world, and that we are |
| in such tales, he makes the mistake of returning | | | | actually "journeying" to these Otherworlds when |
| to his native land, where he finds that hundreds | | | | dreaming. That is why we often encounter people |
| of years have passed and everyone he knew are | | | | in dreams who are deceased in "real life." |
| long dead. | | | | It would be difficult, probably impossible, to prove |
| Stories from other lands have similar themes. The | | | | in a rationalistic way that any of these tales or |
| Welsh version of Tir Na Nog is Annwn, which is | | | | experiences represent actual shifts in reality or |
| featured in the Mabinogion collection of stories. | | | | visits to Otherworlds. Those interested in pursuing |
| The Norse have Valhalla, though this is less a | | | | this possibility, however, might do well to study |
| parallel world and more like the Christian heaven, | | | | folklore alongside some modern theories of |
| as it is a place where mortals go after dying a | | | | philosophy and physics and consider the similarities. |
| heroic death. | | | | |