What if we had a way to transport our self to other worldlines!

[Susan Kihleng]

I can't imagine that I ever would agree to an exchange if were actually possible. I would think too much risk of serious consequences. While it's fascinating to imagine that different worldliness could be a possibility, I think if it were a reality, I would prefer to just stay uninformed and not know it exists.

[yomide]

This is a very interesting and intriguing topic. I’m a very creative and searching type person. I would love to explore this idea with a few hard and fast rules/promises in place. That if things start going really bad or into a very weird place, I always have the option to return to this current life. This would just be a trial run.

Good idea. I doubt if that would work, though. It sounds too convenient and easy, I feel like wanting it to be more difficult. There should always be a catch. Maybe just having the *unique* ability to take yourself back to your original worldline. It's just you.

I dont think any of this is a possibility, however it has nothing to do with convinience. The worst that could happen is universal collapes, right? Bt dont you think whoever make such attempt would have limittions by choice of natural order.

[revathy sw]

I think if a technology is ever invented which allows us to switch between different worldlines, I would most likely never use it. I would find it all too overwhelming, and I would most likely feel like a stranger in all other worldlines except mine. Also, from what we saw in the book, interfering with other worldlines can have far-reaching consequences.

Of course, there are cases where I think such technology would prove very useful. If a person was dealing with poverty, or severe mental trauma or some unbearable suffering in this worldline, then I think, with the available technology, it would be better for them to switch to another worldline where they are safe and sound. Also, perhaps in some worldlines, science has advanced far enough that diseases like cancer or Alzheimer's can be cured very easily; so patients of these diseases can have their suffering alleviated by transportation to these worldlines. But in all these scenarios, if it works on the basis of a barter system, it begs the question of which other worldline would agree to switch with you, if you come from such unfortunate circumstances. Maybe a worldline where you have grown old and are close to death anyway? I don't know, it gets more complex and messier the more I think about it.

So, if someone does manage to come up with a logical and feasible way to switch between worldlines in the future, it would definitely prove useful, but we must also be careful against using it unjustly or unwisely.

[lavkathleen]

I've had lucid dreams before, but none like anything described in the book. I would like to meet different versions of myself in other worldlines and stay in touch with them, but I would not switch places with them. I don't believe that there is any person (or worldline) without their own problems, so I wouldn't be getting rid of my problems; I would just be trading them for different problems. If a version of me was more successful, I would take that as an assurance that I also had the potential to be that successful rather than just trying to switch worldlines. But, hypothetically speaking, I still think it would be fun to temporarily live in a worldline where I was rich lol.

Waaah, well said! Now that you've mentioned it, the stories I've heard from my friends who has lucid dreamed are actually scary. I wonder how they'll react if they read this. (They'll hate me for making them read through all the physics stuff, though.) Also, I haven't thought about that! You're totally right— it doesn't matter where you are in the universe, you'll still have problems but you'll always have your potential to overcome them. It's so positive, wow.

[lavkathleen]

If just to satisfy my curiosity, then yes I would like to visit another worldline. But if to swap with the other me, that's a no. Thank you very much. This version of me might have flaws and failures and disappointments but it will not be me without those. Changing lines is cheating and in the end you will never be satisfied. You will try another worldline after another whenever something doesn't go your way. And that is not living.

Headstrong! I've also mentioned just wanting to keep changing worldlines to someone else here, but on the context of possibly getting amnesia if you permenantly changed worldlines. It would just be like repeatedly not being satisfied of your place. I don't want to lose myself in the name of success and comfort, either. But I still can't blame someone who would want to.

[lavkathleen]

Exchanging worldlines can be pretty exciting. If Lucid dreaming is possible and one can even interact with other worldliness, I would really love to give it a try. Although I might not know the kind of life the other me might be living in that worldlines, but it's worth doing.

I'd just do it for a short while to satisfy my curiousity. Kind of like taking a peek outside the window and checking out what's out there. That would be cool. It's exciting to see how worse the lives of other versions of myself could get... but I think that's a pretty sick thing to say so nevermind.

[lavkathleen]

Interesting point. Change is an interesting phenomenon. In Worldline the issue of starting over could have been explored more. For example what if Gary's accident never happened? How would his life be different?

Starting over, as in time travel? 'Cause someone else suggested that, too. I'd assume we're all hoping for him to have a better life. But as a reader, that would mean that his life wouldn't have the level of conflict that he had in this story. And that's boring.

[lavkathleen]

I think this is an interesting concept that intrigues the human mind. All the movies and book I have seen show that this never ends well! The way we imagine another 'worldline' would not be reality. Even if we could switch, we would still be the same person that we are in this world. (Dream on!!)

Calm down, of course we're still talking about the story. It's just interesting and exciting to contemplate. But I agree; I have a feeling that it's not going to end well. If there's going to be any travelling across the multiverse, the balance should still remain. At the end of the day, the person should return to where they came from.

[kdstrack]

I think this is an interesting concept that intrigues the human mind. All the movies and book I have seen show that this never ends well! The way we imagine another 'worldline' would not be reality. Even if we could switch, we would still be the same person that we are in this world. (Dream on!!)

Calm down, of course we're still talking about the story. It's just interesting and exciting to contemplate. But I agree; I have a feeling that it's not going to end well. If there's going to be any travelling across the multiverse, the balance should still remain. At the end of the day, the person should return to where they came from.

This intrigues me! Does this mean the person can choose which worldline he will live on in? This first book shows that Gary is learning how to control his lucid dreaming so he can jump to the worldline he chooses. Is it wishful thinking to assume that the person would return to where they came from? Are we supposing this is possible? Could he get "stuck" in one of the worldlines???? (Maybe the least desirable one?)

[Eddy E]

I don’t know if I would want to change if it was even possible. We are the ones that can make what we have better or not. Now who is to say that if we were able to change that it would be any better? We are who we are through our experiences so if you were able to change how much would it actually change because you are still the same just in a new circumstance.

I think I agree with this line of thought. Although the idea is quite exciting and I would attempt to give it a try, the truth is that we still are the same people just living different lives. We have the power to make our lives better or not. It is possible to switch to a different worldline but if we continue to make the same choices then it doesn't make much of a difference.

[RHD]

Personally, I feel the world would be chaos. Others would be shifting to our worldlines and people from our worldline would be shifting to others; just to be their wild selves. The court systems would be very confused and overwhelmed. We already have the black market, we don't need other worldline.

[Chizioboli]

Many times when I am going through painful situations, I often imagine I could be transported away from the condition to where I would be happier and much freer. But well, that wasn't possible. So, it is a norm for me and I have always desired to have the ability to teleport away to better places.

[Anshya]

It would be great because humans are so sucked into power and stuff these days that we need to explore other aspects of life also. It will provide breakthroughs in the field of science obviously and also where we stand in the whole universe. It will be a great topic to read or watch a movie. Eagerly waiting for the day when transporting ourselves to another worldline will be as easy as catching the bus o the adjacent town.

[Nathaniel Owolabi]

Well, thinking of a repercussion won't be that hard, even the book already portrayed a repercussion itself (remember how Gary's replica committed a crime using His identity). However, I don't think the repercussions would be enough to shy people away from it if it were possible. So if I were to try the same, I would switch to a world where I am always the smartest person in the room. Or perhaps one where I am an extreme extrovert and adventurous.

[barn jwoktek]

It was time back when i had Adam Guest's Worldlines for a read. One splendid book, no lie. The concept of there being other us, and the question of noone ever knowing what really does happen when we get do go to sleep is a big tingling of the curious nature of man.
It's fascinating too, that lucid dreaming is such a practical act yet of such nature that it's able to be of risk.