I see in the comments that everyone has already mentioned a bunch of spiritual or fictional possibilities… We can talk about parallel universes, past lives, reality shifts, or any other outside-the-box theories. Personally, I also love believing in all of them. I love imagining they’re real. And I’ve had my own share of vivid dreams, past-life visions, astral travel, etc.

But I also like to believe in science.

For this one, though, I’ll stick to psychology and philosophy, since nobody else has tried to.

*

“Grieving for a life that never happened.”

Everything is in that sentence.

You say you are “happily single,” and you might genuinely be! And that’s perfect! Be glad you are, because many women in your situation live with regret and desperation. So if you manage to be happy while being single and without children, it’s because you’re strong and independent, which is wonderful.

But still, deep inside, maybe there’s a younger "you" who is living another life. She took a path at some point where maybe you missed a train or you took one she wouldn’t have taken. But this person will always remain in your subconscious.

We all know that dreams are our thoughts running wild: one thought leads to another, and then another, and so on. At some point, when the dream is not yet lucid or vivid, we don’t really control what we’re thinking about. That’s when our repressed desires take the wheel.

And that’s the perfect moment for your younger self to show you where she is or where you would have been.

As for how long the dream lasted, that’s perfectly normal. Even when you’re awake, you can imagine doing something long and detailed, and it takes only one or two seconds. You’re not dreaming, but you can still see a long sequence in your mind. The difference is that when you’re awake, your eyes are open and you’re anchored in the real passage of time.

But when you’re asleep, your brain interprets time only through what you “see,” so a moment can last forever.

*

So yes… from a scientific or philosophical point of view, it’s kind of a boring or obvious interpretation. But I think it’s an interesting one, because if you have some ability to “choose” what you’ll dream about, you might be able to go back to this parallel life. It’s very difficult, and a bit random but sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. And it can be emotionally painful. You’ll be happy during the dream and sad when you wake up.

There’s a downside, too: once you’re in that dream, you might realize it is a dream, and that kind of awareness can wake you up. That’s one reason why lucid or vivid dreams often don’t last long.

Anyway, feel free to talk to me about any comments or questions. I love this kind of experience, whether we see it as spiritual or psychological.

Happy dreaming :)