Fear of a Parallel Universe. Things I Fear knows this one is going to be difficult to write about. Of course, in another world, this is a very easy topic to write about. But in another, other world, this topic doesn’t even exist at all. Parallel Universes essentially refer to life happening at the same time in (potentially) the same place but in different ways. I’m sure we’ll talk more about what that means and why that thought should mortify you in upcoming paragraphs, but this preamble should really set the stage for that. And help with the word count of this article. Huge shout-out to Things I Fear-proclaimed super fan, Mike, for this idea. Also shout-out to Stranger Things for existing. But mostly Mike.
Exploring Both Sides of Having a Fear of a Parallel Universe
What’s your biggest Fear? Are you afraid of Spiders? What about Snakes? What about going to a local coffee shop and having them mercilessly butcher the pronunciation of your name in front of everyone? For some people, just the thought of these concepts sends shivers down their spines. Now imagine a world where you didn’t have those Fears. In fact, you had a completely different set of Fears altogether. Things like having a Fear of being alone in your own house. Or even having a Fear of having your favourite TV show getting cancelled (that’s actually not a bad idea for a new post. Anyone want to write that one?). In a parallel universe, who knows what Fears you might have. Of course, that’s just talking about Fears because that’s an easy way to get you to read other articles on this website. But what about your height being different? Or hairstyle being not nearly as decadent as it is right now? Or what if you actually enjoyed the company of others rather than sitting in your basement like a hermit? Shout-out to my fellow hermits. In a parallel universe, you may be leading a completely different life.
The thing about parallel universes and why having a Fear of a Parallel Universe makes sense is about the unknown. The uncertainty of what might exist right now in another time, another place, or the potential for how those two worlds could intersect. What if you were walking down the street and saw yourself, 10 years younger, walking with a sister you didn’t have, out of a store you would otherwise never shop at? What if you were flipping through the newspaper and noticed an article about a billionaire living halfway around the world who bore a striking resemblance to yourself but 20 years older and married to someone other than your current partner? Essentially seeing yourself in the past or the future and wondering if that’s something you have already done or will do. What do you think Déjà vu is?
Keeping Your Fear of a Parallel Universe in One Place
Here’s what they aren’t teaching you in school: parallel universes could exist. Or not. There is essentially no proof to confirm or deny the existence that our world, the one where you are reading this article and then sharing it with your friends on your favourite Social Media accounts, is the only world in which you actually exist. Much like the ongoing debate which Pokémon is truly the scariest, there is no definitive answer. Does that make having a Fear of a Parallel Universe more or less scary? It really comes down to whether it’s something you want to spend your time thinking about and falling down that rabbit hole or something where you are complacent with how your life, the life you know, is actually going in real-time. Worrying about what might be happening in another world is like worrying what other people think of you. As RuPaul once said, “what other people think of you is none of your business”. So whatever may or may not exist right now somewhere else in time & space doesn’t matter. As Homer Simpson once said, “Relax! What is mind? No matter. What is matter? Never mind”. Look how profound TV shows have become. I hope they never cancel either of those.
