# If there are parallel universes and other dimensions, what is the term for reality as a whole
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 4, 2016, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890 "2016-03-04T02:24:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/1 "2016-03-04T02:24:11Z")
So the term the Universe is used to describe reality in its largest form, as far as I know. Everything that is real is a part of the Universe and nothing that exists is outside of it. If it turns out that we live in a multiverse full of parallel realities, that there are other dimensions, that universes existed before the big bang, etc. then our Universe just becomes one of many realities.
So is there a term for reality on that higher level? The term multiverse describes a reality that has all the universes, but if reality existed before the big bang or in other dimensions is there a term to encompass those?
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### Author:  [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/2 "2016-03-04T02:34:23Z")
Everything?
Multiverse?
The whole shebang?
Eä?
I propose Eä.
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### Author:  [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/3 "2016-03-04T02:46:36Z")
The multiverse is the totality of all universe and dimensions.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/4 "2016-03-04T03:38:25Z")
Omniverse.
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### Author:  [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/5 "2016-03-04T03:44:55Z")
The whole sort of general mishmash.
And any way you slice it, you’ll come up with something that someone will call home.
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### Author:  [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/6 "2016-03-04T04:05:49Z")
The whole enchilada.
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### Author:  [@TATG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TATG)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/7 "2016-03-04T04:16:15Z")
The world.
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### Author:  [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/8 "2016-03-04T04:16:55Z")
The Multiverse
The Omniverse
The COSMOS
> **[A quote from Cosmos](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/178439-the-cosmos-is-all-that-is-or-was-or-ever)**
>
> The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be. Our feeblest contemplations of the Cosmos stir us -- there is a tingling in the spine, a catch in the v...
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### Author:  [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/9 "2016-03-04T04:54:35Z")
**Chronos** once used a great term that he and his buds in the GR field toss around, and I noted it appreciatingly, and for the life of me can’t remember. I hope he checks in.
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### Author:  [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/10 "2016-03-04T06:42:08Z")
42?
Oops. Sorry, that’s the answer to a different big question.
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### Author:  [@Willcross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Willcross)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/11 "2016-03-04T07:21:40Z")
“The bulk” from Brane Theory might work
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### Author:  [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/12 "2016-03-04T09:21:05Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> So the term the Universe is used to describe reality in its largest form, as far as I know. Everything that is real is a part of the Universe and nothing that exists is outside of it. If it turns out that we live in a multiverse full of parallel realities, that there are other dimensions, that universes existed before the big bang, etc. then our Universe just becomes one of many realities.
>
> So is there a term for reality on that higher level? The term multiverse describes a reality that has all the universes, but if reality existed before the big bang or in other dimensions is there a term to encompass those?
In my opinion, the universe encompasses all physical existence. If its structure resembles a foam-like inflorescence, then it is each bubble that should get a new name, not the universe itself.
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### Author:  [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/13 "2016-03-04T10:36:42Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> So the term the Universe is used to describe reality in its largest form, as far as I know. Everything that is real is a part of the Universe and nothing that exists is outside of it.
I would say you’re on the wrong foot to start here.
“The universe,” or our universe, comprises everything that we can point to in our space and time.
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> So is there a term for reality on that higher level? The term multiverse describes a reality that has all the universes, but if reality existed before the big bang or in other dimensions is there a term to encompass those?
“Multiverse” is the term.
There is no “before” the Big Bang.
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### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/14 "2016-03-04T13:11:45Z")
There are theories that our big bang came from something else. Branes hitting each other, distortions in a previous universe, black holes in another universe, etc.
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### Author:  [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/15 "2016-03-04T14:10:45Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> There are theories that our big bang came from something else. Branes hitting each other, distortions in a previous universe, black holes in another universe, etc.
But not “before” us. Not a “previous” universe. Those are relative positions in time, which for us is bounded at the BB. It is as meaningless for us to speak of a universe “before” us as to speak of one “north” of us.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/16 "2016-03-04T14:19:23Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Quoth **Leo Bloom** :
>
> Chronos once used a great term that he and his buds in the GR field toss around, and I noted it appreciatingly, and for the life of me can’t remember. I hope he checks in.
Wow, I hope I check in, too, because I can’t currently remember any such term.
If I had need to use such a term, I’d probably say “multiverse”, but that comes from speculative fiction much more than from science.
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### Author:  [@OffByOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OffByOne)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/17 "2016-03-04T14:54:38Z")
Metaverse?
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### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/18 "2016-03-04T16:28:11Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#):
>
> But not “before” us. Not a “previous” universe. Those are relative positions in time, which for us is bounded at the BB. It is as meaningless for us to speak of a universe “before” us as to speak of one “north” of us.
But within the confines of a higher reality, wouldn’t both our universe and whatever universe we were born from both exist?
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/19 "2016-03-04T16:39:46Z")
I’m sticking with “omniverse”, because while “multi” means “more than one”, “Omni” means “all”.
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### Author:  [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-are-parallel-universes-and-other-dimensions-what-is-the-term-for-reality-as-a-whole/747890/20 "2016-03-04T16:40:32Z")
Right, but they’d exist in some other relation to us than “up” or “forward” or “back” or “before” or “after”. Time is a feature of our universe that came into existence with the big bang. Whatever existed before the big bang couldn’t have actually been before the big bang, any more than it was left of the big bang, because time and space as we know it didn’t exist until after the big bang.
What it would be like to have a universe without time and space is left as an exercise for the reader.
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