There are many alternate presents, with you focused only in one of them

[inavalan]

"Often you visit such areas of consciousness in the dream state where you fall into them spontaneously, remembering in the morning a fantastic dream.  Consciousness must use all of its parts and activities, even as the body must.  When you are sleeping, therefore, your consciousness turns itself in many of these directions, often perceiving, willy-nilly, bits and pieces of reality that are available to it at its different stages.  This also happens beneath your normal physical focus to some extent, even as you go about your waking activities.  The alternate presents of which I spoke are not simply alternate methods of perceiving one objective present.  There are many alternate presents, with you focused only in one of them.

When you let your attention waver, however, you may often fall into a state in which you momentarily perceive glimpses of another alternate present.  The whole self, the soul, knows of its reality in all such systems, and you, as a part of it, are working toward the same state of self-awareness and development.

When you are proficient you will not be swept willy-nilly into other stages of consciousness as you sleep, but will be able to understand and direct these activities.  Consciousness is an attribute of the soul, a tool that can be turned in many directions.  You are not your consciousness.  It is something that belongs to you and to the soul.  You are learning to use it.  To the extent that you understand and utilize the various aspects of consciousness, you will learn to understand your own reality, and the conscious self will truly become conscious.

You will be able to perceive physical reality because you want to, knowing it to be one of many realities.  You will not be forced to perceive it alone, out of ignorance."

—SS Part Two: Chapter 19: Session 575, March 24, 1971