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<blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 9588857" data-attributes="member: 59082">Didn't Michael Moorcock, if not invent, at least popularize &quot;multiverse,&quot; at least in the context of fictional worlds?Anyhow, I haven't followed the whole conversation, so forgive me if I re-tread stuff that has already been said. I think &quot;plane&quot; is a bit of a mash-up term that isn't all that precise. On one hand, early D&amp;D draws from esoteric philosophy in which there are different planes of existence other than the physical. The traditional Western esoteric ones are: physical, etheric, astral, and then variations on mental and spiritual planes. Hindu-yogic philosophy has similar planes, or koshas (sheaths): six in total, which are sheaths that cover the true Self (Atman-Brahman) in layers, from gross to subtle. The similarities sort of end there, as D&amp;D etheric and astral don't really mirror esoteric philosophy. It is a playable game, after all - and the planes are meant to offer realms to adventure in.D&amp;D worlds mostly tend to exist on the &quot;Prime Material Plane,&quot; which is the fantasy equivalent of the physical universe - yet one with different laws than our own. I believe I've seen different usages, so that PMP can be plural or singular. But I think it sort of makes sense that there are is one PMP, but different &quot;spheres&quot; (ala Spelljammer) within it - whether you use Spelljammer or Planescape or some other base cosmology. Meaning, the worlds are all essentially &quot;pockets&quot; (or sub-planes) within one plane. They share physicality, but can vary in terms of each world or &quot;pocket.&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mercurius, post: 9588857, member: 59082"] Didn't Michael Moorcock, if not invent, at least popularize "multiverse," at least in the context of fictional worlds? Anyhow, I haven't followed the whole conversation, so forgive me if I re-tread stuff that has already been said. I think "plane" is a bit of a mash-up term that isn't all that precise. On one hand, early D&D draws from esoteric philosophy in which there are different planes of existence other than the physical. The traditional Western esoteric ones are: physical, etheric, astral, and then variations on mental and spiritual planes. Hindu-yogic philosophy has similar planes, or [I]koshas [/I](sheaths): six in total, which are sheaths that cover the true Self (Atman-Brahman) in layers, from gross to subtle. The similarities sort of end there, as D&D etheric and astral don't really mirror esoteric philosophy. It is a playable game, after all - and the planes are meant to offer realms to adventure in. D&D worlds mostly tend to exist on the "Prime Material Plane," which is the fantasy equivalent of the physical universe - yet one with different laws than our own. I believe I've seen different usages, so that PMP can be plural or singular. But I think it sort of makes sense that there are is one PMP, but different "spheres" (ala Spelljammer) within it - whether you use Spelljammer or Planescape or some other base cosmology. Meaning, the worlds are all essentially "pockets" (or sub-planes) within one plane. They share physicality, but can vary in terms of each world or "pocket." [/QUOTE]

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