Otherworld
Beyond the veil
The otherworld is a realm beyond or apart from the ordinary world—the place where spirits, gods, or the dead are believed to dwell.
Celtic mythology features an otherworld accessible through burial mounds or across western seas.
The term appears in fantasy literature for any magical realm existing parallel to ours: She slipped through the portal into the otherworld.
As an adjective, otherworldly describes things that seem to belong to such a place—strange, ethereal, or unearthly: an otherworldly glow.
Existence beyond mortality
- realmGoverned territory or sphere
- AvalonMystical island of lore
- ElysiumGreek afterlife for heroes
- HadesGreek afterlife realm
ancestors · veil · Samhain · passage · souls · crossing · barrow · burial mound
Imposing entrance or gate
- dimensionMeasurable extent or scope
- parallelEquidistant at all points
- magicSupernatural or illusory power
- enchantedUnder magical influence
fae · faerie · realm · crossing · gateway · quest · adventure · wanderer
Symbolic tale with deeper meaning
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
- narrativeAccount of events
- escapismHabitual mental retreat
- imaginationFaculty for forming ideas
Narnia · wonderland · dreamscape · metaphor · folklore · mythology · archetype · transformation
Surpassing usual limits
- visionAbility to see
- tranceSemiconscious, unresponsive condition
- shamanicOf spirit-world intermediaries
- astralRelating to stars
ethereal · meditation · consciousness · planes · divine · sacred · mystical · revelation
afterlife
Existence beyond mortality
Hades · ancestors · veil · Samhain · passage · souls · crossing · barrow · burial mound · liminal
portal
Imposing entrance or gate
- dimensionMeasurable extent or scope
- parallelEquidistant at all points
- magicSupernatural or illusory power
enchanted · fae · faerie · realm · crossing · gateway · quest · adventure · wanderer · traveler
allegory
Symbolic tale with deeper meaning
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
- narrativeAccount of events
- escapismHabitual mental retreat
imagination · Narnia · wonderland · dreamscape · metaphor · folklore · mythology · archetype · transformation · threshold
transcendence
Surpassing usual limits
- visionAbility to see
- tranceSemiconscious, unresponsive condition
- shamanicOf spirit-world intermediaries
astral · ethereal · meditation · consciousness · planes · divine · sacred · mystical · revelation · enlightenment