@pale: In response to your speculation, I”ll just quote my idea from another thread, which basically affirms your speculation & is my way of saying, “Plausible & I agree.” c :
. . . I think a different world thereby means you’re in a different dimension but there are entities & worlds that can exist in a void. This kind of runs parallel to a pop culture theory of human instrumentality, whereby the collective consciousness of all humans in the universe, are melded into a single entity, a hive mentality. In effect, the hat might be it’s own world, acting as a sort of limbo for anyone who enters.