[dgreater1]

Originally Posted by panzerfan

You need Quantum Mechanics-fu, Spectacular_Insanity.

Spoiler for excerpt of AS ep 16:

Ryou: The hidden world, was it?
Kotomi: Yep. It's another world that exists right next to this one, but it can't be seen or felt. However, we're starting to find out that's not entirely true.
Ryou: Really?
Kotomi: Yep. It's probably akin to a warped extra dimension. The current theory states that what we perceive as objects are stuck firm to high dimensional planes and they cannot remove themselves from their maximum existence. But for example. energy due to gravity is said to transcend through dimensions. Just like that-
Kyou: Stop! Tell us the story so we can understand.
Kotomi: That was a very, very simplified explanation.
Tomoya: So you're saying that this world and the hidden world are related strongly at a deep level?
Kotomi: Yes. Time, space, and peoples' minds echo in a strange way to recreate both worlds or create whole new ones. They might be affecting each other like that. That's what I wanted to say.
Ryou: Could our lives be tied to that world too?
Kotomi: Maybe, then yet again maybe not. This world is really filled with mystery.
Nagisa: I wonder what the hidden world is like.
Tomoya: What? Why did I just think of that play? The girl in the world that has ended. Why did I know that story?
Nagisa: Tomoya-kun?
Tomoya: O no, I was just thinking that in that other world, people might be having parties like us.
Kotomi: There may be more than one hidden world. There's a theory of multiple worlds existing too.
Tomoya: Fujibayashi, I remember you saying something like that when you were talking about fortune-telling.
Ryou: Yes. There is no one future, but there are many possibilities. I still think that way.

Existance of IW is not bound by the time and space of the clannad normal universe as it is a localized system which stands on its own, although connected to the original clannadverse. I tried to explain why that is so in a few threads over the episode 22 discussion thread. (although it seems now that it's mostly a 'wha...?' response)

I wanted to point this portion of the series for all the time but because it's' connected with Episode 16, Nagisa's unlucky delivery, I just couldn't