In this dream I am standing in a field with some other people. There is a tall stairwell, which is pretty rickety looking, that rises up into the clouds and out of sight. There are two people in black suits (ala men in black) who are standing at the sides of stairs. We are told that the earth is being evacuated, but not told the reason.

So, one after another, we all begin going up these stairs. They are simple metal stairs, much like you'd see on a fire escape. They sway a little in the wind, but never break, despite not having any visible means of support. After a while, I begin walking through some clouds, and even father up until the clouds are distant below me.

I look up and see a hatch in mid air. It opens as the first person in line arrives there and some arms reach out and help the person up. As I move closer in line, I can see that what we thought was sky was really a massive shell of some sort, with holographic effects on it. I reach out and thump it with my thumb nail and can feel it's hardness, like metal.

Once I am helped through the hatch, I am in a small dark closet-like room with a metal door, much like you'd see in a submarine, open a few feet from me. The interior of this 'space' is dimly lit, darkly painted, and very metallic. There were large pipes visible under the grating on the floor.

Another man in black, by the door, motion for me to step forward. I came out into a large corridor, the same lighting and decor as before, amid a mass of thousands of people in levels both above and below me. There was a small catwalk leading to another door across the expanse. This door was closed, but yet another man in black is beckoning me over, so I start walking.

Once there, the man smiles, pats me on the back, then opens the door. All I see is pitch black beyond. No features at all. I look at the man, then take a step in. Then I wake up.

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The main feelings I had while in this dream were those of curiosity, though mild fear (if you can call it that, as I don't really feel fear in dreams) arose upon approaching the final door. There was a strong sense of finality during the whole experience. I got the impression that the Earth wasn't inside some vast ship, but rather that all of existence was this odd metalic place, and that the Earth was, and always had been, inside a staging area of some sort. What I was stepping into, with the final door, was the 'true' reality. The one I'd been denied all along.

I started having this dream when I was a little kid around 8 or so (1974), well before any modern show or movie even dared depict such a scene, so I really don't know where it came from. I've had it recurringly over many years. I am now 43 and still have it on occasion. Any clues to what it might mean? I'm open to anything, even if it sounds rediculous, including channeled messages. Thanks for your time.