Maybe dreaming, life, and afterlife all fall into a hierarchy.

By this, I mean, when you die, you simply are sent back to the next highest level. If you die in a dream, you are sent back to real life (unless you are sent to another dream). And then, likewise, if you die in real life, you are sent (back?) to the afterlife (unless you are sent back to life [i.e. reincarnated]).

I dunno. What I present here is just a big "what if". I just pulled it from the top of my head as I read this topic. Just something to think about, I guess.