How about an analogy of our physical body: which is made of many billions of cells
. Now these cells obviously exist all at once and make up our physical form. Similarly imagine that you have many 'lives' in the same fashion. Instead of cells making up an individual body, imagine these SELVES making up a much larger 'YOU"!
Let's include a little biology and further understand that each cell is actually an inviolate self: with its own miniature brain, memory of all its personal experiences and of its relationship with other cells, and with the body has a whole. So simply put, each cell is a 'whole' entity with its own 'memory'.
Each cell has its own position in our physical body, and while it is connected TO this entire body it is not 'aware' OF the entire body/dimension in which it dwells. In spite of this, the dis-ease or joy in even one cell affects the entire body, and vice versa the body's overall health or state of mind in turn affects each cell . This analogy can also be used to understand our "higher selves" better...but enough for now. Logging off -Gdnite !