If that is the case, our universe could be a sort-of "stop" for a river of consciousness that flows deterministically through regions of physics (universes). Where there exist a grouping of physical laws (universe), within a finite space, some yet unexplained form of physics could be pulling consciousness into this grouping of physical laws (universe), in areas where life exists. Possibly a law that applies to living organisms that is similar to gravity; where there is life, there is consciousness.
If using software allegorically, each dimension being a layer in a photoshop-esque program, your visibility could be limited to your layer, and the layers below. In this allegory, if we imagine the layer above ours to be consciousness, or rather an eternal question: "why?" (liquid "why"), being super-imposed over (or into) our universe, we might see something very similar to the reality we are living in.
Accounting for the nature of living organisms to seek individual interests, with the increased intelligence capabilities of more advanced mammals being able to support larger and larger world-views, is it conceivable that all of the competing explanations for reality, and opinions on ethics, morality, and purpose will eventually decide on one?
Would it be reasonable to assume that each biological, conscious organism, if perceived as a breach in the hull separating the river of consciousness from the capable vessel for consciousness, would not be separate, but connected? The consciousness that leaked through the hull, into the mind of the being, would essentially be streaming from its original dimension.
If this were the case, and time only applied in a linear fashion within the mind of the organism, the knowledge of the organism would be lost upon death. If an organism could record its knowledge, the better it could respond to its environment, as it would not have to relearn from scratch. This could be preserved through the evolution through some kind of hereditary memory, but for more advanced mammals, more advanced and time-efficient forms could be developed.
Continuing with our dance of words, would the knowledge those organisms record be of value? If they exist only a finite time, and are limited by the nature of their reality, would their conclusions be of value? Well I suppose in our allegory, we are thinking of a photoshop-like program. It's terrifying to think of someone running that program, but I won't ponder on that one, as I think it's more important to look at the program for what it is.
If the layer that actually "is" the consciousness is without the limitations of time and space, and expresses itself according to the mind of the beings within a universe when superimposed over (into) it, then any conscious life would fundamentally be part of the same being. This being the case, it would make the most sense to ensure the most sustainable and natural life for all living beings, as they would all be serving their own interests by doing so.
Could this be achieved without sacrificing the individual experience?