User blog comment:Njalm2/Nanja's Point of View: Shinigami Edition/@comment-24384232-20150504221239/@comment-24384232-20150505183009

That's question has a fairly complex answer. To start with Ill discuss my own theories on the spiritual realm since that will provide context. There are two planes of existence, the physical world and the spiritual world. The physical world encompasses our entire universe, and all the galaxies that exist. That's fairly big. As a mirror to that, you can consider the spiritual world to be just as large if not bigger. For all intents and purposes the spiritual world is spatially infinite. However spatial distances at least beyond the "heaven" so to speak do not necessarily exist. Why I think this, well, one has to consider where does a soul go when it cross over? What criteria determines where they end up? A soul is composed of your willpower, your convictions and your beliefs. So the spiritual world, exists as a sort of canvas for belief. Therefore you would end up in a realm or location that strongly resonated with your beliefs.

You shouldnt think of two realms as being X amount of miles away or whatever unit of measurement you're using. Instead if you wanted to travel to another realm you would go through what I would call transitional realms, that correspond to an emotion or idea. The closer you wanted to get a realm the more you'd have to embody a certain concept or frame of mind. As for whether they are separate dimensions... thats debatable. I would not refer to Hueco Mundo as a different dimension, rather I think of it as a neighboring spiritual realm.

The best approximation I can make for the differences between a realm and a dimension, is that a dimension exists as a layer within a plane of existence that serves as the basis for your perception and interaction of the world you live in. This would tie into three-dimensional beings (like us) versus four-dimensional beings, five dimensional and so on. Higher dimensional beings, ie entities whose perception and physical form exist on a higher level would undoubtably interact int he world that is alien to us. If such an entity wanted to interact with us in a manner we could understand they would have to do so at our ... dimensional perception? Perceptual Dimension? I would research the Kabbalah, specifically the sephirot as it provides an explanation and the basis for my own theory as it explains how God interacts with the world. Each "world" is an enumeration or means of expression of himself from a higher state. The enumerations in this scenario are equivalent to the dimensions of existence. Conversely its possible to obtain power and perceptions of dimensions higher than your own. Aizen's spiritual power skyrocketing to the point where it couldnt be felt would be an example of this, as it existed in a dimension above the perception of the Shinigami.

As for the balance of the spirits. I talked to Shonen about this earlier, and tied it into the Soul King himself. In the Japanese creation myth, Izanagi created all of the humans in Japan. Amatersu as his progeny would inherit this power/title/position so to speak. Now, if the Soul King is indeed Ninigi, then this has more credibility since Ninigi is of Amaterasu's lineage. Furthermore his legend states that he was annoited as the First Emperor of Japan in order pacify the nation and its people by Amaterasu herself. Using that legend we can postulate that in a spiritual sense, he became as he is now in Bleach, the lynchpin. If you're familar with japanese history, worship of Amaterasu grew and they eventually overthrew the animal worship that existed. They tore down shrines and temples and replaced them with idols to Amaterasu and her pantheon. Going back to Doubutsu Kato as a reference, Yamamoto's overthrow of the animal crossing and the animal clans is a spiritual reflection of what happened in history.

But to answer your question, if Ninigi, who has a direct lineage to Amaterasu, who was born from Izanagi who created the people of Japan, represents the heart and soul of its people and nation, then he is singularily responsible for their birth, death and reincarnation ie the Great Wheel. If that balance is destroyed it would probably crash into Japan and destroy it. Each spiritual realm is unto itself, but they are all connected in some fashion. So yes, if that spiritual world crumbles there would be consequences for everyone else involved.

Keep in mind this is ... rather obtuse metaphysical conjecture. Whether you agree with it or not, these are the conclusions Ive gotten from my own research and observations. Take of it what you will, and feel free to poke holes if you see any. Great questions though, I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on the matter.