The World(s) keep(s) on turning

There exists a religious belief that posits that there are multiple worlds within which man can dwell, 7 being the most frequent incarnation.  He is born into the first world which is filled with turmoil and tumult.  There are lessons in life which he must learn.  If he succeeds then he will ascend to the next world.  If he fails then he must try again.  This process continues, all the while if man should fail spectacularly then he will descend into the preceding world.  There is no world beyond the first world, it is the lowest level upon which man can live.

Now there is a question of interpretation here.  I would posit that there are two main interpretations of this theory and which you choose will ultimately decide if you see yourself as an individual or as part of a collective.

In the individualistic interpretation these worlds are interpreted literally as separate distinct worlds, be they planets in this Universe, other Universes, or different planes of existence, whatever way you look at it.  In this belief you live as a single person, and embark on a journey of self discovery and seek enlightenment as your ultimate goal - or in other words to reach the seventh world.

In the collectivist interpretation these worlds are not interpreted literally but rather interpreted as levels in our advancement as a race.  In this interpretation our history can be seen as our path that we walk together.  The various points in our history when things in our past reflected our most cruel nature, such as medieval torture devices for example can be seen as a lower point in our journey.  In essence, we once lived within the first world.

Whichever interpretation you subscribe to, individual or group, the question exists, if true, which world do we now live within?  It cannot be denied as a species within the last two hundred years alone we have come quite a long way.  Although that is not necessarily shared equally among everyone on this planet it is something that inevitably affects everyone on this planet.