Very good post! This is so interesting to think about @cryptogee, it's one of my favorite topics actually. When you see a dandelion struggling to grow through a crack in the concrete and creatures evolved to live in all manner of harsh environments on Earth I have no doubt that there are countless life forms that have developed elsewhere in the cosmos or on other planes of existence.
I hope I live to see the day that there is open contact. As a student of history, I would absolutely be enthralled to learn the stories of civilizations millions of years older than humanity. Just think of all we could learn! One of the main problems we have now is our rudimentary understanding of physics. There's so much more we have to learn. I'm leaning towards believing the multiverse theory is correct. If this is true we're going about space travel and exploration entirely wrong.
Indeed given the right conditions we know that life can survive practically anywhere. Our neurosis comes from the fact that this planet is the only place we can see the right conditions.
I like the multiverse theory, however within that theory there is no actual way of travelling between said universes.
One day, one day . . .
Cg