Maybe I'm not understanding your definitions, but it sounds like you are saying that consciousness is only limited to the physical dimension.  I disagree.  Consciousness crosses the barriers of the physical dimension.  Also, your consciousness isn't only limited in definition to who you are as a physical person.  Your total self is a consciousness, and your physical person is a part of that consciousness.

Also, many people, especially children, have recalled past life memories while awake.  It is not necessary to only have this happen in a dream.

I think the best way to explain how Spiritual and Physical can interact is by the following example:
Have you ever seen a bride or a pregnant woman glow? You can see or sense an aura around her? Well, this is when the spiritual enwraps itself around the physical.  At that "time" both the spiritual and the physical are interacting, therefore are one.  They are not seperated by any dimension. When the physical sheds it's spirit (at the time of "death"), the spritual moves on and leaves the physical/nature. The body turns back to "dust" and becomes part of the spirit of Nature, and our soul/spirit/essence moves on.  When we are alive in this dimension--- we may also experience the spiritual in full consciousness and not even be aware of it, as the example of the "glow" that people get when the hold their first born child.  I can be consciously awake and still experience a spiritual moment. Yes-- they can co-exist and yes they may also be on different planes of awareness. My husband explains it this way: when he was very ill and drugged up with pain killers, he remembers, quite clearly, his awake dreams of our grandduaghter. He was not asleep or unconscious. But the visions of our granddaughter growing up before his eyes was both physical and spiritual.  Does this help?