The telepathic images lines up with what many twins experience. The telepathy often comes through as sudden flashes of imagery connected to your twin, sometimes showing their surroundings or what they’re doing at that moment. You felt certain you were awake, and that’s common - these are receptive moments where the energetic channel is unusually clear.
Twin flame telepathy usually begins long before we physically meet. We’re just not aware of it until we start actively working on understanding the connection but Spirit seems to use it as a tool to guide us toward our 3D selves. So, a nine or ten-year-old boy’s imagination, creating a strong image, could have reached you on that level, especially during the vulnerability of nighttime sleep cycles. Early research on imaginary companions described them as ‘supernatural creatures and spirits thought to connect people with their past lives.’ Children with imaginary companions often show stronger abilities to represent what others are thinking, which is… basically telepathic receptivity.
The connection feeling so familiar probably comes from your soul recognizing something it already knew. Homecoming sensation even in your first conscious meeting. What you’re describing is that same recognition traced back to early childhood when you were more open to it.