I posted some of this in the newbie forum but I think it belongs here.

Last night after researching LD a bit I decided to do some RC's throughout the day and give it a go at night.

Well my first dream came and I woke up after it (about 4 hours maybe less after going to bed), and I thought i might try some WILD. I had read just enough to know it involved conciously slipping into REM and retaining this mindfulness.

I had done some Zazen (zen meditation) in the past so I knew a bit about how to keep my mind in a clear state through breathing, after about a an hour I felt sleep paralysis begin and I started hearing a few auditory cues - voices, etc.

Well I started to feel like I was being pulled through the mattress. At this point I tried to imagine separating myself from my body and sitting up, it felt like i could almost do this. Previously before I knew about LD i had been able to fly using this method in a dream.

Anyway I can't really explain how but I had the sensation that my environment was changing and I wa slipping into a dream. At this time my heart started to beat super fast -- from deep relaxation to feeling like I had just run a sprint. Now until this morning I didn't know this was common, it kind of surprised me and I wasn't sure how to deal with it. I know now to be calm. Well regardless it jolted me out and I fell asleep normally about an hour later and that was that.

My question is how close is this increased heart beat stage to the actual dream? Am I close or is this really the largest hurdle to get over?