Help me identify my experience?

Hello all, I am new to this forum, but thought I would join because of a strange experience I had early this morning.

I have never lucid dreamt before, so I have a few questions and was hoping you guys could help me clear some things up. But let me begin with what happened...

I went to bed around 10:00pm last night and fell asleep pretty quickly. I assume it was very early in the morning, but I began to dream for quite some time. It was all kind of hazy and I can recall a few events but not many. During these hazy moments I recall telling myself that I was dreaming, and shouldn't take these dreams too seriously. Even though I said this in my dream, I did not gain lucidity, and my mind just carried on. My most vivid dream was about being in a desolate plain (like a broad desert expanse) digging in front of some woman's house. I was looking for some electrical components when all of the sudden I tripped across a big centipede. I saw it and was pretty scared, although I noticed that it has my school colors. Seeing the colors reminded me that I was in a dream, but I was too scared, and ran away as the large bug "flew" after me. After a while of dodging and jumping from the critter, the dream phased out and I entered another desert area. I was about to walk up some staircase when I suddenly remembered that I was dreaming. Only this time my mind listened and I had the most bizarre experience. The hazy dream state disappeared and I rocketed into my dream body, feeling a strange alive sensation. For about a second I felt it was real life.

I instantly exited the dream involuntarily only to find myself face down on my pillow, completely paralyzed. I told myself that I was in sleep paralysis, but I wanted to get out. I fidgeted and tried to move but I didn't help. Finally I tried screaming and my paralysis was released. I later fell asleep.

The strange part was that the whole "becoming lucid" experience on the staircase seamed very dramatic, and even the moment when I woke up and couldn't move seemed unclear and still hazy. This leads me to believe that I was just dreaming about having a lucid dream, but I am still very unsure.

I was hoping you may possibly be able to discern what I experienced, and shed some light for me. Thank you!

That sounds like a very cool dream :) Some lucid dreams are more lucid than others. Maybe the earlier lucidity didn't feel as strong because it was earlier in the dream, and harder to remember. Maybe you weren't fully lucid. Sometimes you know it is a dream, but don't fully understand what that means.

It sounds like you had an intense moment of clarity and lucidity on the stairs. I guess you could say that state of mind is the goal of lucid dreaming. Personally, I like all levels of lucidity. I think it is fun when you know it is a dream, but are still immersed in the dream narrative. Sometimes, if I am too lucid, the dream is less satisfying.

You had a lucid dream!