Originally posted by hysteria
it sounds to me like what you had was an OBE.
Nah...it sounds like a typical lucid dream to me. Why do you think it sounds like an OBE? I have had lucids where I saw myself asleep in bed.

Anyways...about the hand...I guess because I am an artist and have already done intensive hand studies I don't need to study my hands during the day. But I do find that once I am lucid...looking down at my hands and looking at all the wrinkles and details in them will most certainly increase my lucidity. This actually works with anything. If you were to kneel down and study the fibers on the carpet, or the grains in the sand...your dream will become much more realistic.