i got this occasional situations. when i lay down start close my eyes to sleep, shortly after that, i saw imagery, sometime nightmare like (things i dont want to happen) or some random pictures. the problem is, i know its not a dream, because i'm still awake, or maybe half awake, half sleep. i can still feel my body and the surrounding of room where i sleep, and i can open my eyes to awake back at will. i know i am lucid, because i'm still awake, but i cannot control the imagery no matter how hard i tried.

last night it happened, i saw a forest from above where i fall so fast, i tried to fly i cannot. and funny thing i can replay (as usual) the imagery at will to retry flying (or retry other stuff that i failed). all that happened very quickly, and then i open my eyes looking at surrounding, my wife and kids, and then continue my sleep. i have non lucid dream last night, but i know this pre-sleep imagery is not apart of my normal dream.

i am a succesfull flyer in my dreams, but not in this pre-sleep imagery. though, i can get rid of one scene i dont like and came up with different scene, but i cannot control the movement in the scene (when its already started).

is this classified as sleep paralysis? if yes then why i saw a picture(s)/imagery(ies)? just like a dream, but the sensation of sleepness (half-sleep vs total sleep in normal dream) is very different. and if dream only form in REM state, how can i go into REM when its just few seconds from i start closing my eyes and still can feel the reality around me? and can open my eyes if i want to?

The forum suggested to me several threads about this pre-sleep topic, but nothing explaining similar to what i've experienced. i have Part II after this which is another different sensation of my pre-sleep experience.