Wow! This really works!... but could use some advice.

[Lynxiana]

Hello, I'm new. Well, sort of. I tried LD a few years ago (I have a couple posts here in DV), but gave up on it to focus on my physical health - but now I am very interested again and in focusing on my spiritual health. I had bouts of sleep paralysis in my twenties and was so afraid of it I made it go away. I'm in my mid-thirties now and have gotten over the fear and have delved into the world of LD. I'm very interested in the concept of LD for self discovery and spiritual experience. Plus, it seems like a lot of fun! Well, I've been having some trouble getting there. I've been unsuccessful at WILD for about a few weeks now. But, I really appreciate this site and these forums; as they've been incredibly helpful. I've been trying to work on being successful at WILD. At first, I was trying to force SP (the whole don't move at all WBTB thing), but then learned that might not be the right approach for me (thanks to advice on these forums). So, instead, I've started working on doing reality checks during the day, working on dream recall and writing. I've been setting an alarm to wake me up at 4 or 4:30 (in an effort to parallel my REM cycles for best results). And, I've been using a mantra to try to anchor my mind while my body goes back to sleep - not thinking about inducing SP at all, but ready to embrace it if it happens. So far... nothing. I either lay awake (trying not to move or swallow) for an hour or so and give up, or my mind falls asleep before my body (huh, funny how things work the way they're meant to). It's been frustrating, but I have an understanding that this is a process and is something that will take a lot of practice to get good at. Well, last night (this early morning), I had an unsuccessful WILD, and I fell asleep. I was dreaming that I was in a car with my brother who was driving. But something was different... looking out the window, everything was really vivid, like it was in HD or something - colors were crisp an intense - almost unreal. Something in my subconscious made me plug my nose and try to see if I could breathe. Holy hell! I can breathe with my nose plugged! I'm dreaming! It really is a trans-formative experience when confirming a dream state with a reality check. I felt like a Jedi, hehe... I got really excited. I looked down at my hands and they were blurry and distorted. I told myself to stay calm, don't force anything, just let it happen. I rubbed my hands together and tried to keep the already dimming dream from vanishing and me waking on my couch. I think I must have been picturing my sleeping physical body in an effort to not wake up, because that is where I found myself. I was in a very dark room, which I knew was my living room where I was sleeping. I was disappointed but still excited that I had become lucid during this dream. So, I did another RC. I plugged my nose and... Holy hell! I can still breathe through my plugged nose! I must still be dreaming! So, I think I had a false awakening. I looked at my hands again and they almost didn't exist - they were just blurry blobs of shadowy nothings. The dream state was very shadowy as well. There was really nothing to it, just dark, hazy, empty space. I eventually woke up and did another RC and confirmed that I was actually awake. I tried to recall the dream right away, and it was very poor. It was like a dark, shadowy memory - distant and vague. But, I was really excited and I can't wait to go to sleep tonight and try to build off of last night's success! The advice I'm seeking is: Am I as close as I think I am? What's my next step to try and get an actual dreamscape to form? What am I missing with this whole WILD thing? I will continue to wade through these incredibly helpful forums for answers. Maybe, all I'm really after is a pat on the back and some reassurance that it is worth it to keep practicing. Thanks.