to Dreamviews!

Awesome questions you have there. Feel free to start a thread or two and invite others for a discussion. Dream related in General Dreams section, Lucid related in General lucid, and spirits/SP and such in Beyond dreaming section. That way you will target your intended audience.

The sounds and other sensations you experienced while falling asleep are actually not sleep paralysis. They can happen at the same time, but they just coincide. All those sensations are hypnogogic halluciantions, or HH (also known as HI - hypnogogic images). They mark transition to a dream and if you notice them, that means you are still aware and you have a great chance to enter the dream and be lucid.

Please ask if you have any questions. Happy dreams