Questions about entering a dream.

About a week ago I had an experience that gave me a few questions. I first started with breathing exercises to relax. My body went numb and i then did 61 point relaxation which worked well and took me to a new level of relaxation and SP. I then was sort of hopefully anticipating HI and after none came I did a little daydreaming. I sort of saw faint light patterns projected, but I wasn't sure if I was seeing them or just imagining them. Then suddenly I saw more light and focused my eyes towards it. Shortly after this my eyes slowly opened up involuntarily. I did an RC and i was awake:(

This gave me questions: When do you consider SP to really take place. The first level of numbness or the really deep heavy kind?

Will you definitely know when you're seeing HI? What can you expect? and how can you transition into the next phase after SP.

Well, it's sleep paralysis when you can no longer move your arms or anything. Of course, you don't want to be testing your ability to move arms when relaxing.

I consider the start of sleep paralysis when my breathing really tones down. My diaphragm only displaces a centimeter or two at the most. If I am not aware I am going into sleep paralysis, it will startle me because it feels like I can barely breathe.

HI tends to be really random and sporadic. It's not like it just turns on and stays on when attempting to WILD. It will turn on for a second, you see something happen quickly, and you may eventually drift into the scene. The thing that lets me know I'm the closest to a WILD are vibrations. The best way to get there is to take deep breaths and do not get lost on any trains of thought. Let them pass right through your brain.