Let me figure out the short & sweet introduction, otherwise, I'll be here forever!
I had a life-altering experience with sleep paralysis/hallucinations when I was 17, although I didn't understand what was occurring until just recently. My lucid dreaming began around the same time. Throughout my early 20's my lucid dreaming was very controllable. I was able to recognize when I was in a dream state and manipulate my dreams with ease. These lucid dreams occurred very frequently, I'd say at least 2-3 times a week.
Fast forward into my 30's when my sleep pattern became a little more irregular, with kids, waking at night, etc. I am able to recognize when I am in a dream state, but no longer able to manipulate as easily as before. I might get "halfway there" so to speak - Lets say I'd try to will a ferris wheel to appear in an empty field and I get a roller coaster instead. I have also been experiencing multiple false awakenings, one on top of another, on top of another.
In recent years, I have learned more about the connection between lucid dreaming & sleep paralysis, and although I cannot know for sure, (how do you prove something like this??) I believe I have gone straight into a dream state from an awake state. I would feel the sleep paralysis kick-in, the hallucinations and noises begin, and when the noises/lights stop, I am in my quiet room, but the furniture would be out of place. Or the walls a different color. This is how I would recognize I was dreaming. These were my "flying" nights - i would get out of bed, open the window, and fly away - like swimming breast-stroke through the air. I could land, take-off at will, go higher, soar, you name it. I'd stop and meet people, some strangers, some people I know. Almost makes me feel as though they might have really been visited by me. I don't dare ask
Last night I had one of my paralysis into lucid dreaming experiences, but it was not a good one. The lucidity was coming and going, and many times made me question whether I was dreaming or actually experiencing things in real life. I am here because I would like to find my way back to controlling my dreams like the way I used to.