Thread: An introduction, as well as a question

Hello everybody,
It's good to be here. You can call me Rhapsode. Obviously that's not my real name, but I don't think sticking with a pseudonym is considered impolite in online communities, so for all intents and purposes that is what it is.

I have been trying to lucid dream since last October ('09) and have only really been successful within the past 4-5 months. My intentions for lucid dreaming are my own, as I'm sure each of you have your own reasons for doing this, but I'm glad I found a place where I can share some experiences and learn how to improve my technique in the matter. I also look forward to getting to know all of you.

I do have some questions, as well as a small confession; I'll first share the latter. My discipline for dreaming practices (MILD, reality checks, meditation, etc.) has fallen within the past two months. What's great is I'm still achieving lucidity regardless, presumably because of the fierce diligence with which I practiced these things for many nights previous, but I do have my reasons for letting myself backslide.

Firstly, I fear I might get too attached to the dream world. This fear came to the forefront of my mind after one memorable night where I achieved three lengthy lucid dreams, one right after the other, and in each one had a great amount of control as well as awareness. I wasn't in full control, so events would happen that I did not instigate and I could still hold interesting conversations with dream characters, but had full access to what I consider my "lucid powers" (time/matter manipulation, people/location creation, to name a few) and as mentioned, was completely aware, so the dreams achieved that clear, vivid texture. Now, this event was unlike anything I'd ever experienced: to put it poetically, it was as if a realm of crystalline beauty was revealed before my newly opened eyes, and I had only to reach out and touch it to be immersed within its radiance. Which I did; now I feel as though a part of my soul has gone along with it. I've never been satisfied with the pleasures of this world; I grow weary of paltry things; yet I understand that I am intrinsically part of it, and do carry responsibilities in this reality that I must fulfill. But when I had these dreams, I stopped caring.
I could not bear that, so I temporarily halted my dreaming exercises.

Question #1: How do you, personally, keep a balance between the responsibilities of reality, and a desire for complete immersion within the dream world?

An additional note and question. As I had lucid dreams more regularly, I began to experience more false awakenings. Let me elaborate my meaning of the term, in case it differs: to dream that you have awoken, and shortly thereafter wake for real, or fade into another dream.
However, recently I have begun to experience what feels like an entirely different animal. A false awakening that is as different from the usual type, as a lucid dream is from the common. In these, I wake in my bed, in my room. Yet I know that I am dreaming. I know I am not awake because I wear a sleeping mask, and when these happen my vision is clear; it is not sleep paralysis because I can, and do, get up and walk around.
Now. Let me describe this realm as best I can.
I refer to it in my mind as the "shadow land", because everything is vivid, like with deep lucidity, but at the same time the most clear thing in it are the shadows of objects. Even when not much light is present everything has a great, deep shadow, which in some way look more real than the objects they are attached too. I've encountered two people in this place, one was a small man lurking in my closet, the other was a tall man who always wore a long, dark robe that hid all his features.
I never talked to them; they didn't seem to be ones for conversation.
Now, this "shadow realm" terrifies my conscious mind. It is dark, I have absolutely no control over anything that happens in it, regardless of my awareness, and it is unlike anything I have ever encountered, in dreaming or waking. Yet, the strangest part is that even when I was there for the first time it felt... familiar.
Most of the time I've come here has been from a dream, but within that dream I was aware I was going somewhere else.
An example: In one of my dreams (non-lucid) I decided to go to sleep. So I lay down and closed my eyes. A woman's voice emanated in my head, asking me if I was prepared to go somewhere. I answered, still in my head, yes, I was. She asked me further questions but I'll keep this short. I fell asleep (in my dream), I opened my eyes, and I'm in my bed, in this place. Now, I can wake myself from this place at will. After the first few times of experiencing it, I learned to detect it as soon as I entered it and have begun waking myself almost immediately. The fact that I can do this is the only way I can keep myself returning to bed.

Lovecraft, in his stories of Randolph Carter, mentions the area of "deeper dreaming" the character has to descend too in order to visit certain lands. I think I may have stumbled upon such a place. Now I'm reluctant to continue my lucidity because I feel as though I am in way over my head.

Question #2: Have you ever experienced anything like this, and what did you do about it?

I eagerly await your replies.

EDIT:
After having the memory of those dreams refreshed in my mind, I am having the damndest time getting myself to go to sleep (which is why I'm still on at this hour). I'd be greatly indebted to any words of wisdom, similar experiences, etc, answering this post. It will let me know this ain't just something I'm dealing with.
Much love <3