The Astral Pulse

Last night I had a dream - I woke up at about 5:30am and I remember vaguely thinking that "its the morning, if I'm going to try projecting it should be now".  Then I think I fell back asleep, but I do remember (somewhat hazily, as one would remember a dream) that all of a sudden I was standing at the end of my bed, and I jumped up and down a few times and I remember thinking "Cool, I'm out of body!" and so I decided to try running down my hallway when all of a sudden I was snapped back into my body - I didn't wake up but went on to have another different dream after that.

From what I see, people who AP remember it vividly... I only remember it as if it were a dream.  Was it just my brain doing a bit of wishful thinking?  Or might it have been real?  I remember while I was drifting off thinking just don't be afraid, there's nothing to be afraid of.  (When I am awake I'm always worried that I'll try to AP and there will be some strange creature in my room or something).  

What do you all think?

I had a v.similar experience and it was only due to a few weird dream like things that made me realise it was a dream, however i did feel it was "realer" than a dream. Check out my thread "I dreamt I APed"

When I first had obe's it was pretty clear what was an obe and what was a dream, but then I started dreaming about obe's and it got real fuzzy. The dividing line seems to be lucidity, the more lucid the more possibility of it being a classic  obe. Also it seems like at the end of an obe I wake up rather than go into a dream-however it is possible to have an obe degenerate into a dream. If this seems confusing it is because it really is. I think what is important is awareness, no matter what you call it.

Another cool thing happened to me on the weekend.  I decided that Sunday was going to be my "practise" day (since I tend to go out on Friday night and want to get up earlyish on Saturday to enjoy the day!)  Sunday is my sleep in day.

I woke up at around 7am ish and, remembering that OBEs generally are easier to have after a full night sleep, went back to bed, because I was sleepy anyway.

I woke up (my eyes were still closed and it was dark behind my eyelids) to find myself on my side, but I guess in a form of "sleep paralysis".  I felt my body wanting to roll out, off the bed, but I was worried that I really was awake and would fall on the floor!!  So I tried rolling the other way but ended up rolling in the direction where my face would go intowards the bed, instead of upwards towards the ceiling.  After a few rolls back and forth I decided I would try and open my eyes.  I willed my eyes to open, and with an audible "blink" (I actually heard it) what I assumed was my third eye opened, and I could see the curtain that I was facing, but everything had a shimmery and sparkly quality to it.

I then got too excited I think, and woke up proper.

This occurred after I had been dreaming about something (I can't remember now, but I did write it down).

This time, I know that what I saw was real, and not a dream.  I can now feel confident in saying that, because although everything had a shimmery quality to it, I remember it clearly, as a proper memory, and not a dream.

I assume I just have to learn to stay relaxed, and not get too excited, in order to continue exploring that state.  Its funny - before I was worried about being "frightened" by experiencing these things, but during that short episode, I was naturally calm, and wanted just to explore the state.