Ahhhhh ... it was mostly a lesson in discerning astral realms. I've never read a lucid dreaming how-to, so I've just been wingin it so far... Today thank god, I'm able to discern the difference between the lower astral. I implemented a technique I do in the morning similar to "WILD") which is basic astral projection - what I found out is that unless I direct my consciousness specifically, I wind up in the lower astral realm - where things are not as malleable and a bit dark and distorted. Once we realize we are in a lower astral realm, we can move into a higher one with conscious direction...... So.......
I projected myself into my apartment, in the dark bedroom.
Itom was in the living room (in the astral as well as the physical)...
I walked out and remembered to look at my hands to keep me from losing my lucidity.
I went to the balcony and it was dark outside so I attempted to move the sun up, but instead of rising (as it normally does when I do this "trick") a purple orb rose and shot into my bedroom. Then three or four more shot in (of different colors).
Instead of going back into the bedroom to see who/what it is, I got huffy and puffy because I couldn't make the sun rise.
So I wound up waking myself up. But I was able to enter right back in, no prob...
This time Itom was in the room with me, on the bed. He seemed down (which is sooooo not like him). I asked him what was wrong and he got super strange and whiny (again, not like him AT ALL). I had to keep looking at my hands to stay lucid because I could feel the energy of the illusion coming on. My hands were a sure-fire technique though, they were mostly transparent.
So finally, after having enough of this paper-dragon shadow shit, I went to leave the apartment and ended up going through a maze of hallways, trying to get outside to the open air. and JUST as I was about to walk through the outside door, I woke up.
Oh I also TRIED (keyword) to manifest the green Contact crystal in my hand, but got nothing.
I was a little frustrated with myself for not being able to manifest what I wanted, and then even more so I woke up feeling a bit silly for not fully recognizing my surroundings and then shifting....
Again, I realized later in the day that I had actually entered into a "lower astral" plane, and could have easily moved up into a higher astral by doing some chanting or a simple heart breath. I stayed in the lower by feeling annoyed.
Ahhh the lessons.