How do you make sure you have a lucid dream instead of an astral projection/out of body experience? So during/after sleep paralysis you find yourself in the room. How do you know if it is a lucid dream, astral projection or an out of body experience? Because I would love to know the differences. So when it happens to me I know what I'm doing. I heard some stories about people having sleep paralysis and right after they are having an astral projecting without even trying. So yeah, please help me out.