| | Hmm. I can give you a personal answer but I am not certain that it can always be applied. Perhaps for a noting practitioner it may for the most part.
There has been a full insight cycle for the first three paths followed by a short review phase during which the previous cycle was gone through repeatedly. There was a pretty clear perceptual change (reality was perceived more accurately), as well as a deeper understanding and appreciation of the three characteristics after each path event. I think that this perceptual change and the direct, experiential knowledge of the three characteristics is the best indicator of whether a path has been attained.
The perceptual changes that I remember very clearly were: noticing that all sensations arise and pass away moment-tom-moment without fault (no experiential or intellectual doubts about this being the case) after first path, noticing sensations occurring of their own volition to no one after second path, as well as clearly noticing the aspect of experience that may be called suffering (unbearableness) and that this sensation is separate from the preceding sensations (ie. seeing that all sensations are fundamentally fine as they are). I don't think that these perceptual changes always occur in this fashion or in this order but the 3 characteristics should become obvious in ones experience in a new way after a path has been attained (I believe). I also suspect that these things may be glimpsed during practice but they should be pretty apparent (permanently) after a path and in a new way.
As for third path, emptiness became noticeable for the first time. It was first observed behind sensations and only through forcing my attention to see it, later it was perceived co-existing with sensations rather than being separate (ie. sensations are the same as before yet empty at the same time, there is no ground or solidity to them, they are see-through, clear and pristine, more so if I specifically look for this aspect of them; also this emptiness is permanent in that it is unchanging - yet perceived within the experience of changing and impermanent phenomena). Later still the attention itself was seen to contain a sense of self, after which experience was observed to arise independently of my attention to it. Also, whereas the cycles were useful and in a way foolproof for gouging progress (if they were diagnosed accurately) within prior paths, this is not the case with third path (there is a lot of them, some seem like full cycles with review phases and perceptual shifts, yet none of them grant fourth path).
And that's more or less where I am now, so I can't report on further perceptual changes. Will gladly fill in when I make it to the fourth path.
As for practice, just doing it and doing it well (there is always knowledge of what is not being done well I think) does the trick. Also, not being too fascinated, or invested in the symptoms of practice is useful I think. Having strong intention to get it done helps shitloads, if one can differentiate between being determined and being obsessed.
All the best and I hope that I wrote this somewhat sensibly, I find it hard to express myself well most of the time. Congratulations on stream entry, it's a big step! Yay!!!!!!!!
Pavel |