So, I just got back from 6 months work retreat at a S.N. Goenka center. About 6 weeks in, I found MTCB and the game completely changed. It turns out, I had quite a few misconceptions about what meditation is (and probably still have quite a few). The last 3-4 months, after having read the book, I really wanted to put it into practice.
The hangups:
First though, and I get a little chuckle out of thinking about this, I met with some hangups. One hangup was getting caught on the instruction: "Avoid wallowing in your 'stuff' at all costs." Sure enough, I generated a lot of aversion toward wallowing in my stuff. I even spent a fair amount of time beating myself about it. Lol... that was dumb. Eventually, I just decided to surrender to the apparent fact that I am a stuff-wallower. Yup. This is how things seem to be right now. Sometimes, I'm really into observing sensatiosn; Sometimes, I seem to spend days on end wallowing in "stuff." And, I still haven't really figured out how to kick that habit (other than more practice). I must say that "Avoid wallowing in your stuff" is easier said than done for me.
The second hangup was a over-fascination with the map. Goenka is fairly vague about the maps, and a little fantastical about it too, so when I found the MCTB maps, I was pretty excited. However, this spent to way too much time spent thinking about where I am, planning where I want to go, wondering when I would get there, etc... I still like the "goal-oriented" nature of MCTB, but it really highlighted the goal-attached nature of my mind.
As part of that, I feel kinda ashamed now to write on this forum that I spent 6 months on retreat (during which time I did five 10-day sits)... and I still haven't crossed the A&P. Of course, I guess I don't feel that much shame if I'm willing to put it on the internet where any Joe Schmoe can read it. More like bashful.

But, really, I think I spent most of my time in Three Characteristics or lower. When actually doing a 10-day sit, it seemed that I could hit the early stages of A&P around day 8 or 9, and I'd experience lingering effects for a little while after the sit too.
This is why I say it, and
please correct me where I may be wrong: Most of my 10-day sits started with LOTS of pain. LOTS of it. If I was lucky, later in the retreat, the pain would go away, and things would be moving freely, with a high(er) level of equinimity, there would be more pleasant vibrations/tingles. Goenka's assesments are whether or not one can feel a sensation on any part of the body. "When you place your attention on any part of the body, instantly you feel a sensation there." I never reached that stage.
Here's one other observation, though, which I don't know where to fit in: My sensory acuity greatly increased. I was feeling incredibly subtle sensations - very quick, or very faint, or very small. I could have a tight pulsing intense pain in my neck, but still I could ignore it and observe a tiny little pinpoint tingle arising and passing on my toe. Many sensations started breaking down into their smaller components. On this level, I made a ton of progress.
And even though my assessment is that I'm still pre-A&P (which is reminiscent of being pre-pubescent)... even still, I had an INCREDIBLE 6 months, and I feel like a completely different person today than when I went in. I feel SO much more metta, radiating out of me on a daily basis. I feel so much more at peace with myself, my family, my friends, the world! I feel HAPPY! And, happy for no reason, just strangely happy all of a sudden. My mind is much quieter, and I'm much more equanimous with whatever's going on around me. I feel like 1000 times less conceited, self-centered, and arrogant. I feel like an enormous chunk of my self judgment, self-hatred, and self-blame just kinda disappeared. Out of all the ten years of self-help and spiritual stuff I did before this, I think I did about 10 times more transformation over the last six months than all that combined. I don't know what all this means. Does this mean that I was practicing the wrong thing? Does it mean that I've misjudged where I am on the path? Does it just mean that I get excited over little things, and what I consider 1000% now will someday look like 1%?
Perhaps it has something to do with me being still a bit unclear on the boundaries between morality, concentration, and insight. I think maybe I was practicing all three, not so much because I intended to, but more as a matter of habit. And, actually, now thinking about it more, I think maybe it's a matter of trust, since samadhi and vipassana practices are pretty new to me, I'm still learning to trust them. Meanwhile, dealing with "stuff" has been a main focus of mine for quite a few years now.
I must say that there is a thought in my head that if I spent six months only to get to early A&P, then I better plan on it taking me a couple decades before I'm working the higher paths or looking anywhere near arahat. Realistically, I don't actually care if it takes me 50 years to become an arahat, since that's still pretty damn cool no matter when it happens. But, the idea that people here talk about the A&P event as if it was like learning how to not pee your pants when your 6 years old... it kinda does a weird mind-boggling thing to my mind.
Well, if you read any of all of this post, that's awesome. I know I like to write, so I wrote a lot. If you didn't read anything.
Please read this: Thank you for this site, it's way cool. Kudos!
Best,
Daniel J.