Jane Laurel Carrington:
Hello, Michael,
It's easy to undertake this practice and then get into a game of second-guessing oneself where meds are concerned, but the consensus I've gotten from Daniel's book and from the moderators on Kenneth Folk Dharma is that if you are on meds for a reason and you're doing well, just do your practice and keep the meds as they are. Chris Marti is fond of saying "Meditation is not medication" (he's had to remind me of this more than once), and Daniel mentions a yogi he knows who is bipolar, highly attained, and diligent about taking his meds. People without ADHD, who need no meds, have as much trouble attaining access concentration as someone with ADHD either on or off of it, I'd say--in other words, your medication is not allowing you to gain "false" access concentration, so don't pull that one on yourself. If you were on heart medication, you'd need to keep taking that, so treat it the same way. Maybe at some point in the future when you have a few path attainments you can reassess (or maybe not), but you don't need to fiddle with it now.
As for where you're at--it's quite possible you're in the Dark Night if you passed the A&P either with or without chemical assistance at some time. I hear hums, ear ringing, and even jackhammer heartbeats at different points on the path; all of these things are normal when we get concentrated. The most helpful thing you can do for yourself, however, is stop second-guessing yourself on the cushion and just note whatever is arising as it arises, no matter how pleasant, unpleasant, annoying, confusing, or disappointing it may be. You can record it after the fact in a practice thread, and over a period of time a recognizable pattern will emerge.
Laurel
Thanks, that's helpful! Sounds like the game plan will be to just keep on, and keep writing in my sit journal. If any second guessing arises on the cushion I'll note it and move on.