I'm sorry this is the first time i have ever spoken about these experiences with anyone and i don't have a good grasp of all the language used the describe these things.
It's not a problem, just describe things in a way that makes sense to you and the chances are that someone's going to know what you're talking about. All the language stuff comes with time, don't get hung up on it or worry about using the wrong terms, we all need to start somewhere and you've found a good place that doesn't value terminology or dogma over real practice.
Basically the point of me posting those experiences was to get some sort of validation that yes, what i experienced was real and potentially valuable. I realise that as these states were drug induced they aren't the same as if i had induced them through regular practice. However from what i have read both here (the sticky by Kenneth Folk at the top of this forum) and some parts of MCTB and other places, i really feel like i accidentally stumbled across the A&P at least. Ever since the experience when i was 15, my life changed completely, and i am so certain that i have had many periods of being in the dark night over the last 10 years. However all that said i realise the only way to truly progress with this stuff is to pick a technique and practice. I don't intend to rely on drugs to do the heavy lifting, so to speak
It's possible that you've come across the A&P at some point, I know I did and it was a long, long time before ever starting to meditate. Kenneth Folk says that his first big A&P Event happened while on LSD, and he's now a skilled teacher in his own right who's done the work required to get there; basically, just because this happened while you were tripping balls doesn't completely invalidate your experience as being something important. You've come to this point here and now, whatever it was that happened during that experience has been enough to cause you to question reality in a serious way, otherwise you'd never have posted here. That being the case, as you rightly said, it's a matter of picking a technique or practice
that works for you which may take a bit of trial and error at first, but the point is that you've made the first step.
I believe you when you say i shouldn't put too much emphasis on the things i have experienced so far, however this is a little difficult because of the enormous impact it had on my life. Do you understand what i mean? I'm a rather pedantic person at times and just want to know "where i am".
I completely understand, we've all been there at one time or another and this is where it's useful to be able to talk to other who may know a bit more about the territory than you do at present. There can be some truly incredible experiences along the way, but recognizing how any and all experience is impermanent, doesn't contain a Self and is inherently unsatisfying is what leads to insight and progress. If you hang onto experiences, you're just cultivating more stress for yourself by trying to "get back to" that way of being when, really, it's always happening already.
What i want to get out of all this, is to stop suffering in the ways that i have read it is possible to do so. I want to experience the freedom written about in buddhist literature. I just honestly have no idea where to begin. I am at the heart of it confused and almost commitment phobic in some way.
In the end, you need to decide for yourself whether you want to seriously commit to becoming "enlightened" or whatever you want to call it. All I can say is that the techniques discussed on this site are effective in, if not entirely eliminating, reducing suffering in all aspects of life. Simple as that.
I have tried noting practice a couple of times and have found it very confusing. I usually get caught up in the noting and being precise about it, and end up not paying close attention to the sensations i am supposed to be seeing clearer by noting. The act of noting seems to be another thing to note, then i get caught in an infinite regress. Obviously i am approaching this the wrong way, or need to keep at it more, i just don't know.
Noting is one way to go about it, but it's not the only way; it's an effective and efficient practice for objectifying and disembedding from phenomena so that you can investigate their true nature, but it's simplicity is what makes it complicated to grasp at first. All you're really doing is noticing whatever appears in awareness, you don't
need to "note" verbally or mentally, you're just continually bringing attention back to what's happening right now in your immediate sensate experience; if you're noting verbally or mentally, keep it simple and don't get caught up in identifying specific sensations at first, it all comes with practice.
It has been good to get some feedback, and i will take your advice and try to approach things with fresh eyes and not place too much emphasis on what had already happened. May i ask what meditation technique you find helpful? Do you have any suggestions for someone that may not be good at noting practice?
Anytime, that's why there's a community of supportive and encouraging practitioners here who can usually give you the advice you're looking for. As far as my own practice goes, I did noting and concentration practices intensively for about 18 months or so before switching to just bare sensate attention, although I've been practicing within other traditions over the last 14 years or so. If you don't find noting to be effective for you right now, you may find more use in concentration practice so that you can build a firm foundation to note from.
There's loads of other practices you could work with, I highly recommend The Hamilton Project, the "Yogi Toolbox" section in particular, as it's packed with good descriptions and techniques.