Rob Francisco:
While the resulting state is peaceful, it doesn't necessarily feel like an altered state of consciousness as compared to the first three jhanas. Should it feel like an altered state?
No, it shouldn't feel like an altered state. Why, you ask? Because an altered state is not geared toward "seeing things as they are" but rather toward "seeing things as one imagines them to be" which could be anything! You don't want that experience because imagination is the booby prize! What you want is a
clear recognition of any phenomenon that arises without adding anything or taking anything away from it. You want to be able to see it as it
is in this moment without any bias or prejudicial view. Think (focus on) equanimity! And insight!
Rob Francisco:
My counterpart sign manifests as a tactile, ecstatic, and vibratory sensation from the base of the spine to the top of the head. It is present in the first three jhanas, but this is what I let go of when I attempt to access the fourth jhana. I believe that the letting go of this sensation is what is causing me to interpret the resulting state as not being an "altered state." Am I doing something wrong?
Any tips or suggestions with respect to accessing the fourth jhana would be greatly appreciated!
No, you aren't doing anything wrong. That's exactly what you should be doing. If you experience the 4th jhana as an "altered state" then you are manifesting (fabricating) that sensation by paying attention to it. The fourth jhana occurs because the activity in the mind is gradually winding down to a basic stillness resulting in clarity, which is the fourth jhana.
In the first jhana there are
vitakka,
vicara,
piti and
sukkha. These are all
movements (activities) of mind. In the second jhana there is the release of
vitakka and
vicara leaving inner tranquillity and a unification of mind along with
piti and
sukkha. In the third jhana, there is (when pursued correctly) clear awareness, the beginnings of equanimity and mindfulness as
piti subsides leaving only
sukkha. Are you beginning to see the pattern here? All movement of mind is heading toward stillness, the subsiding of the elements that helped bring on the jhanic experience in the first place, making it a pleasant sensation. But now, in the fourth jhana, you have to get down to business. In the fourth jhana all that is left is equanimity (if you're practicing for it) and mindfulness. The movement of
sukkha has completely disappeared, leaving the mind as described in the quotation below.
The fourth jhana should be a very restful, peaceful yet highly alert state wherein the mind is "concentrated, purified and cleansed, unblemished, free from impurities, malleable, workable,
established, and having gained
imperturbability, he directs and inclines his mind toward knowing and seeing." (DN 2.83) It is from this point on that insight is able to arise.