The classic description of stream-entry is a gap in experience or "non-experience", and when you return you get a wave of relief and a cooling of the scalp (similar to equanimity but probably deeper). The classic way people do this is either from consistent noting (probably non-verbal) until your baseline shift occurs and you are naturally at the A & P at all times, or the same result from Shikantaza, (a practice where you don't manipulate anything so this happens on it's own. What you did does seem like just an energetic A & P experience but there are so many different descriptions of it (bright lights/shuddering/etc).
After stream-entry people notice a lack of a sense of self that gradually returns as they review how they got there. They don't believe in rights and rituals/a permanent self/doubt about the Buddha's teaching.
Here's a transcript I did of a Rob Burbea talk on how this process works:
As we cling less perceptions fade. When there is less delusion and identification the experiences begin to fade. Disidentify the intention to pay attention and with consciousness. Disidentify with awareness. Use Samadhi and metta to soften the fear. We need to see the fading of self, thing, time collapse over and over again. The understanding feeds the experience and the experience feeds the understanding. Consciousness = knowing. Consciousness has to fade. When there is no clinging there is nothing for consciousness to lean on. When we have no concepts of self, object, and time the trinity dissolves.
A lot of our experience is projected by our brain. Burbea also talks about time as conceptual because in reality time is movement through space so you can't pinpoint a concrete point in time ever. Time for us is just short-term memory. The purpose of fading the senses with concentration is to prove the impermanence of consciousness. I'm sure we all know that we can go unconscious but to do it with meditation over and over again will help with truly disidentifying with consciousness as a me.
To me the gold standard is self-discipline. If you are able to wean yourself from addictive behaviours with the practice and can start controlling your life in a healthy direction that is the most important thing. In fact if you can do this without enlightenment you're doing fantastic.
I would also seriously look into studying dependent origination. When you have consciousness and sense-organs the brain automatically gets data (contact). As soon as the memory is accessed to decide whether something is worth craving or worth hating (perception/recognition) the amygdala goes off with chemicals to sway you one way or another (dopamine/cortisol). I'm simplifying the chemicals because there are more involved like serotonin. When craving arises the brain dwells on why there is liking and disliking (clinging/rumination) and more chemicals are released swaying your choices. The thoughts (especially when they connect into stories always seem to be a me). The "me" is known by your consciousness so consciousness can't be a me. As Daniel points out, the thoughts pretend to sense other senses when in fact they create sensations with perception and clinging and can't sense what your body actually senses. The thoughts cannot experience anything and the "experiences" the imagination creates only seem important precisely because of the chemicals released. You can only experience what is actually happening. The affect is making you think you are experiencing more than what is happening now.
Phew I'm on a roll!
Good luck and keep practicing!