Paul K:
I am neither taking it as a game nor as an ego trip. I have been tormented ceaselessly by existential angst and have run amuck to find some answers or at least some cure. Fortunately this practice has helped immensely though still not enough. Having said that, I whole heartedly agree with your arguments.
Okay. It's good to have a little more information about your situation. I can relate to "tormented ceaselessly by existential angst and have run amuck to find some answers or at least some cure." That confirms your sincerity and a level of dedication to finding a solution. This is good.
Paul K:
The desire to know/confirm where I stand on this path has been fueled by the doubt, that is it my mind playing games with me or is this feeling for real and going to stay. Also a confirmation that I am heading in the right direction.
That sounds like a reasonable request. But you know you're going to be playing with that old bugaboo "doubt" all the way through until you reach stream entry. Someone who has entered the stream no longer doubts the Dhamma that was taught by the Buddha. I know that's not what you are talking about (namely, trying to make sense of your mind and the tricks it may be playing with you), but there's one marker for you to consider. On the other hand, rest assured that you are indeed heading in the right direction. So far.
Paul K:
You talked about certain markers. It would be of great help if you could enumerate them. Maybe after you enlist them I can better judge my position.
There are any number of opinions these days about what constitutes "stream entry," not all of them approved or promoted here in this forum. I tend to stick closely to what is mentioned in the discourses of the Buddha, since it is his methodology that we are supposed to be learning and not someone else's. You'll have to make your own decision about what is best for you once you are able to see these opinions for yourself. I would recommend sticking with what the Buddha originally taught as it has served me very well and I know it will serve others well also.
Traditionally, stream entry entails the dropping of self-identification as a delusive view of the world and one's experience, seeing the attributes we attribute to "self" (namely, the five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness) as being without self. It also entails, as mentioned earlier, letting go of doubts about the Dhamma, seeing enough truth in it to have developed faith that what the Buddha has to teach will actually help to alleviate the dissatisfaction we have with life. A third factor involved is the dropping of clinging to religious rites and rituals, seeing that in most instances these have little to do with retraining and reconditioning the mind to be able to see things as they truly are, rather than as the delusions that we often take events to be.
You might want to check out the following link about
stream entry and how it is viewed from a canonical standpoint. While it may seem a bit extreme in places, there are very good reasons why it is defined in this way. You actually have to
have made some realizations to be considered as having entered the stream on the way to experiencing nibbana in your life.
You're well on your way to achieving stream entry if the description you wrote is any guide. The fact that you have begun to experience some relief from
dukkha is evidence of that, and should be an encouragement for you to continue on in the direction you have already traveled. There's more to learn a little ways down the stream from where you're currently at, and you will be well pleased with yourself if you should keep following that path.