| | Thanks for the input everyone. Interestingly enough, I just went to try practicing again in the way where there isn't blinking. I was able to put a finger on the difference: when there is blinking, I am doing a lot more vitaka, i.e., placing the mind on the object over and over, and relying a lot less on vicara. After relying more on vicara, the blinking wasn't there, and I actually got into a more relaxed focus and reached 1st jhana, which I haven't hit in a long time (I don't recall ever hitting it since using the high vitaka approach).
Or it might have been an A/P, I have trouble distinguishing the two (I still feeling energy in my spine after the practice). |