whoa, truth slammed me in the face - Discussion
Adam:
I'll see if this lasts
Maybe it will. But maybe not in the way you think. I would guess you are undergoing a stage called the arising and passing away (A&P). Have you read MCTB?
In this stage I would sometimes euphorically put together different pieces of what I read, imagined it formed a coherent whole, believed I had really understood something, I saw connections everywhere, etc. I believed I was getting a real insight, which in a way is true, because I was really seeing things in a new way, but none of the theories I came up with was ever any good.
Adam:
Suddenly I just freaked out. whoa
(...)
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
If you are feeling euphoric, or hyped up, then A&P is the most likely candidate. A big change happens during this phase, and it is considered the point of no return. Let it roll and have fun
Also: try to treat others fairly, during A&P one gains a sort of charismatic power, and a heightened intelligence, which can easily be used to overpower other people.Keep us posted!
EDIT 1: Just realized this was actually in the AF thread. Doh! Here's my vipassana related two cents worth....
Well, if you try to tell me you're not doing insight practice now then we're going to have some serious words!
I would speculate that you've hit either 1st or 2nd ñana, but this time you're getting fundamental insight through experience and not just through intellectual understanding. There's also the possibility that you've crossed the 4th ñana, Knowledge of The Arising & Passing Away, check out Daniel Ingram's thread on diagnosing this stage and see how that fits (be honest with yourself here, make sure you're not just trying to make the experience fit). There's a lot of room for misinterpreting this stuff when you're not familiar with the terminology so tread carefully and continue to practice. My own personal preference is to underestimate where I "am" on these maps, that way you'll still make progress while avoiding delusion and wishful thinking about being further ahead than you actually are.
One thing I'd suggest is that you're getting a bit bogged down in the content of the insight, stick with the sensations that are happening during practice and you won't go far wrong. Over-thinking and philosophizing may delay you from making further progress if you get too caught up on it so just note what's happening and know that, no matter how difficult it gets after this point, you're doing it right.
Another thing...."I'll see if this lasts" - Be careful what you're looking at here, impermanence will become much clearer in the upcoming days and weeks during practice and you'll find these positive, wonderful and awesome experiences are as transient, unsatisfying, and devoid of a self as any other sensation you can become aware of. The shifts in awareness encountered during the cycles of insight, while important and useful, are not the end goal so, and you'll probably notice that I mention this constantly, keep practicing 'cause nothing else will get the job done!
EDIT 2: Take a closer look at your actual practice, the words you're using suggest insight practice and not PCE. Possibly just me and others misinterpreting what you've posted, so would you mind talking a bit more about what sort of techniques you were using prior to this "insight" (inverted commas to make it clear that I'm referring to something different to what you claim to be talking about). That was it'll be easier to see what's happening for you and it should be easier to diagnose a PCE as it's very distinctive and memorable in a different way to the A&P.
Well, if you try to tell me you're not doing insight practice now then we're going to have some serious words!
I would speculate that you've hit either 1st or 2nd ñana, but this time you're getting fundamental insight through experience and not just through intellectual understanding. There's also the possibility that you've crossed the 4th ñana, Knowledge of The Arising & Passing Away, check out Daniel Ingram's thread on diagnosing this stage and see how that fits (be honest with yourself here, make sure you're not just trying to make the experience fit). There's a lot of room for misinterpreting this stuff when you're not familiar with the terminology so tread carefully and continue to practice. My own personal preference is to underestimate where I "am" on these maps, that way you'll still make progress while avoiding delusion and wishful thinking about being further ahead than you actually are.
One thing I'd suggest is that you're getting a bit bogged down in the content of the insight, stick with the sensations that are happening during practice and you won't go far wrong. Over-thinking and philosophizing may delay you from making further progress if you get too caught up on it so just note what's happening and know that, no matter how difficult it gets after this point, you're doing it right.
Another thing...."I'll see if this lasts" - Be careful what you're looking at here, impermanence will become much clearer in the upcoming days and weeks during practice and you'll find these positive, wonderful and awesome experiences are as transient, unsatisfying, and devoid of a self as any other sensation you can become aware of. The shifts in awareness encountered during the cycles of insight, while important and useful, are not the end goal so, and you'll probably notice that I mention this constantly, keep practicing 'cause nothing else will get the job done!
EDIT 2: Take a closer look at your actual practice, the words you're using suggest insight practice and not PCE. Possibly just me and others misinterpreting what you've posted, so would you mind talking a bit more about what sort of techniques you were using prior to this "insight" (inverted commas to make it clear that I'm referring to something different to what you claim to be talking about). That was it'll be easier to see what's happening for you and it should be easier to diagnose a PCE as it's very distinctive and memorable in a different way to the A&P.
