Would like some help in what states I experienced

Jorge, modified 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 12:05 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 2/3/16 11:59 PM

Would like some help in what states I experienced

Posts: 30 Join Date: 2/14/14 Recent Posts
I just got back from a 3 week mahasi vipassana retreat and there were some experience that I can't quite make out...

most I can figure out but there were some experiences that I don't quite understand and not sure how they fit in the mahasi stages

1) the body felt like it is encased in a blanket of energy. It felt like I had no real physical body but a body of "light". The body felt like pure energy and then a "scanning" effect started taking place. Like a Xerox machine scanning a document. This scanning could of been from a Goenka retreat I did 2 years ago.

2) I was lying down and my entire crown was lite up. Meaning it felt like all it was was energy. At the same time my chest area was experiencing the same thing. It was very pleasant. I figure some kind of "reporgramming" was occuring or this process was showing me heart/mind.

3) Another experience was where I was witnessing... there were no thoughts and if thoughts seemed to appear I couldn't make them out. There were vibratrions at my temples and some vibrations to the right side of my top chakra. This seemed like the stage of hi equanimity or a stage of knowing "seeing as seeing", "hearing as hearing", etc.

4) I experienced or had direct knowledge that all content observed was in "mind'. This was a trip because "I am God" like thoughts started to form. 

5) at one point I was there were 2 "black outs" and an experience of 3 or 4 bubbles (blips). One of the blips seemed to contain content but I couldn't make it out. It was so quick. What followed was a sense of peace and relief for about a couple hours.

Any insight would be be wonderful. I know they are just experience yet I am interested in knowing if others experienced similar states.

Thank you for you time and much metta!!!
-Jorge
neko, modified 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 1:20 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 1:20 AM

RE: Would like some help in what states I experienced

Posts: 762 Join Date: 11/26/14 Recent Posts
Hey Jorge! emoticon


Jorge Rojas:

1) the body felt like it is encased in a blanket of energy. It felt like I had no real physical body but a body of "light". The body felt like pure energy and then a "scanning" effect started taking place. Like a Xerox machine scanning a document. This scanning could of been from a Goenka retreat I did 2 years ago.


A&P


2) I was lying down and my entire crown was lite up. Meaning it felt like all it was was energy. At the same time my chest area was experiencing the same thing. It was very pleasant. I figure some kind of "reporgramming" was occuring or this process was showing me heart/mind.


A&P


3) Another experience was where I was witnessing... there were no thoughts and if thoughts seemed to appear I couldn't make them out. There were vibratrions at my temples and some vibrations to the right side of my top chakra. This seemed like the stage of hi equanimity or a stage of knowing "seeing as seeing", "hearing as hearing", etc.


Hard to say. Why do you think "seeing as seeing" applies to this state you have experienced? This might be more useful for diagnosis than where the vibrations were (at least for me!)

About your suspicion that it was hi-eq: did you go through anything resembling the knowledges of dissolution, fear, misery, disgust, desire for deliverance, reobservation, low equanimity before getting to this?


4) I experienced or had direct knowledge that all content observed was in "mind'. This was a trip because "I am God" like thoughts started to form. 


"I am God, I am enlightened": Sounds like A&P again.


5) at one point I was there were 2 "black outs" and an experience of 3 or 4 bubbles (blips). One of the blips seemed to contain content but I couldn't make it out. It was so quick. What followed was a sense of peace and relief for about a couple hours.


http://www.dharmaoverground.org/dharma-wiki/-/wiki/Main/MCTB+Was+that+Emptiness
Jorge, modified 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 7:55 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 7:55 AM

RE: Would like some help in what states I experienced

Posts: 30 Join Date: 2/14/14 Recent Posts
Hi Neko!!!

About your suspicion that it was hi-eq: did you go through anything resembling the knowledges of dissolution, fear, misery, disgust, desire for deliverance, reobservation, low equanimity before getting to this/


As I recall after every A&P there was an equal and opposite dip. Meaning low energy, mind slowing down and a lot of negative mental states. For example: I experienced fear many times but it came on slowly and at some point when i was able to recognize it as fear I noted fear and the fear vanished. There were was also this territory which I can describe as "mammalian". I saw my body and that of others a nothing more meditating mammals. This state/stage was repulsive because it was as if I was looking at our true "natural" physical form.  

After the mental states I noticed my energy starting to stabilize and there was this sense of peace after a huge storm. It felt like enlightementment but then I remembered from another forum to keep noting even at this stage. It was as if I was in "normal" mode with peace added to it. 

This A&P then opposite effect kept happening until I lost ground. Meaning I couldn't stabalize. I was striving so hard and because of high concentration and investigation I kept getting pulled in (drawn in). I describe it like the movie Inception to the point where one forget who one is. I was scared as fuck.

My teacher noticed that my high energy was near my head area and would not come down. She had me do gentle rubbing of my lower limbs which helped bring down some of the energy but something was preventing it from full coming down into my body. I contemplated and realized that I have asthma. Even though I did not have asthmatic symptoms I used my inhaler and after about 5 minutes. I started coughing as if my system was be severly taxed. At this point the energy started to drop in to my body nice and somewhat steady. 

My teacher had an acupuncture come to my kutti and did here magic to help stablize the energy and heart palpaltations. 

At this point (4/5 days left in the retreat) they pulled me out by having me start reading, taking walks with the retreat managers, and watching a movie. It took a while to feel like I was back to my "normal" self with a bit of purification meaning I experienced things directly instead of conceptualizing them. 

Thank you for you time,
Jorge!!!!
neko, modified 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 9:41 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 9:41 AM

RE: Would like some help in what states I experienced (Answer)

Posts: 762 Join Date: 11/26/14 Recent Posts
Jorge Rojas:

As I recall after every A&P there was an equal and opposite dip. Meaning low energy, mind slowing down and a lot of negative mental states. For example: I experienced fear many times but it came on slowly and at some point when i was able to recognize it as fear I noted fear and the fear vanished. There were was also this territory which I can describe as "mammalian". I saw my body and that of others a nothing more meditating mammals. This state/stage was repulsive because it was as if I was looking at our true "natural" physical form.  


This does look like the Dark Night stages with a good meditative approach to them. Not solidifying feelings, but investigating them. Bravo.



After the mental states I noticed my energy starting to stabilize and there was this sense of peace after a huge storm. It felt like enlightementment but then I remembered from another forum to keep noting even at this stage. It was as if I was in "normal" mode with peace added to it. 


Ok, this makes it sound more like how I experience EQ / 4th jhana. (Minus the enlightenment part, but whatever.)



This A&P then opposite effect kept happening until I lost ground. Meaning I couldn't stabalize. I was striving so hard and because of high concentration and investigation I kept getting pulled in (drawn in). I describe it like the movie Inception to the point where one forget who one is. I was scared as fuck.


After stabilising EQ, for me the trick is to balance effort and relaxation / trusting the process. About the fear: don't worry, you can't hurt yourself. Investigate what it is that you are afraid of, like you did before during the dark night. Gently but decidedly. With just enough effort not to get distracted. This is what works for me at least.



My teacher noticed that my high energy was near my head area and would not come down. She had me do gentle rubbing of my lower limbs which helped bring down some of the energy but something was preventing it from full coming down into my body. I contemplated and realized that I have asthma. Even though I did not have asthmatic symptoms I used my inhaler and after about 5 minutes. I started coughing as if my system was be severly taxed. At this point the energy started to drop in to my body nice and somewhat steady. 

My teacher had an acupuncture come to my kutti and did here magic to help stablize the energy and heart palpaltations. 

At this point (4/5 days left in the retreat) they pulled me out by having me start reading, taking walks with the retreat managers, and watching a movie. It took a while to feel like I was back to my "normal" self with a bit of purification meaning I experienced things directly instead of conceptualizing them. 



See above. It sounds to me like you are on a good track, just don't overdo it. emoticon
neko, modified 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 9:43 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 9:43 AM

RE: Would like some help in what states I experienced

Posts: 762 Join Date: 11/26/14 Recent Posts
p.s. I also replied to another, old thread of yours. Here is the link, in case you didn't get a notification

http://www.dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/discussion/-/message_boards/message/5644492
Jorge, modified 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 12:11 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 12:11 PM

RE: Would like some help in what states I experienced

Posts: 30 Join Date: 2/14/14 Recent Posts
Neko,

Thank you so kindly for the responses. This has helped me put some additional closure to my retreat experience. I also chuckled at the comment
"just don't over do it" which is a tendency I have for really digging in.

Thanks again for the advice, comments, and time for responding.

Much metta,
Jorge

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