Cool, I find that the agencylessness seems to be great at first and then consolidates as you really tune into what it entails, then I get used to it and it seems to be less impressive, then my sensitivity to the remaining selfing processes gets turned up till i am no longer impressed with that lavel of agentcylessness.

Post shift, during the honeymoon phase these things seem really strong each time.

Whats your definition of luminosity?

Oh, that dude, ya, I've read most of that guys stuff, it obviously needs more work but I kinda like where he is going with it.
His 2.5 is obviously really the physical body work category of third path...
If your going with that model then you can choose a sense door to work on to get the shift in that category...

The first two shifts are linear (1st and second paths) and straight forward for most, two complete cycles of the nanas with fruition each time.
Third path gets more complicated and the longer I'm in that territory the more clearly the complications get. I thought my next shift after second path was third, I no longer think that. I think that it only signifies the beginning of the third path journey with the end of it being many things to many people depending on what they work on. You may skip all the sense door perceptual changes and just get the center to drop out and most people are pretty darn happy with just that.
Message me if you want to chat sometime,
~D

Yes, review.

Yeah, sometimes it's fun to keep track of cycles and sometimes it's not.
The same about shifts and "big" experiencies.

I do try to keep some sort of a log of what's going on (when I think I know what's going on ).
However, you loose a lot. Words fail to describe experiences, ideas ,etc...
There also a lot of stuff going that I'm used to, or doesn't sound as "new" (and I usually I dont' write about).

Right now, I'm sure I got 2nd, that I haven't got 3rd and that I started the cycle from 2nd to 3rd (or whatever comes after 2nd :smug.

I don't count cycles as a mark of progress. In fact, I said that before:

http://www.dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/discussion/-/message_boards/message/5540371#_19_message_5555677

That doesn't mean that they don't happen. Cycles tend to remind me that everything changes (impermanence).

With attainment, the abilities to alter and notice the sense doors are improved, so challenging the limits of that makes sense.

However, maybe I'm a one trick pony, but for me the most progress has come from strong continuous noting (non verbal) moment to moment for long periods of time. In that noting the 3Cs are revealed (part of them at least).
Sometimes in that noting the sense doors expand and sometimes they contract, sometimes I cling to them and sometimes I don't.

Right now, my goals are:

- Being able to trigger a fruition at will (I'm closing on this one).

- Morality: lots of work in progress involving metta, eightfold path, etc.

- Trying to notice the avoidance, trying not to punish myself or others (even at the subconsious level) for the things that happen.
I really don't know how to explain this one. It's more a feeling that an idea . It involves what happens and my relationship to it. Doing and not doing, etc.

- Keep improving health and physical body (yoga, diet, stress management, etc). I tend to meditate and function better when I feel well (healthy) .

- Generosity, I'm beginning to explore this one.

About my approach. To get 1st I did continuous noting (and it worked). To get 2nd continuous noting didn't work (or maybe I didn't do enough of it). A retreat did it. However it must be said that I was very close to second.

So, continuous noting it is. It's not that I don't do other things, I just don't value them so much as markers of progress (at least for now).

My experience, at least.

Well, I've been playing with my diet for a while now (more than 3 years).

It started 4 years ago, when I started having digestive problems.
After some doctors, studies and pills (which didn't solve or find anything), I started modifying my diet (adding some veggies).
I used to eat no veggies at all.

I started reading info in the internet, etc. And I became really regular with the meals, not focusing so much on taste or sociability but on the effect food had on me. Not only my digestive problems resolved, but I found a lot of other things that diet solved.

This was all part of a bigger change in my life that took place before that time (which includes meditation).

Long story short, I removed seeds, added more oatmeal with blueberry juice (only blueberry juice) and some of cocoa powder (good quality), and cut back on legumes (I was eating a lot).
I think the "secret ingredient" is cocoa powder (in the context of my low fat vegan diet).

I started noticing the effects on my neck the first two weeks. Around three weeks my sleep had improved.
I noticed I was more relaxed. While they hurted, I noticed that I could stretch my legs more. I could sit in lotus and place both knees on the ground (I've been trying to do that for 2 years....).

Some releasing of pressure in my head also made senses a lot more "real". My posture improved. I have more confidence, etc.
In yoga I started being close do to poses that I couldn't even attempt to do.

It's important to note, however, that I can't relate this change to meditation. They are physical, and while they had great impact in my life, they do not compare to paths. I think paths are better

I'm still 2nd path and the breakthrough is not related to meditation.

However, if I keep my diet (which I'll do), I can't help think what will happen when I release the knots in the back of my head (some have been released) and the crown, etc.
Also, if I'm able to sit for longer periods, or other things.
Finally, I don't know how to integrate this with the stages.

I'm convinced that regular activities, like what you eat, what you think, your work, your emotions, etc, have a profound effect on meditation. I'm also pretty sure that to meditate to escape all those things is a bad idea. Isolating meditation from those things is a bad idea.
Daniel talked a lot about his efforts to meditate while being ill.
MCTB also talks a lot about "jaw, neck, back, etc".

Maybe this "relaxing" stabilizes (doesn't seem so). Maybe it's dangerous and I'm ruining my health (I faced that fear some time ago ).
Maybe this helps me get 3rd or 4th path. Maybe it hinders my meditation.

My blood pressure dropped from 110/70s to 100/60s - 90/50s. While I haven't been feeling dizzy, I wonder if that is too low.
Like I said, physical, measurable changes.

So far, it seems to have only positives, but you never know. I'll be careful.