I remember reading that there is a name for certain signs like hearing a bell or seeing a light during meditation. I think in the context it indicated reaching a certain stage in meditation.

Can someone remind me of the name for that.

Thanks in advance.

Lights will sometimes be called nimittas.

Sounds are just typically called kundalini phenomena if they happen around the A&P and just sounds if they happen elsewhere.

Often lights and sounds occur around the A&P.

If more formed, like powers, like hearing things and seeing things that are more coherent, like entities and voices and other coherent things, they can sometimes be called the divine ear and divine eye, perhaps somewhat whimsically.

Best wishes!

Daniel

Jim, this resource might also help.

http://www.vipassanadhura.com/sixteen.html

Lights and sounds appear during different stages, plus they also can appear when concentration is strong regardless of the stage. (Notice the section titled the ten imperfections of insight). Ultimately, they are just another thing arising, so they shouldn't be considered a particularly good or bad thing. The "impefection" from clinging too much to these sorts of things.

Hope this helps!

Do the four stages of awakening correspond to any of the sixteen stages of insight?

Thanks in advance.

No, the basic idea is that one goes through the sixteen stages of insight to get to the first stage of awakening.

One way you can think about it is the sixteen stages are a map for what a monk might go through during a rains retreat (~ 3 month  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vassa) leading up to stream entry. The use of the map is somewhat more awkward for off-retreat use and less intense practice.

<p>Hey I did go through that during my 1st Vassa last year! May have some truth in that... </p>