First of, thank you all for providing such usefull information. I have been reading MCTB and DhO for a while now after using the simpler (western interpretation type) mindfullness meditation techniques for almost two years. My medtitation experience has become much more meaningfull almost instantly.

This brings me to my question. Lately while doing concentration practice my mind sometimes goes blank and floods my vision with a bright light. It also feels as if my whole brain turns into light. Often I also hear it, like the sounds the TV makes when on a blank channel (we call it snow). The feeling is remarkably similar to having low bloodsugar, still workout out vigorously and almost passing out because of it, except with no nauseau or fatigue

This feels quite nice, however, now that I have experienced this several times for very brief periods, I seem to crave it. I know craving is "bad". Thus when the first signs of "it" appear, I snuff it out, and there I sit frustrated.

I'm affraid the answer will come in MCTB. However, I don't want to rush reading it just to get to a bit about this for fear of loosing proper understanding of the text.

The question: what is this? Is it something to work towards obtaining and maintaining, and if so, how?

My first inclination is to call it the beginnings of an A&P event. I know you say you're doing concentration practice, and it's possible that this state is jhana. But jhana isn't usually quite so "busy." You're describing a state with loud sounds, bright lights, and exhilaration. This can happen with jhana, but it's more common with the A&P event.

Now is a good time to read about the progresssion of insight stages, so you have an idea of where you may be headed.

Thank you for the reply!

I will get into that right now!

Reviving this old thread as I have had a very similar experience on ocassion throughout my life.

Everything goes white.

It's not a white light with a boundary. When this experience happens, there's nothing else. No thought, no sensation, no awareness of other phenomena.

The sound is a buzz, and quite loud, as if someone is talking loudly a foot away from the ear.

This experience lasts a brief moment, and then everything goes back to normal. When this comes up during meditation, it can occur back-to-back-to-back in rapid succession, maybe every half a second. When it happens in day-to-day life, no one seems to notice a black-out event.

When it ends, everything goes back to normal. There's no disorientation, aside from a curiousity as to "wtf was that."

Hi Dharmabug,

Could be an A&P as J Adam G mentions upthread.

I had this happen a couple weeks ago and I've been feeling like I'm in a kind of pico-DN phase right now. I don't track the maps in much detail but I've been more reactive and inclined to do stuff like throw the finger at the guy behind me who honks as I'm sitting at the freeway exit waiting for the traffic to clear so I can zoom over to the left lane for my left turn 100' away from the exit.

                      

This could be a sign of developing stronger concentration, in which case you would want to gently cultivate it, not push it away. Do you have any way of getting advice from a teacher in your area?

This sounds a lot like what's called 'pacification of the senses' by Culadasa. It's mentioned briefly on
page 10 of a handout here: http://dharmatreasure.org/wp-content/uploads/LightOnMeditationHandout.pdf

He covers it more in The Mind Illuminated stage 8 section. Seeing white, hearing subtle noise, body feeling
becomes all pleasant and diffuse. IIRC he describes it as your senses kind of going into idle.