Stream Entry or Close To It

Mark Lev, modified 12 Years ago at 10/7/11 8:54 AM
Created 12 Years ago at 10/7/11 8:54 AM

Stream Entry or Close To It

Posts: 9 Join Date: 10/9/09 Recent Posts
Hey all,
Moved this from the "Dealing with the Dark Night" category:

So I think I may have gotten SE. If not, then it is certainly a super-strong Equanimity period right now.
A few nights ago I did some very focused practice after reading an artcle by Kenneth Folk, which pointed out that it is easier to attain SE by focusing on the area behind the eyeballs and seeing the strobing action back there.
So I did that, and after a while noticed a sort of squirming, jerking pattern of sensations behind the eyeballs, as if something was violently avoiding being observed. I amped up the shamatha and was able to see this pattern more closely, and it was literally like a violent splashing of vibrations that was preventing the surrounding energy from connecting. While this was being observed, the rest of the head was surging with intense vibrations, my body tensed up and became very "vertical", and my awareness sort of plunged upwards into the splashing/squirming mass of energy in the center of the head. This pattern then slowed it's pulsations or the vibrations could be seen more fully, and it was as though I could perceive the spaces in between the pulsations, sort of the downward dip of the wave, and during these parts of the wave there was a real sense of stillness, softness, vastness. As attention became drawn toward those spaces of stillness, it felt like all of my awareness was being sucked into them, everything sped up like crazy, rushed upwards to some indeterminate point, and then all the vibrations in my body seemed to "normalize". No more violent, Dark Night-style patterns, instead a feeling of alertness, lightness, and relief. Not exactly a "Bliss wave", and as far as I could tell, no discontinuity experience. Maybe high Equanimity? Just a speeding up, a little bit of fear associated with the vortex phenomenon, and then relief. After this, a feeling of just flying directionlessly through space, completely at ease, and able to access the first four Jhanas within seconds of just wishing/intending it.

The past few days Ive tried to replicate the experience, but there almost seems to be no need as my awareness is somehow just "flying" around throughout the day, unperturbed, without the crazy Dark Night dissolving agonizing stuff. A completely different experience, I feel like a camera with a body.

What's up? Stream Entry? Almost? Delusion? Try again?
Exciting and fascinating, would very much appreciate some perspective.

Best,
Mark
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Beoman Claudiu Dragon Emu Fire Golem, modified 12 Years ago at 10/7/11 9:02 AM
Created 12 Years ago at 10/7/11 9:02 AM

RE: Stream Entry or Close To It

Posts: 2227 Join Date: 10/27/10 Recent Posts
could be!

- what happens if you just sit, without inclining the mind in any particular direction, just observing, without trying to replicate the experience?
- do you notice any improved samatha skills?

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