My experience is something like this: subtle sensation in the body->thoughts->creating other sensations, the cycle gets stronger and stronger, until it ends and then that part ofthe thing is released, but it need to get worse before it gets better, sometimes much much worse for a long time.
And obviously, if you observe in a detached way you can bare it more easily, but if you intentionally make them (both thoughts and sensation) stronger, fueling them in order to experience them at their fullest potential, as long as it's doable, that speeds up the process.
Also, sometimes it will seem that the process ended, but eventually it comes up again; however everytime it will come up again it will exaust itself more quickly, being everytime shorter and less intense, until it just won't come up again, or, more likely, those sensations will be so sublte that their existence won't create any noticeble change in behaviour/bodily experience/thoughts.
Sometimes the process shouldn't even be attemped, because some of them in order to get released will create sensations thatare stronger than what the system can currently tolerate.
However, as far as thoughts are concerned, when the process is over, when the whole subsiding energy is released, that kind of neurotical thinking that previously was associated with the sensations is just not going to arise, and even if you try to think those neurotic thoughts again, not only they won't create any reaction in the body/behavior, but thinking them will feel completely unnatural, as if you were trying to think about somethig that you just couldn't care less.
However, short: the fact that they become stronger is completely normal, because what usually surfaces in daily life is just the tip of the iceberg, and by observing them you connect with the rest of it.
I'm very much convinced that what releases them is the ability ofexperiencing themfully and completely, wich is not exactly the same thing as observing them in a detached way, noticing them, seeing the true nature of the sensations building them up, even if by doing one the other can quite easily come as a side-effect.
