I am not sure if this is the right place to post but back in the Buddha's  time ,there are stories of people  reaching stream entry just being in his presence.  Can this be done?  Various  yoga  schools in India  ha 3 such stories  also

Michael Taft guided me to stream entry with six phone sessions, and he's no Buddha (apart from how we are all Buddhas), so maybe... but what's the point in speculating? 

This may be overstepping but what did Michael tell you? Were you already in EQ? By bringing up Michael, are you saying it's possible a teacher can grant stream-entry? Have you heard of others out there like Taft, that are skilled like that?

He said that I was the one who did the work, but he was a skillful guide so I don't mind giving him credit for it. He listened to where I was at and had me try some new things while at the same thing building on my strengths. 

The way I see it, the ñanas are very transient, so I wasn't statically in EQ, but I could get there. 

I think my main point is that sometimes things happen fast because that's just how it is. Nobody is really doing it. The whole existence just plays out that way. It's all interdependent. The timing was right. People respond to each other energetically, so somebody with an exceptional sense of empty alive presence may very well be contagious to those who are open to it. But it's not like you can plan for it to happen. I'd recommend focusing on opening up to it rather than on finding your savior. 

People who attained Sotapanna by listening to the Buddha were already quite developed and practiced. They were therefore, already 99.9% of the way there. 

I think it is possible. People communicate a lot of information non verbally. And people can pick up on personality traits from others and emulate them without thinking about it. So someone might be able to get what they need just from being around someone who is awakened. Learning by example rather than by instruction.

I actually think that a good way to identify a true teacher is that just being around them changes a lot - (Some people are easily swayed by personal charisma but that's not what I'm referring to.)