I have a question about people's experience of the nanas (in particular the AP/darknight territory, where I've been moving around for a couple years at least).

Do you find that during the A/P, you can also get some of the later nana sensations? And potentially the other way, i.e., during the later nanas you can also get some of the energy surges of the A/P.

I've been hitting the A/P pretty regularly in most of my sits (characterized by energy surging up the spine). Sometimes I feel the sensations associated with the misery nana (nasty tensions in the head) during the A/P. It feels like more of a hodgepodge of everything a lot of times rather than distinct stages.

Hi Elijah, 

 When people relate to the "Progress of Insight" (POI) and its stages I think what you've noted as "hodgepodge" is common and useful. I think hodgepodge happens regardless of method, in my experience, but you're identifying it in the POI nanas so I'm trying to reply there. I personally think its hodgepodgy-ness will collapse into just dark-cloudyness, quiet, natural calm abiding, which does also give rise to insight, conscious and "subconcious".

I would think a challenge that comes up for you here is physical restlessness soon after the hodgepodge settles. Is that so? Do you want to get up soon after the hodgepodgeness starts to simmer down? Is there some boredome, reasoning to get up..?

What if as the hodgepodge-ness starts to die off (if there is restlessness/ desire to get up) is arising, you just sink the mind to the inhale-exhale at the nostril. Not tight, no objective, just put the mind on the ski slope of the nostrils/upper lip following the exhale down and out the nostrils and feeling the inhale at the nostril doors. Perhaps stay at the nostril cilia for the exhale and the inhale. Without any tension or expectation would you also report if your sinuses open up any of the times you try this (if you do?)?

Thank you for posting this.

Have you explored the concept of sub jhanas? google -> site:http://www.dharmaoverground.org sub jhana
fun stuff

I got most of my mileage simply by asking myself am I in EQ? No? Practice.
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