Hi Rich!
Following are a few points I hope you'll find helpful.
Rich N:
I'm pretty confused about where I am on the path. I think that I have obtained the 1st Jhana several things in the past (as documented in other posts), and probably could again.
If you can hit the first jhana, that's definitely good enough concentration for noting practice. Getting "on the map," so to speak, can take a few months and can be kind of frustrating (it was for me). I think partly that's just the way it is and partly it's that you're still learning to recognize the different stages and how they manifest in your practice. To reduce the confusion and frustration, try not worrying quite as much about where you are on the map. The maps can be helpful in practice but can also sometimes be a hindrance, it's good to learn when to use them and when to put them down.
Rich N:
Right now I am practicing insight meditation. Noting. I normally turn my attention to one of two things. (One object decided for one sit)
1) The visual field (colours on the back of the eyelids, as it was once put).
2) Body sensations and emotions (both physical sensations, feelings, and zaps of emotion in the body).
In your experience when you practice, how is perception of visual, physical and mental sensation different? how is it the same?
Rich N:
It feels somewhat like my experience is pulsing, so every moment I note it feels like those sensations have just arised and are about to pass. But I never actually notice the bits inbetween... they are non-existant to me. As such I'm not sure if this is just an illusion/mis-perception on my part and actually I'm not fast enough to notice the rising and falling. But I am certainly consciously aware that every thing I perceive is just an instant. But even if that's so... I never seem to have any experience of the "things inbetween experiences"... I'm not actually sure if you're supposed to.
Again, I'll point out that having expectations about what you should or shouldn't be seeing can lead to frustration. If these thoughts come up during practice, you can note them as "thinking," "mapping," or whatever works for you.
As you progress on the path, you'll start seeing these sensations more and more clearly. Right now the only important thing is to notice them as best you can and see that they arise and then pass away (even if you don't see the exact moment when that happens).
Rich N:
Yesterday I had a very short significant event when I thought I could perceive a different in time between me "checking my experience" and the "feeling of body" actually arising, and almost immediately after I perceived that then I became aware of the visual field (incidentally) and had a distinct/new feeling that it "wasn't mine"... that I wasn't identifying with it.
Almost instantly after that I lost concentration slightly... or got excited or something and things went back to normal.
It's quite common to get excited when one perceives something new. You'll probably see this insight again and again, each time it will become less exciting, each time it will be easier to stay with the experience and continue seeing it clearly.
Rich N:
I think the best thing for me to practice right now is noting, and specifically I would like to improve the speed of my perception. I can probably perceive about 6 experiences max per-second right now... maybe more I'm not so sure. My concentration is pretty good... sometimes distractions arise but I almost always notice them and go back to the object instantly... I never "get lost in thought"... if it does happen it's usually just because I was lazy, tired, really pissed off about something, etc.
Sounds like you're doing pretty good. Noting 6 sensations per second at this stage is quite enough in my opinion. Keep practicing!
Eran.
