I came to realize I know very little of the jhanas, except how to induce soft versions of them, and that there might be vast opportunities for applying them.

Personally, I like to use the 2nd to charge up a feeling of metta. If I sustain concentration, it lasts for a whole day as lovely mood boost.
The 3rd I use to rejuvenate, cool down and release stress.
The 4th I find is great for making concentration feel effortless, leading to coherent thought streams. I also like to use it to "throw" intentions into the subconscious mind.
The formless ones are still new to me.

What about you? What do you use jhana states for?

Some people like to use "jhana" as a conversational piece to continiue their "special" identity.

I think the jhanas are more wholesome than recreational drugs so I would recommend people who like to use drugs to try jhanas.

Too much bliss shows one that happiness is not all it's cracked up to be. Sukkha (tranquil happiness) is nicer than Piti (intense rapture).  When you can have as much happiness as you want, you stop craving it. It's the law of supply and demand, if there is an overabundance of something, its perceived value goes down.

You can learn to control the intensity and bring a nice level of sukkha into daily life much of the time. I think a lot of socialization that children undergo as they mature causes us to suppress happiness to the point were we forget how to be happy. Practicing the jhanas helps us remember how to be happy.

The Jhanas give you lessons in letting go of attachment to pleasant feelings. In fact, attachment to pleasant feelings is an obstacle to experiencing the jhanas, letting go of that attachment makes it easier to produce the jhanas.

The jhanas show you that emotions are flexible. Emotions are not truth, they are not reality, they are not an inevitable consequence of "situations". Situations are not the problem, the problem is how we react to the situation. This doesn't mean we ignore the situation it means we can respond to situations through compassion and reason rather than out of control emotions.

The jhanas provide a pleasant counterbalance to the unpleasant emotions that my arise from vipassana.

The jhanas point out the possibility that there could be an even better way of experiencing reality, one without any illusions, pleasant or unpleasant, and they encourage one to seek this clear liberated mind. It's nicer than pleasure.

https://ncu9nc.blogspot.com/2020/10/a-quick-guide-to-producing-bliss-with.html

It can be very useful to really cultivate jhana for a while... and then investigate, "where is there still subtle dukka?". It can help you identify and release subtle greed, aversion, and indifference. 

I do not belive for one minute that you have experienced ANY form of jhanas. You are talking complete BS.

Thor,
It is completely obvious to most of us who is actually talking complete BS. And it ain't Shargrol. I doubt it will help, but I truly hope you can see past the illusion of your intellectual "understanding" and stop clinging to this dogmatic bullshit.

I would second everything Jim says.

Jhanas also make it possible to investigate things that might otherwise be too frightening, or creeepy. There are some mental processes that the mind does not usually want to look at but jhana equanimity lets the mind look. 

What you fail to realise is his previous comments which contradict everything you are suggesting.