Question about Stream Entry

Hi,
This is normally a question I would ask Kenneth in person, but since I don't post often, I thought I'd ask it here instead. I'm not big on noting. I tend to spend my time 'hunting the I.' The last attainment I have been sure about was equanimity. Over the last month or so things have moved on it appears. When I was sitting I would move through 3-D imagery to vast 3-D blackness to vast panoramic void sensation and then thick dimensionless blackness. It may or may not be that these resemlbe infinite space, infinite consciousness and no-nothingness. What I am curious about though is this: I read Michael and Chris's account of Stream Entry noting a black out followed by light headed giddiness and/ laughing. It never occurred to me that I may recently have had a similar experience and this is what I am asking. All of the above has happened since the following event: I was experiencing what I described as 'sprinkling in the visual field." Now however I can see them more clearly and it is in fact strobing, ie, fruitions, correct me if I'm mistaken. This was then followed by brief black outs which I didn't associate with cessation. Then one day while I was lying down intending to go to sleep, I felt this very powerful whirring sensation in the heart. The following evening I lay down again this time a strange scraping sound appeared in the head, followed by fruitions followed bya black out which made me smile. The following morning during my 'sit' a single lightening movement of energy exploded from the base chakra and pierced the crown chakra. I continued but things have changed since then. My perception is irrecoverably altered. But what I have noticed going on in the background of current 'formless' meditations and during the day, is a re-emergance of all of the symptoms of my previous dark night journey. They are all reappearing in the same order....

When I sit, an A&P event occurs almost immediately. I must move attention to the periphery of my awareness and after that I just attempt to let things flow until I am just aware that I am there but not actually doing anything. So, here's my question: Does that sound like a stream entry to anyone? It doesn't follow the 'classic' scenario, but I am curious. One last question too: The other evening when I was 'sitting,' I had the strange sensation that my body went to sleep but I didn't. My breathing pattern entered a deep restful sleep breathing, my whole body seemed to just close down its normal everyday 'wakeful' state and I was just there in the total black. If anyone could offer some insight on this event also, it would be much appreciated.
Paul

Hey Paul!

Nice to hear from you. Thanks for the most interesting sharing of your experience. What you describe sounds like stream-entry as Kenneth and the good doctor have presented it - most interesting.

I look forwarding to hearing from others to see what they have to say!

In any case, well done on your great practice!!

In kind regards,

Adam.

Hi Paul,

It "sounds" like stream entry to me. But I don't really consider myself a doctor of dharma diagnosis.

Here is my account of when I got stream entry. I am not as descriptive as say Chris or Michael though. Maybe you can relate to some of my experiences.

www.dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/discu...oards/message/297362

Hi Adam,
Nice to hear from you. I haven't seen you here in a while. Hope all goes well with you. Thank you for your reply and thank you too Nikolai. I read your wonderful and detailed account. Sounds far more tumultuous than what has happened with me. It is quite extraordinary however to be in a state of mind which is so vast, open and unruffled. So many 'agitations' have just burned away. The mind is lightening fast. And I continue the hunt.... Thank you both very much
Paul

Hello, Cartago!

I'm really not very good at diagnosing the experiences of others. My recollection of stream entry is quite stark, however, and it involved what appeared at the time to be a rather frightening loss of consciousness - the fruition/cessation part. I did not know what had happened. The cessation, preceded by a very bright flash of light that had a complex pattern to it, was the most obvious marker. It would happen again at various times over the next few months and years, and it was only some years later that I found out just what it was by asking Kenneth. It is only in retrospect that I call it stream entry.

That all said, it sounds to me like that's what you have there