Fixating on subtle phenomena

Just caught this quote from Kenneth on the Pragmatic Dharma site:

"One of the challenges for beginning and intermediate students is the tendency to fix upon subtle phenomena and try to possess them. The Ships in the Harbor technique uses the act of listening to tease the mind away from this particular pitfall."

I think I understand this, but might not fully get it. Anyone care to expound on this pitfall, how it looks in practice, etc.?

Hi Joel,

This is most likely to come up when someone is practicing Mahamudra or Dzogchen. They will get a whiff of the perfection of this moment and intuitively realize that this is exactly what they've been looking for and is indeed what they should be training themselves to recognize again and again, to eventually reach stability in this recognition.

It's very easy, though, to form a concept about the beautiful feelings of peace and purity, and then try to possess this experience or to "get it back." Perversely, this can prevent you from finding it again. The antidote for this is to look for something that you know you will not see; in this way, whatever beautiful sensations appear are just a fringe benefit of the activity of Mahamudra (turning toward the ineffable nature of mind) and will not be reified into a static, lifeless "thing."

Thanks very much, Kenneth. My original A&P happened at a time when I was doing a listening and looking practice inspired by Krishnamurti. I did indeed spend years trying to "get it back." It was the kind of unitive experience you referred to in the 5Ws talk on self-inquiry. I suppose its this same basic impulse that can cause yogis to privilege the subtle stuff in noting practice as well.