In retreat Need Advice (iPhone may have garbled message)

In 20 day retreat. Got stream entry day six 3 days later
cycles ended, so I resolved for 2nd. 1+ days cushion time cleared new a & p and 1/2 day dissolution. Moments after hitting fear went
to 1st path review cycle, they have come back. Suggestions? Don't want to leave here (in 9 days) in dark nights, but if I do I do, it's all
good fine now!

"In 20 day retreat. Got stream entry day six 3 days later
cycles ended, so I resolved for 2nd. 1+ days cushion time cleared new a & p and 1/2 day dissolution. Moments after hitting fear went
to 1st path review cycle, they have come back. Suggestions? Don't want to leave here (in 9 days) in dark nights, but if I do I do, it's all
good fine now! "

Make use of the time left on the course to look at this 'fear':

"Don't want to leave here in dark nights."

The more one 'fears' the dark night the darker it is. 9 days is enough time to look into building up some equanimity towards such possible unpleasantness. The more one feels aversion towards such unpleasantness, the more one overlays the physical manifestations with mental pain, thus doubling the 'darkness' that gives the dukkha nanas their modern name.

But more importantly, the dukkha nanas are 'knowledges'. To progress, this actually must be addressed. Nana means knowledge. Dukkha nana means knowledge of dukkha. You have 9 days now to gain as much insight as you can. Cultivate equanimity towards such phenomena and you wont 'fear' anything that arises in future. This is where you unhook that attachment to suffering.

Pull you pants up and investigate that fear or it will hound you every time you pass through the KNOWLEDGES of fear, misery/danger, disgust, desire for deliverance, re-observation etc.

Treat the dukkha nanas as lessons and opportunities to build the factors of enlightenment:

Mindfulness (sati) i.e. to be aware and mindful in all activities and movements both physical and mental
Investigation (dhamma vicaya) into the nature of dhamma
Energy (viriya)
Joy or rapture (pīti)
Relaxation or tranquility (passaddhi) of both body and mind
Concentration (samādhi) a calm, one-pointed state of concentration of mind[1]
Equanimity (upekkha), to be able to face life in all its vicissitudes with calm of mind and tranquility, without disturbance.

"[1] On whatever occasion the monk remains focused on the body in & of itself '” ardent, alert, & mindful '” putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world, on that occasion his mindfulness is steady & without lapse. When his mindfulness is steady & without lapse, then mindfulness as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

"[2] Remaining mindful in this way, he examines, analyzes, & comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment. When he remains mindful in this way, examining, analyzing, & coming to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, then analysis of qualities as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

"[3] In one who examines, analyzes, & comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, persistence is aroused unflaggingly. When persistence is aroused unflaggingly in one who examines, analyzes, & comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, then persistence as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

"[4] In one whose persistence is aroused, a rapture not-of-the-flesh arises. When a rapture not-of-the-flesh arises in one whose persistence is aroused, then rapture as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

"[5] For one enraptured at heart, the body grows calm and the mind grows calm. When the body & mind of a monk enraptured at heart grow calm, then serenity as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

continued below...

"[6] For one who is at ease '” his body calmed '” the mind becomes concentrated. When the mind of one who is at ease '” his body calmed '” becomes concentrated, then concentration as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

"[7] He carefully watches the mind thus concentrated with equanimity. When he carefully watches the mind thus concentrated with equanimity, equanimity as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

(Similarly with the other three frames of reference: feelings, mind, & mental qualities.)
www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.118.than.html

Thanks Nicolai. I'd want to investigate fear but the 2nd path fear nanas are short circuiting to 1st path review cycles. For some reason first path reviews started back up once I cleared 2nd path A&P and dissolution. I can call up 1st or 2nd path mind and body and get different results in the lower nanas (2 vs. 6 breaths per review nana). At this point I can't meditate, only eight jahnas but no Vipassana. Goenka AT will be of no use.

"Thanks Nicolai. I'd want to investigate fear but the 2nd path fear nanas are short circuiting to 1st path review cycles. For some reason first path reviews started back up once I cleared 2nd path A&P and dissolution. I can call up 1st or 2nd path mind and body and get different results in the lower nanas (2 vs. 6 breaths per review nana). At this point I can't meditate, only eight jahnas but no Vipassana. Goenka AT will be of no use. "

If you really did get SE, and have access to jhanas, then perhaps the advice the teacher on my Goenka course gave me when I was experiencing soemthing similar would be sufficient to progress.

"The Buddha got awakened via the jhanas"

Perhaps you can drop all terming of experiences as this nana and that nana, fixated on where you are, but rather just explore the jhanas and look into any sense of things being 'unsatisfactory'? :

"Stress should be known. The cause by which stress comes into play should be known. The diversity in stress should be known. The result of stress should be known. The cessation of stress should be known. The path of practice for the cessation of stress should be known." Nibbedhika Sutta

That is what I would do. Drop the fixatedness on insight stage progress and focus on being aware of the moment continuously for the remaining 9 days. That is what you should do to progress. Anything that takes you away from that should be questioned and dropped, including reading the internet on a 20 day retreat. Better yet, do it in all the jhanas. See why the Buddha used them as his vehicle to full awakening.

That is precious advice and certainly something that can keep me busy at this center for the remaining time. Thanks, and I agree, ditching the iPhone, it's served it's purpose anyways. I'll update my practice journal after my time here. Cheers.