The space between... beyond the grounding technique?

At this point in my practice, I don't usually suffer from prolonged states of fear, worry, anxiety, embarrassment, anger, ect'¦ Grounding these sensations and/or the investigation of 'Why' these phenomena cause me suffering usually happens automatically, and the unpleasantness either fades away or I can come to surrender to it and relax.

However, the frequency that my mind contacts thoughts/memories that result in an unpleasant reaction is still quite often. What I have come to realize recently is that there is this initial surge of recognition of the arising of suffering based on these mental phenomena, and if I place my awareness immediately on the physical sensations this mental conflict is manifesting; it breaks whatever connection that thought/memory had to the pathway that causes physical unpleasantness-basic grounding technique so far.

Lately, I have actually been consciously re-thinking the same thought or memory to try to get it to create an unpleasant, acute wave of sensations again. It seems that when my attention is on the case, I can't get that same unhappy thought/memory to cause physical unpleasantness again.

My question is: at what point, or with what practice, comes the discontinuing of the mental unpleasant reaction when it encounters an unfavorable thought or memory?

Grounding can't be the technique because it handles the physical response. What practice can bring you into that subtle space between thought perception and the resulting Vedana and disconnect it before it 'surges' into the body.

con...

I guess the null hypothesis is that you can't do this and living with the initial surges of unpleasant Vedana is just part of life, even for the most enlightened.

My hypothesis is that someone like Gary Weber, who rarely encounters a thought, rarely deals with the 'mind initiated' physical unpleasantness.

And maybe for the rest of us, continued surrender will cause this reaction to be a non-issue.

I am sure this topic has been discussed before, I am just a bit stuck here currently.

Much appreciation!

-Anthony

Hi Anthony,

One can take the refining of the sense of being quite far with grounding. At 6th Stage one still feels physical unpleasantness at times, but as practice develops further, reactions are reduced mere contractions of the awareness that briefly limit the boundlessness of the mind.

Use noting to really identify the cause and effect chain, this is very important.
Try to get to the bottom of every arising emotion by being vulnerable.
Use grounding to take care of the charge
Keep on zooming in on the process, until you get to the vibratory level

Check this old thread if there is anything useful for you:

kennethfolkdharma.wetpaint.com/thread/47...6/6th+Stage+Question

Bill's practice notes could also be relevant to you:

kennethfolkdharma.wetpaint.com/thread/4818030/Bill%27s+Notes