Dark night of later paths?

Has anyone heard of people experiencing seriously bad DN stuff post second path? Following the review stage of 1st path I'm starting to wonder if I should make any more 'progress' with this stuff, although realise in the long run I may not have any choice in the matter.....

"Has anyone heard of people experiencing seriously bad DN stuff post second path? Following the review stage of 1st path I'm starting to wonder if I should make any more 'progress' with this stuff, although realise in the long run I may not have any choice in the matter....."

1.) You have no choice, what happen will happen. You are in the stream big time if you have 2nd path.

2.) Yes, DN can be pretty brutal in later stages. However, as with all of this, it varies from person to person.

The purpose of meditation practice is not to get into a groovy state and stay there. It's to learn to be with everything that arises, and see the truth that is fundamental to experience. One gains relatively little insight sitting around chillaxing. One gains a lot of insight learning to be with difficulties and discomforts. (Same is true of life in general.) Anyone can learn to drive in a big empty parking lot. When you can drive in chaotic city traffic, then you have learned to drive well.

Russell is right that if you are post 2nd path (eta even post 1st) you have no choice in going forward, and if you resist the process you will simply have a less pleasant time. The benefit of your current condition is that you have far better tools for coping with difficulties now than you did as a beginner. Apply your practice in all conditions, just as they arise, and you will realize what you need to realize and begin to find the process quite interesting, even when it's also frustrating, sticky, uncomfortable, etc..

Thanks guys- I'm only 1st path btw. I can cope with 'frustrating, sticky, uncomfortable'. Feeling like I've literally died and Gone To Hell (during dhukka nana cycling of 1st path review) not so much....

You can deal with that, too. You already did! Besides, one day you will actually bodily die, so any "feels like I've died" stuff is great practice for that.

eta: but seriously, the deeper you go, the more tools you have for observing, investigating and being with the experiences that you have. Such as what are the elements of sensation and thought that make up "fear" or "anxiety" - fascinating stuff to look at. The key is to focus on what's going on right now and not get into story telling and anticipation. The deeper you go, the better you'll get at doing that.