In general, I would say the jhānas as classically described correspond most closely to the emptiness thread. There’s a progressive deconstruction and sublimation of experience, moving from gross bodily and mental sensations to increasingly subtle, refined, and expansive states. Culminating in experiences of boundless space, boundless consciousness, nothingness, and even the cessation of perception and feeling.

At the same time, given the powerful concentration involved, it’s not uncommon for jhāna practice to also activate the energy thread. Intensely pleasant sensations, bliss, and rapture are frequent side effects. And in some cases, the inner absorption can reach a depth where subconscious material starts to bubble up, so the psyche thread may come into play as well.

So, while they are often presented as a linear sequence, the states they point to can arise in a variety of contexts, and not always in the expected order. Also, the experiences and insights that can emerge through jhāna practice aren’t always limited to what the Buddhist maps would predict.

Personally, while I experienced many jhāna-like states in my practice, I never worked with them in the structured and systematic way outlined in Buddhist texts. It was more a natural and organic unfolding, moving through various strata of mind and reality as they presented themselves.

I think this points to a broader principle, which is that the awakening process has an intelligence of its own. While we can engage practices with a certain intent and orientation, or based on a particular traditional approach, we can’t always control what arises. A method apparently designed for one thread may well open the door to others.

So in a sense, the jhānas could be seen as portals or gateways that can potentially initiate a variety of experiences and openings. Their primary function may be to lay bare successively deeper layers of consciousness. But what exactly happens when those layers are penetrated is to some degree unique to each practitioner.

Another important point is the relationship between the states themselves and the insights and integration that can come out of them. In classical Buddhism, jhāna is considered a foundation for vipassana – the direct seeing of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and selflessness. But these liberating insights aren’t always sequential – they can arise before, during, or after the jhānic states themselves.

So while there can certainly be a correlation between the depth of samādhi and the arising of wisdom, it’s not a linear or predictable process. The experiences and the understanding that flows from them are mutually informing and supporting, but one doesn’t necessarily come first.

Ultimately, I believe the jhānas are powerful and profound portals, but not a rigid ladder we must climb rung by rung. They offer tastes, but the real work is what comes after – the daily moment-to-moment integration, the embodiment of the understanding in all the nitty-gritty of our lives.