[jadabaad]

Shikantaza is pretty intense. Usually it's the most advanced state of meditation. Have you become comfortable with counting the breaths first? Once you've built a good reflex of entering (or nearing) one pointedness in your meditation through breath counting, shikantaza is the 'just sitting part' with no counting, and no attachment to the process itself or anything else. And needless to say, the benefits of meditation must be maintained by constant meditation.

Regarding the "problems" one encounters, they vary from the mild to the very intense -- minor sensory changes (enhancements mainly) to straight up makyo. Makyo aren't to be trifled with.

Best you sought the advice of a qualified zen teacher about overcoming hurdles in your meditation.

Anyhow, I've personally benefitted far more from stream of consciousness writing. Pouring out whatever's on your mind onto paper has done far more to equalize the mental chatter than anything else I've tried. I'm fairly positive some of the more habitual writers on the forum might find some agreement with this.

Michael Hodge