Stage 4 is generally considered the second most technically difficult Stage. Only Stage 8 is harder.

There are several factors. Not all Stages are the same “length” or difficulty. Stage 4 is “longer”, in that there is more to accomplish. It is also more difficult, in that each minute of meditation seems to accomplish very little. The meditation itself feels quite delicate. It can feel like you are trying to do brain surgery while being driven down a bumpy road with a marching band playing in your car.

Then there are the purifications. An innocuous sounding sentence in Stage 4 (p 139) says, “The emotional purification in Stage 4 can be the equivalent of years of therapy”. What that means is that Stage 4 loosens up long suppressed and undealt-with issues. They will bubble to the surface. The best strategy is to be open, accept them, embrace them, and inquire gently what they need to tell you. A single issue can cause weeks of sobbing as you process whatever it was. If you ever think you can’t handle what comes up, consult a professional. Consult a professional if you just want some help coping with everything. Some people don’t have anything come up in Stage 4, others have quite a bit. You will be a better, healthier person when the purifications finish, but it can quite a bumpy ride.

I consider the purifications to a parallel track to the stated goals of Stage 4, and I think they are more important than the practice. I think it’s fine to pause your practice if you need to, to deal with the purifications.