user-1: Upon asking questions previously, I wondered some things about my meditation. In meditation, I often experienced greatly reduced thoughts, almost no thoughts; but, the sensations at the tip of the nose are almost always lacking. 
Is it possible that, despite the absence of thoughts, something other than arising cognitions pulls my attention away from the meditation object?
Just to be clear: I am asking what specifically are the type of possible distractions which may arise in meditation. I'm also wondering what is the relative strength of these distractions, for example: does a single thought break concentration? Does paying attention to some external object merely once break concentration? 

user8157: Anapanasati is not something easy because breath sensations calm with awareness upon them; often making them difficult to discern.
Often, a hindrance to anapanasati is the very intention to watch or focus on the breathing because intention itself is also a thought that diminishes the awareness of the mind.
Its like "listening" to another person talking. If you really want to really hear what the other person is saying, you must abandon thoughts and have an open quiet mind.
If the mind can abide without thoughts; then the meditator should also abandon the intention to "focus" on breathing. If the mind is quiet & silent yet also soft & fluid, it will naturally flow into the breathing; similar to how water naturally flows into cracks and crevices.
The Tao Te Ching Verse 8 says:

The highest good is like water.  Water give life to the ten thousand things and does not strive. It flows in places men reject and so is
like the Tao.

The 3rd Zen Patriarch said:

The Supreme Way is not difficult If only you do not pick and choose. Neither love nor hate, And you will clearly understand. Be off by a
hair, And you are as far from it as heaven from earth.
If you want the
Way to appear, Be neither for nor against. For and against opposing
each other This is the mind's disease. Without recognizing the
mysterious principle It is useless to practice quietude.
The Way is perfect like great space, Without lack, without excess. Because of grasping and rejecting, You cannot attain it.
Hsin Hsin Ming


user-1: Welcome to the in-betweens!  When someone starts meditating, there are generally a few phase that they will pass through.  These are all well documented, though I personally think they find the best expression in the 10 Ox herding pictures from Zen.  The first is quieting the mind.  In the series of Ox herding pictures, this is the state of seeing and taming the ox where the mind's unruly nature is first seen for what it is it's thrashings are subdued: 
 
Once the mind settles, however, there is a very lengthy process of riding the ox to the mountain:
 
This seems to be where you are at now.  Take special note of that second painting.  I selected this artist's rendition specifically because I think it beautifully characterizes this phase of training.  The adept is riding the ox backwards.  He literally has no idea where he's going.  Indeed, this stage of training is very much categorized by a feeling of bumping around in the dark.  And it can go on for years.  Or it can be over in a matter of days.  There is literally no way of knowing how long it will take.  The adept doesn't even know if there is a mountain awaiting him!  He has no idea what's ahead!
The only thing you can actively do at this stage is practice with sincerity. Sit daily for at least an hour.  Apply your mind to your object of meditation.  Don't worry about what is a distraction and what isn't. The mind is entirely too complicated to sort those things out at this stage.  Moreover, much of what drives us into distraction is completely unconscious!  As you go forward, you might even find your mind filled with thoughts again as deep, forgotten memories or unseen, habitual obstacles begin to rise to the surface.  Lastly, I would strongly suggest that you go on retreats of three days or more.  This will go a long way to loosening the hold those subtle, unseen, and unconscious distractions have on your mind.  As they begin to fall away, your concentration will strengthen almost seemingly without effort.  
If your practice has sincerity, eventually you will arrive at the foot of the mountain.  You just have to persist.     

-1: <p>Upon asking questions previously, I wondered some things about my meditation. In meditation, I often experienced greatly reduced thoughts, almost no thoughts; but, the sensations at the tip of the nose are almost always lacking. </p>

<p><strong>Is it possible that, despite the absence of thoughts, something other than arising cognitions pulls my attention away from the meditation object?</strong></p>

<p>Just to be clear: I am asking what specifically are the type of possible distractions which may arise in meditation. I'm also wondering what is the relative strength of these distractions, for example: does a single thought break concentration? Does paying attention to some external object merely once break concentration? </p>
 8157: <p>Anapanasati is not something easy because breath sensations calm with awareness upon them; often making them difficult to discern.</p>
<p>Often, a hindrance to anapanasati is the very <em><strong>intention</strong></em> to watch or focus on the breathing because <em><strong>intention</strong></em> itself is also a thought that diminishes the awareness of the mind.</p>
<p>Its like &quot;listening&quot; to another person talking. If you really want to really hear what the other person is saying, you must abandon thoughts and have an open quiet mind.</p>
<p>If the mind can abide without thoughts; then the meditator should also abandon the intention to &quot;focus&quot; on breathing. If the mind is quiet &amp; silent yet also soft &amp; fluid, it will naturally flow into the breathing; similar to how water naturally flows into cracks and crevices.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://terebess.hu/english/tao/gia.html#Kap08" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Tao Te Ching Verse 8</a> says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>The highest good is like water.  Water give life to the ten thousand things and does not strive. It flows in places men reject and so is
like the Tao.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The <a href="https://terebess.hu/english/hsin.html#14" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3rd Zen Patriarch</a> said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>The Supreme Way is not difficult If only you do not pick and choose. Neither love nor hate, And you will clearly understand. Be off by a
hair, And you are as far from it as heaven from earth.</em></p>
<p><em>If you want the
Way to appear, Be neither for nor against. For and against opposing
each other This is the mind's disease. Without recognizing the
mysterious principle It is useless to practice quietude.</em></p>
<p><em>The Way is perfect like great space, Without lack, without excess. Because of grasping and rejecting, You cannot attain it.</em></p>
<p><em>Hsin Hsin Ming</em></p>
</blockquote>
 -1: <p>Welcome to the in-betweens!  When someone starts meditating, there are generally a few phase that they will pass through.  These are all well documented, though I personally think they find the best expression in the 10 Ox herding pictures from Zen.  The first is quieting the mind.  In the series of Ox herding pictures, this is the state of seeing and taming the ox where the mind's unruly nature is first seen for what it is it's thrashings are subdued: </p>

<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/ykxbq.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/ykxbq.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a> </p>

<p>Once the mind settles, however, there is a very lengthy process of riding the ox to the mountain:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/vIT0k.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/vIT0k.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a>    </p>

<p>This seems to be where you are at now.  Take special note of that second painting.  I selected this artist's rendition specifically because I think it beautifully characterizes this phase of training.  The adept is riding the ox <em>backwards</em>.  He literally has no idea where he's going.  Indeed, this stage of training is very much categorized by a feeling of bumping around in the dark.  And it can go on for years.  Or it can be over in a matter of days.  There is literally no way of knowing how long it will take.  The adept doesn't even know if there is a mountain awaiting him!  He has no idea what's ahead!</p>

<p>The only thing you can actively do at this stage is practice with sincerity. Sit daily for at least an hour.  Apply your mind to your object of meditation.  Don't worry about what is a distraction and what isn't. The mind is entirely too complicated to sort those things out at this stage.  Moreover, much of what drives us into distraction is completely unconscious!  As you go forward, you might even find your mind filled with thoughts again as deep, forgotten memories or unseen, habitual obstacles begin to rise to the surface.  Lastly, I would strongly suggest that you go on retreats of three days or more.  This will go a long way to loosening the hold those subtle, unseen, and unconscious distractions have on your mind.  As they begin to fall away, your concentration will strengthen almost seemingly without effort.  </p>

<p>If your practice has sincerity, eventually you will arrive at the foot of the mountain.  You just have to persist.     </p>
