Hi Mark,
Thanks so much for writing: it is very nice to read how this meditation brought you to the different insights you’ve described.
In terms of your question, there’s no ‘right or wrong’ here – only the experience of meditation that will differ from person to person. It seems to me that what you describe and experienced during this analytical meditation actually brought you the insight that was the motivation behind adding this meditation to the course: the insight that there is no independently existing self. So actually, by observing what this meditation brought you and what you couldn’t do, although you tried to follow the instructions, has led you to the same insight: you say that you definitely did not feel separated from anything else in the world. This latter point is key!
I hope this helps somewhat, and that it will give you the confidence to keep on using this meditation for your own benefit and that of others!
Enjoy the course, with best wishes,
Sajda