When you are Sotapanna you are able to see Paticca Samupadda cycle with your mind-eye (dhamma-eye). When you see how things are you are able to see things those things through Dhamma eye which is the new perception of world/life that one gain. To progress, one need to meditate or attain jhana or be close to jhana to have purity. I know Lal would argue or dismiss but I think it’s wrong to dismiss it, based on my practice, one will literally never progress without getting into jhana if you want to progress above Sakadagami, even from Sotapanna to Sakadagami one needs to be at least meditative and have purity of mind to push insight further, so one will need to be at least in close to jhana while chanting. There is no other way to progress. There are rare examples in the suttas like Bahiya etc. but most likely you do not have paramis to just go into Nibbana fully because you are able to realize some Dhamma concepts to some extent, which is not a small feat either but if you want true progress, get into jhana.
for example I thought I was Anagami when I first experienced the new awareness when studied Pure Dhamma, my mind was so deep in samadhi without any effort for many days there were not even inch of hate, greed and lust towards anything in sense doors after sometime it run out and things go back to normal BUT with the new insight and attained which I could work my way up again with permanent results, so your first judgement was probably from that first impact :)