Yes, I think this is why some also make a distinction in bare awareness or purely knowing (citta) and consciousness (vinnana).
A thought-experiment:
For example, when you would become blind suddenly, eye-vinnana does not arise anymore. You loose sight. The ability to see. But you do not loose bare awareness. It is not that you become unconscious or feel you are not present anymore. Suppose, next to sight you also loose the ability to hear, ear-vinnana’s do not arise. Do you loose a bare awareness? Do you become non-perceiving? Unconscious?
Now, you also loose the ability to smell…to feel tactily…to taste…to think…
This is ofcourse hypothetical and would be very traumatic…but is it possible, that a bare awareness remains while all 6 vinnana’s do not arise anymore?
I tend to believe this is what happens in sannavedaytitanirodha. Something similar seems to be said by Maha Boowa from his own experience. At that moment one also sees that this bare awareness is not an ego or self. While seeing its nature, one also sees it has never been an ego, self, who is this bare awareness. inside us. And that is our commen impression now. We all feel that this bare awareness in us is a self and ego.
Seeing that it has never been an ego, a self, is the end of all asava, defilement, the uprooting of ego and all its connected tendencies.
Thats why i believe sannavedayitanirodha is also describes as a direct way to end all asavas’. Because one directly sees it has never been an ego who is aware and present.
Anyway, AN10.6 says that one can perceive cessation, the stilling of all formations. What do you think of that?
I also think it is not reasonable to talk about sannavedayitanirodha as ultimate happiness like the sutta’s do, when it is not perceived any way at all. It is like saying “abiding in Rome is ultimate happiness” but you have never ever abided in Rome. That way Dhamma becomes something metaphysical and philosophical.
I still go with the explanation of Ajahn Suchart that not all ends, and like the sutta also state it is perceived in some way.
But, i still feel we need an expert opinion, from one who knows this state to make good decisions about this.