What did I just feel? Looking to your experience...

You are doing VERY well and are awakening fast 🙂 I don't think you are doing anything dangerous.

I had the MGX for almost a year before getting the Helix Syn. While I enjoyed the MGX, I had similar issues as you... I had to move the handle in circles to get sensations on the prostate.

I found the Helix Syn is 100x better! It just touches the prostate naturally, without having to touch the handle 😉

Everything about it is more pleasurable. The shape is incredibly stimulating and the tab is rubbery very soft, you almost cannot feel it. With the MGX I really had to "try" to have contractions and get it moving, the Helix Syn just dancing around inside me like magic. With the MGX I had to make an effort, the Helix Syn is "effortless"

@Jedi – Welcome to the Aneros forums. 🙂

Congratulations that you are able to have prostate orgasms before even purchasing an Aneros! Are these orgasms dry, as in no ejaculate is coming out? If so, I suspect that will help you a lot towards achieving them with your MGX.

"Could this form of penetration be dangerous? I do get a little rough
but keep my nails short and it doesn't hurt but have read that vigorous
contact can be harmful."

As long as you are not experiencing any pain or discomfort you should be alright. You'll find that the Aneros sessions work the same way. Listen and pay attention to your body signals. When you experience pain, discomfort, or soreness, stop any anal play for a while till it goes away. That being said... Please be very careful manipulating your Aneros manually with your
hands. These devices were not designed for that, and it would be very
easy to hurt yourself. It's generally not recommended to do this.

"Also, am I missing something entirely different because I am not reaching orgasm "hands free"?"

Hard to say, we don't quite know exactly what you are experiencing using your hands. Have a look at the glossary section in the Aneros WIKI and lookup the terms mini-O, dry-O, super-O, and Pleasure waves, and see if any of this compares to what you are experiencing.

"I also have slept with it in and, while I find it arousing, I never woke
up in orgasm or anything of the like but have only done it a handful of
times."

Not everyone finds this approach works for them. The last few times I tried it, about an hour or two into the night of sleeping I had to remove it as it was annoying me and keeping me from sleeping. You really have to experiment and find what does work for you with your Aneros journey.

"Currently I only own the MGX but after reading some reviews on the Helix
SYN I think it may be a better fit for me as the abutment tab on the
MGX can be painful and seems to not connect, hence the manual
stimulation even with the aneros."

My own opinion about the P-tab being painful with some models, is that it is part acclimation, and part learning to really relax and let go of the anal sphincter muscles. As the harder they squeeze, the more the P-tab is pushed into your perineum. When I first got my MGX, I thought the same thing. And now it does not bother me.
Some users opt to pad the point of contact of the P-tab to distribute and soften the contact. I feel that that may work against users, as the discomfort from the P-tab tells me that you should be relaxing more.

"Also, at times, when I am walking around, manipulating the handle, or
grinding on the bed it feels incredible I can only imagine this as the
"dancing" feeling I've read about. As my PC muscles strengthen, will
this begin to take place with hands free contractions? "

There will be some strengthening going on in your practice. But in my own experience it was learning how to completely relax and let go of any conscious interference of my anal muscles, that caused me to finally have very consistent involuntary anal contractions that make this dancing feeling. But it may also just be a practice thing that takes time.

I think the Helix ust went on my Christmas list... Thanks a lot for the insight guys!
Before the aneros I would have non-ejaculatory orgasms, very stong anal contractions and a lot of pressure from my rectum pushing out like it is locked in that contraction and I cant control it. I love that feeling of being at the mercy of an orgasm.

I have yet to spend enough time focusing on the aneros alone, maybe that's why the hands free orgasm has alluded me. Next time I'm going to relax and masturbate like a girl...maybe light some candles and turn on some Sting and just enjoy myself. Lol. But I am looking forward to progress in this department.