You cannot write on a wax tablet, without first erasing the marks already on it. Equally your mind cannot receive divine truth, without first unlearning the false notions that you have acquired in the past.
Solitude is the best context for quietening the mind and unlearning a falsehood. Seek out a place of solitude, where you can train your soul without interuption, nourishing your soul with thoughts of God. Begin each day like a choir of angels, honoring God with songs of praise. As the day brightens, pursue your various tasks to the accompaniment of prayers, and season your labour with the salt of more songs. A pleasant melody composes the mind and calms its passions.
Gradually your tongue will lose its appetite for idle conversation , your eyes will cease to crave stimulation, and your ears will no longer hunger for gossip. This will enable your mind to turn inwards and begin its ascent to the contemplation of God.
~Basil of Caesarea
