Cleaning Up
- John Scoble
- Jan 13, 2022
- 8 min read
Updated: Sep 26
John Scoble
Introduction
We are midway through consideration of the four streams of Ken Wilber’s integral theory model of personal and spiritual development.
Discover the full Streams of Development series:
Episode 6 will focus on Cleaning Up. It involves taking a “helicopter view” of one’s life, identifying behaviours or habits that are inconsistent with Jesus’ teaching and resolving to diminish or completely detach from those behaviours or habits in the future.
In this episode we will focus on:
examination of conscience
understanding learned behaviours, habits and addictions
one’s “shadow” and how to recognise it when it manifests
Here are some readings, quotations and videos on which to base discussion at our January meeting.
The inner guide (“helicopter view”)
Self-monitoring is a personality trait that involves the ability to monitor and regulate self-presentations, emotions, and behaviors in response to social environments and situations. It involves being aware of your behavior and the impact it has on your environment.
From The Pychologist UK 20 May 2021
Introspection is a process that involves looking inward to examine one's own thoughts and emotions. ... The experimental use of introspection is similar to what you might do when you analyze your own thoughts and feelings but in a much more structured and rigorous way. 2 May 2020
Jesuit examen
Self-awareness is a requirement to see differently. Jesuit spirituality encourages us to use our imagination in order to expand our self-awareness and to support our ability to see in a new way. To do this exercise, you have to think of your whole day as a film. You unwind the film of the day, going backward, one scene at a time, until you return to the first scene of the morning, your first waking moment.
CAC meditations 6 Mar 2021
Formation of conscience
The education of the conscience is a lifelong task. From the earliest years, it awakens the child to the knowledge and practice of the interior law recognised by conscience. Prudent education teaches virtue; prevents or cures fear, selfishness and pride, resentment arising from guilt, and feelings of complacency, born of human weakness and faults. The education of conscience guarantees freedom and engenders peace of heart.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1784.
“New wine demands fresh skins or otherwise we lose both the wine and the container,” as Jesus put it (see Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37–38). Practices, more than anything else, create a new container for us, one that will protect the new wine we wish to take in.
Richard Rohr
No one can be enlightened unless he be first cleansed purified and stripped. Purgation, which is the remaking of character in conformity with perceived reality, consists in these two essential acts: the cleansing of that which is to remain, the stripping of that which is to be done away.
Evelyn Underhill Mysticism, p198
Examine this thing called ‘nature’ more closely. One’s own senses are major stumbling blocks to spiritual attainment. Senses derive their power from the many likes and dislikes imprinted in the mind (by family, by culture, and by one’s actions in this and previous lives). This deeply embedded, largely unconscious system of likes and dislikes is what gives rise to one’s thoughts, desires, and tendencies. This mental pattern is in large part what is meant by one’s ‘nature.’ “Arjuna, the best thing to do with these thoughts and desires is to transmute them into a devotional attitude, a desire for God. When this attitude takes hold, the system of likes and dislikes melts away, which causes the fierce power of the senses to gradually dry up. Desires are enemies when directed outward, but allies when pointed inward toward Divinity.
The Baghavad Gita p.34
Attachment / Detachment
“As John of the Cross notes in the Ascent of Mount Carmel (I.2.4), it makes little difference whether the leg of a bird is tied with a strong rope or with the tiniest thread. If anything is holding it, it cannot fly. Flight to God cannot occur till all attachments that cause us to resist the call of grace are broken, however apparently insignificant they may appear.”
Fr Michael Fallon MSC The Gospel According to Saint Luke p253
Never lose sight of the overriding goal, which is to free yourself from bondage during this lifetime, to shed attachment to worldly things, detach from ego, and truly release yourself from the wheel of birth and death. When you do this, you actually become one with God.
The Baghavad Gita p.21
Surrender is the strongest, most subversive thing you can do in this world. It takes strength to admit you are weak, bravery to show you are vulnerable, courage to ask for help.
Holly Whitaker CAC meditations 19 Nov 2021
Shadow Work
Thomas Merton used the language of the false self to describe our ‘shadow’, which are those parts we try to hide from others (and even ourselves) and our ‘disguise’, the alternate persona we try to show to the world instead. This is helpful language because it reminds us that whatever God calls us to let die is not our actual self but our false self (even though these false selves have been ours so long that at first it seems he is asking us to let our true selves die). Merton’s language helps us discover a different way to understand what should die and what should live.
Rev’d Mandy Smith Unfettered, p71
This week’s meditations focus on unveiling the shadow self, an essential concept in my work that comes from Swiss psychotherapist Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961). Our self-image is not substantial or lasting; it is simply created out of our own mind, desire, and choice—and everybody else’s preferences for us! It is not objective at all but entirely subjective (which does not mean that it does not have real influence). The movement to second-half-of-life wisdom has much to do with necessary shadow work and the emergence of healthy self-critical thinking, which alone allows us to see beyond our own shadow and disguise and to find who we are, “hidden with Christ in God,” as Paul puts it (Colossians 3:3). The Zen masters call it “the face we had before we were born.” This self cannot die, lives forever and is our True Self. Religion is always in some way about discovering our True Self, which is also to discover God, who is our deepest truth.
Fr Richard Rohr From CAC meditation 13/06/2021
“The more attached we are to any persona whatsoever, bad or good, the more shadow self we will have. So we need conflicts, relationship difficulties, moral failures, defeats to our grandiosity, even seeming enemies, or we will have no way to ever spot or track our shadow self. They are our necessary mirrors, and even then, we usually catch it out of the corner of our eye—in a graced insight and those gifted moments of inner freedom.”
Fr Richard Rohr From CAC meditation 15/06/2021
By the second half of life, you have been in regular unwelcome contact with your shadow self, which gradually detaches you from your not-so-bright persona (meaning “stage mask” in Greek) that you so diligently constructed in the first half of life……. Persona and shadow are correlated terms. Your shadow is what you refuse to see about yourself and what you do not want others to see. The more you have cultivated and protected a chosen persona, the more shadow work you will need to do…… I have prayed for years for one humiliation a day and then I must watch my reaction to it in my position, I have no other way of spotting both my well denied shadow self and my idealised persona.
Fr Richard Rohr Falling Upwards pp 127-128
Video resources (please watch before meeting)
Connie Sweig on the shadow of Ageism
https://batgap.com/connie-zweig/ at 33.00 – 38.00 (5 mins)
Ken Wilber on how shadows develop and the importance of understanding your shadows for your personal and spiritual development
(10 mins)
FAQs for “Cleaning Up”
What does “cleaning up” mean in spiritual development?
Cleaning up means taking an aerial view of your life and asking: which habits, shadows, wounds, attachments are out of alignment with Christ’s way? The article describes it as identifying behaviours and patterns that betray integrity, then working to diminish or detach from them. It involves inner honesty, examination of conscience, shadow work, and letting truth reshape character.
Why is shadow work essential to the “cleaning up” stage?
Shadow work helps you face parts of yourself that you deny, suppress, or hide - even from yourself. These shadow selves often drive reactions, critic voices, addictions, or masks. The article draws on Thomas Merton and Carl Jung to show that embracing shadows is not defeat but liberation: you cease rehearsing hidden scripts, and begin living more fully in light.
How do habits, addictions, and attachments derail spiritual growth?
Habits and attachments become invisible chains when left unchecked. The article explains that even small ego-based cravings or comfort zones can subtly steer your life. Addictions, strong habits of thought or desire, and emotional dependencies distract from God’s voice. Cleaning up invites you to notice these patterns, name them, and begin to loosen their grip.
What is the role of the “examination of conscience” in cleaning up?
The examination of conscience is a spiritual tool in cleaning up. You walk your day backward, reviewing moments, noticing choices, feelings, impulses. It’s a chance to see where your alignment fractured, where ego nudged you, where love whispered but went unheard. The article encourages integrating this practice regularly to sharpen self-awareness and conscience sensitivity.
How can someone begin the process of cleaning up in everyday life?
You begin by slowing down and noticing. Pick one small habit, one shadow cue, one recurring reaction and reflect on it - ask: Why do I respond this way? Where is my fear or need? Invite God’s light into it. Use practices like journaling, confession to trusted friend, spiritual direction, or silence. The article encourages starting with humility and gentleness, letting small shifts gather momentum into deeper transformation.
At St Lucia Spirituality we believe the journey is richer when it’s shared. If you’re seeking a place to explore questions, practice mindfulness, or simply belong to an inclusive spiritual community, we invite you to join us. From online discussion groups and meditation gatherings to our growing library of resources, there’s space here for every seeker. Step into the conversation, connect with others, and discover how community can nurture your spiritual growth.
About the Author - John Scoble
John's journey began in the heart of a traditional Roman Catholic family in Sydney, where he was raised with steadfast faith and reverence. Now residing in the serene surroundings of St Lucia, Brisbane, alongside his beloved wife, John finds solace and inspiration in the tranquil rhythms of life. With four adult children and a cherished grandchild also calling Brisbane home, John's family is his anchor, providing love, support, and a sense of belonging.
While spirituality has always been a cornerstone of his life, it was three transformative events in 2012, including a sacred pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, that ignited a profound shift in John's spiritual trajectory. Embracing retirement as an opportunity for deeper exploration, John immersed himself in extensive reading and soulful reflection.
Over the course of a decade, this journey of self-discovery has led John to reevaluate and transcend many of his traditional beliefs, embracing instead the timeless wisdom and cosmic perspective inherent in Christianity. Influenced by luminaries such as St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila, and Richard Rohr, John's spiritual evolution has been marked by a deepening resonance with the essential truths of his faith and a profound connection to the divine unfolding within and around him.
January 2022
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