The following notes are intended to give complete instructions and guidance for the Clear Mind Process and to answer all questions you might have. Once you’re doing the Clear Mind Process, you’ll find it very straightforward and easy, but it’s important to be clear about the ground rules before you start.
Purpose of the Clear Mind Process
The Clear Mind Process is designed to complete things from the past that are incomplete, finalise unfinished business, say the unsaid, heal open wounds.
The intention is for you to clear your mind (meaning your ‘mental space’, not your brain) of those things that are holding you back in your life, keeping you stuck in the past and draining your energy.
How the Clear Mind Process works
It works by giving you a safe and non-judgemental space in which to express things you want to clear. Expressing those things, and having them witnessed and acknowledged by me in a specific way, takes the emotional charge off them.
This assigns them to the past where they belong and clears them from your present and, importantly, from your future too. They change from being active, emotionally charged items to being simply memories that no longer have any hold over you.
When something you communicate is consciously and fully received by another person, without judgement or criticism, it’s complete for you and you no longer need to carry it around. This is the ‘magic’ at the heart of the Clear Mind Process.
The effect of clearing
Clearing is like decluttering for your mind and your personal energy field (aura). It makes space for you to create new possibilities for your future instead of being run by old stories, thought patterns and grievances from your past.
As long as you resist your past, it will persist and your future is already shaped and limited by it.
Once you’ve done enough clearing, instead of being destined to unconsciously create more of the same results in your life, you empower yourself to consciously create what you really want.
When to do the Clear Mind Process
The Clear Mind Process can be used on its own and it will bring great benefits as a standalone process even if you don’t do any other personal growth practices.
It can also be done in conjunction with personal or spiritual growth work and it will enhance and deepen the effects of that.
As an ongoing practice it‘s extremely beneficial for personal/spiritual growth and is faster and more practically useful for self-development than self-help books, meditation, spiritual retreats, listening to gurus, etc.
Cycles of clearings
Clearings are done in cycles of five, ten or fifteen consecutive days. Further cycles of five, ten or fifteen days can be done straight afterwards or separately at any other time once the initial minimum of five days has been completed.
The commitment to this daily routine is an important aspect of the Clear Mind Process and in itself is beneficial for self-esteem and personal growth.
Any clearing cycle not completed by the end of the second day following the day it should have been completed is deemed to have been completed at the end of that second day. This allows two days’ grace in case you miss a day or two, but imposes a cut-off point so that a clearing cycle isn’t left open-ended.
If you’re unable to start or complete a cycle because of an emergency or extenuating circumstances, let me know and we can reschedule.
What can be covered in the Clear Mind Process
Clearings may relate to:
- things you’ve done or not done that you consider wrong or harmful, even if someone else wouldn’t consider them wrong or harmful – things that go against your personal code of right and wrong
- things you’ve done or not done that someone else would consider wrong or harmful, even if you don’t consider them wrong or harmful
- instances where you’ve promoted, supported, condoned or knowingly allowed someone else’s wrong or harmful act even though you haven’t done the act directly yourself
- your broken promises or agreements (agreements can be made implicitly as well as explicitly – i.e. unspoken agreements created by your conduct, your silence or by certain behaviour expected of you as a member of any group, society or culture, or as the holder of any position or role)
- situations where you haven’t honoured your word or met another person’s expectations of how you would conduct yourself
- admitting where you’ve been dishonest or have lied, deceived, cheated, used trickery, been fraudulent, behaved in a sneaky or duplicitous way, or taken unfair advantage of someone
- misrepresentations you’ve made about yourself or about something, whether explicitly, implicitly, innocently or by ‘keeping quiet’ (allowing someone to continue under a misapprehension that you were aware they had)
- things that you’re misleading someone about, actively or passively
- anything you feel bad, guilty or uncomfortable about or you’re not proud of
- instances of you breaking the law (criminal or civil law), however trivially and even where no harm is caused or the law is a bad law
- things you’re blaming on someone or something else, including situations where you’ve accused another of causing your emotions
- things you want to have revenge for or get even with someone about
- bad, evil or harmful intentions that you hold or held about anyone or anything
- situations where you are, or have been, making someone wrong
- communicating any significant (i.e. non-trivial) thought that you’re withholding or keeping hidden from someone significant in your life – especially thoughts that, if you were to communicate them, the other person might be hurt, angry or upset
- anything about you (good or bad) that someone doesn’t know
- undelivered communications – saying things that you wanted to say to someone but didn’t, whether that person is living or not, including things you’re afraid, embarrassed, reluctant or unable to say
- things you want to be acknowledged, noticed or ‘seen’ for (good or bad)
- expressions of anger, resentment, hatred or dislike about anyone or anything
- occasions when you’ve wasted or abused (stolen) someone’s time – for example, by being late, by giving demanding tasks, by excessive talking, or by sucking their attention with trivial matters
- times when you failed to help someone
- any person, group or organisation that might consider you can’t be trusted to keep your word or do what’s expected of you
- generalisations such as ‘X always …’, ‘X never …’, ‘X only …’ and ‘All Xs …’, where X is any group or type of person – for example, men, women, politicians, police officers, parents, lawyers, rich people, white people, black people, immigrants
- anything you feel compelled to justify or defend as being right or true, regardless of whether it actually is (objectively) right or true
- things you’ve left incomplete, such as unfinished or inadequately performed tasks, abandoned projects, bills not paid when due, unreturned borrowed items, things you forgot about doing – any cycle of action that’s still open, whether or not you have a current intention to complete it
- instances where you’ve stopped or hindered someone else in doing or being something that they intended to do or be
- areas where you feel stuck or trapped – you’re doing things that you don’t want to do or you’re not doing things that you do want to do
- aspects of your life where you feel out of control, including addictions, obsessions and compulsions
- ideals you have for yourself or others that are not met
- cases where you’ve gossiped about someone, bad-mouthed them behind their back or exaggerated some information about them in a negative or critical way
- times when you betrayed someone (you did or failed to do something that broke their trust in you) or times when someone confided in you and you betrayed their confidence
- things you refuse to admit you were wrong about or refuse to apologise for
- people you consider to be your enemy or who would consider you their enemy
- ways in which you might be a liability or burden to any person, group or organisation
- ways in which you might be making someone worry
- anyone who might have brought up your name in their therapy sessions
- losses, failures, regrets, upsets
- anything else that you feel is bothering you.
Examples of clearings
Here are some examples of things that can be included in clearings and how to write them.
I stole a chocolate bar from my local shop when I was 9 years old. When I was at high school, aged 12, I bullied A.B. When I was 18 I cheated on my boyfriend, C.D., and never owned up to it. I blamed a classmate for some graffiti I wrote on the desk and he was punished for it. I smoked cigarettes when I was 11 and lied to my parents about it. I scratched my dad’s car when I was 17 and pretended someone else had done it while it was parked. I found a watch that someone had left behind in the gym changing room and I kept it instead of handing it in. I stole a car when I was 22 and spent three months in prison for it.
I’m afraid to tell E.F. that I don’t love him any more. I’m scared to ask my boss for a pay rise. I’m afraid to ask my partner to fulfil my sexual needs. I want to tell my dad, who’s no longer alive, that I love him and I understand why he treated me the way he did. I want to tell my deceased mother how much she hurt me by her behaviour toward me. I’m hiding from my husband the fact that our child isn’t his.
I resent G.H. for bullying me at school. I resent my dad for smacking me with his belt when I was little. I’m angry at my ex-husband, I.J., for leaving me for another woman. I resent the drug laws. I resent government abuse of power. I hate people who park their car selfishly. People who leave litter in the countryside should be sent to jail for a long time. All politicians are corrupt. All police officers are racist. All men are narcissists. Women only want men for money. Men only want women for sex. Everything is racist.
I want to be acknowledged for doing my job with dedication and integrity. I want to be acknowledged for getting good grades at school/college/university. I want to be acknowledged for being a conscientious parent. I want to be acknowledged for taking money from the church donations plate when I was 14. I want to be acknowledged for persuading my friend to lend me money that I had no intention of paying back. I want to be acknowledged for stealing money from my mother’s purse when I was 10.
I started fixing the garage roof six months ago and it’s 90% done but I keep putting off completing it. I redecorated the bathroom and didn’t clean up the paint mess that I made. I agreed to help my son with a homework project but I kept forgetting and he had to finish it himself. The electricity bill is overdue and I haven’t paid it. Three weeks ago I borrowed my neighbour’s electric drill for the weekend and I haven’t given it back to him. I work in the family business but I always wanted to be a teacher when I was young. When I was 13 I punctured someone’s bicycle tyres as a prank meaning they would have had to walk home from school and fix their tyres. I gave someone a bad reference so they wouldn’t get a job with a rival company.
I drink more alcohol than I know is good for me. I think smoking is bad for me but I can’t seem to stop. I watch too much TV. I eat fast food more often than is healthy. I want to spend less time at the office and more time with my family. I want to exercise more.
I gossiped about my co-worker K.L. and said some things about her that aren’t true. I complained to my wife about my boss and embellished the story to make him sound worse than he really was.
Why should I apologise for what I did to M.N.? I’ll go to my grave before I admit I was wrong about X.
My dad left before I was born and I never knew him. I lost my job aged 35 when XYZ Company made me redundant. I regret not telling O.P. at university that I had a crush on her. I’m still upset about breaking up with Q.R. even 10 years after we split up. I regret not visiting S.T. often enough before he died. The suicide of my friend U.V. still haunts me and I feel terrible for not being able to prevent it.
Tips for effective clearings
Read and understand the instructions and guidance
Before you start your clearings please read these instructions thoroughly (and repeatedly if necessary) to ensure that you get all the details and can derive the greatest benefit from the process. I know there’s quite a lot to read, but it’s important.
Be spontaneous and free
It’s best to be spontaneous and write down whatever comes to mind, even if it seems odd or irrelevant at the time. If you get stuck, perhaps ask yourself: If someone were writing my life story, which bits would I want them to leave out?
Speak the unspeakable. Don’t censor yourself, don’t judge yourself and don’t worry about correct grammar or spelling. Don’t be concerned about looking good or what I might think. Don’t explain or justify your actions, make excuses or blame someone else for what happened. Resist the temptation to get into ‘He did this to me’, ‘She did that to me’ or ‘They deserved it’. Avoid complaining and moaning. Don’t write ‘woe is me’ stories. Assume responsibility over the things you write about but without beating yourself up about them.
Keep notes when things spring to mind
It’s best if you set aside some time specifically to write your daily clearing message and focus on the task. Although you’ll be sending me just one clearing message each day, you might find that things spontaneously come to mind throughout the day. It’s a good idea to jot these down so they can be included in that day’s clearing message later on (or in the next day’s if they arise after you’ve sent that day’s clearing message).
Be specific, concise and matter-of-fact
Be specific with dates, times, places and people wherever you can. You can anonymise people by using their initials if you like.
Don’t write your life story or get bogged down in narrative. Just state the facts neutrally and briefly.
For example:
I cheated on my wife last Saturday night by having sex with Jane.
not:
I had sex with Jane last Saturday night but it was only because my wife has lost interest in sex and she left me no choice but to look for it elsewhere, so it was her own fault and it wasn’t really cheating, and anyway it only happened once and my wife will never find out so it’s not a big deal.
Another example:
I was late for a meeting with Jon yesterday.
not:
I was late for a meeting with Jon yesterday but only by 15 minutes and I couldn’t help it because I had to drop the kids off at school first, then pick up some groceries and then I ended up getting stuck in traffic.
Look for early examples
The ideal is to uncover the first event of its kind that you can remember (e.g. the first time you lied, stole, broke a promise, lost a loved one, etc.) or at least the earliest event you can currently recall. If you can’t yet recall the first or a very early event, write about whatever you can recall at this stage. Earlier events will come to mind the more you do clearings as they can be buried under layers of other things that need clearing first.
When looking at past events, always view them from where you are now in the present, rather than going back and reliving them. Stay firmly rooted in present time and look back at them from here, viewing in the opposite direction to the flow of time.
Overcome resistance
The mind has a way of stopping you from remembering things that it finds difficult or uncomfortable to deal with, so it’s common to experience resistance after the first few days of clearing or to feel ‘I can’t think of anything else to write’. This is normal and you’ll overcome it if you persist with the process and allow things to come up to the surface from the deeper layers of your mind.
What the Clear Mind Process is not
Clearing is not a process of punishing yourself or feeling guilty for things you did or didn’t do. This is where it differs crucially from confession in some religions and moral inventory in 12-step programmes. There’s nothing wrong with you and, whatever your behaviour has been like, you as a person aren’t bad.
Nor does it involve dwelling on things that have happened and getting upset about them. Those things are in the past and they can’t be changed.
It doesn’t require apologising, seeking forgiveness, being penitent or declaring how ‘sinful’ you’ve been, although you might notice how your actions have impacted others, yourself or the world and you might even want to communicate something to someone about that. In the main, though, you’ll simply observe things dispassionately, write them down, share them with me and let them go.
Clearing also differs from the process known as ‘auditing’ since there’s no questioning of you and no record is kept of your clearings.
How to send your clearings
Clearings are done through secure and encrypted email using Proton Mail or Tutanota. You can create a Proton Mail account here or a Tutanota account here (affiliate links). Both email providers offer free and paid accounts.
The messaging app Wire can also be used. This is secure and encrypted and doesn’t require a phone number to sign up. It’s free and is available for mobile and desktop devices and all operating systems.
After you book the Clear Mind Process, I’ll provide you with an email address to send your clearings to or I’ll connect with you in the messaging app, depending on the communication method we’ve agreed on.
When you’re ready to start the Clear Mind Process please send your clearing message via email, or post it in the messaging app, once a day on consecutive days (according to how many days of the Clear Mind Process you agreed to do). If using email, type in the subject line Clearing Day 1, Clearing Day 2, and so on.
Clearings work best if they’re concise and to the point. Each day’s clearing should be no more than 1,000 words. It can even be as short as a single sentence but 500 words is a good minimum to aim for.
When you’ve typed your daily clearing, I recommend reading it aloud to yourself before sending it to me. Do this somewhere where you won’t be overheard.
What happens after you send your clearings
I’ll acknowledge each clearing by replying by email or in the chat room within 24 hours of receipt and I’ll also delete your email or chat room post. Once you receive my acknowledgement, please delete your email or chat room post. With email, ensure that you delete it from the ‘trash’ folder as well as the ‘sent’ folder in order for it to be completely erased. Also delete any drafts of the email that might have been saved.
Please don’t save your clearings on your computer or other device or print them or screenshot them. The ‘disappearing’ of the clearings is a critical part of the Clear Mind Process and you’ll cause the process to fail if you don’t delete your clearing messages. If you can’t let go of your messages, you won’t be able to let go of the things you wrote about in them either.
No advice or counselling is given. Your clearings are simply witnessed, read and acknowledged. In other words, I ‘get’ them. I make no comment, judgement or criticism on their contents and I don’t enter into discussions about them, although I’ll give you guidance about the procedural aspects of the process where necessary.
I keep everything confidential unless I’m forced by law to disclose something or disclosure is justified to protect you or another person from imminent serious bodily harm (the same rules that apply to therapists).
At the end of the Clear Mind Process, I’ll invite your feedback.
Last updated 23rd May 2025.
I acknowledge, with gratitude, Kerrith H. (Kerry) King of Community Communications, whose work and teaching inspired me to create the Clear Mind Process.