The realization that you are simply a vessel for hosting ideas was helpful to me. Meditation also trains your mind to allow detachment from ideas that pass through your consciousness. I could get into an entire theory about the metaphysical implications but suffice it to say being able to essentially not attach your consciousness to ideas that pass through, even if they are beautiful ideas, will allow you to let petty thoughts pass through like a breeze. 

 Yeah, I'm at that point of seeing the thoughts without being them, but I'd prefer to see nicer thoughts. I suspect there's some kind of balance effect going on - pushing in one direction causing the opposite to squeeze out.  

 That has more to do with the metaphysical bit I was talking about. It's tough to explain in text. The TL;DR is basically the things that generate ideas (spirits, angels, demons, whatever your word for them) have their own moral biases. The more attractive to them you are the more ideas they will send through you.  

 Okay, now this is interesting... I've had this idea, and I've been trying to pursue it, but there's no path laid out for it, at least not that I know of. The idea is, if I could clearly visualize archetypal psychological "attractors," which are like axiomatic influences on the stories that make up life, then I could choose the part of the story I like and inhabit that more frequently. Does that make sense?  

 It makes sense directionally. I would say we as the vessels have more of a choice in attachment to singular ephemeral ideas than comprehensive story archetypes. The only way to really direct that sort of thing is to make the arduous choice of a given archetype in every moment. Lots of mental fortitude required.