Strengthen your reasoning skills by any means necessary. A year or two of college-level philosophy, science, and experimental psychology wouldn't hurt. If that's not available to you, consider planning out a basic course of reading in these subjects on your own.

Evaluate prospective teachers carefully. Prefer those who reason clearly and carefully. Do your best to avoid megalomaniacs and people who like to flaunt their spiritual attainments.

"To advance—that means Work. Patient, exhausting, thankless, often bewildering Work. ... if you would but Work! Work blindly, foolishly, misguidedly, it doesn't matter in the end:  Work in itself has absolute virtue." (MWT, Chapter XLV)

Inflame thyself with prayer!