The passage in the letter to the Romans 12: 2: "Be transformed by the renewal of your mind", is basically referring to the "new leaven", the "leaven of wisdom", remember the Parable of the Leaven, Luke 13:21 . There is an "old" leaven and a "new" leaven
There are basically two types of mentalities, ways of thinking, the clearest example is the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Pharisees when they arrive, they see their neighbor, pass by, they sin and ask themselves: "Are we going to worry about his life when we have to make our?", the neighbor has no sense, is a simple object.
This mindset or way of thinking in which the neighbor does not matter is unjust, oppressive and involutive. These people are highly selfish, they only think about themselves, "to get away with it, whatever it takes." It is a problematic mentality and its origin is the desire for happiness under this mentality we want to be "happy" at all costs. Happiness under this selfish scheme is reduce to simple moments in life.
Instead there is a different mentality (new leaven) to the last previous mentality, and is founded in the desire for the good, that is desire for improvement and development; this is a fair, right and progressive mentality. Through it we become like God and we transformate ourselves, under this mentality the neighbor care. And why the neighbor matters in this mindset? Because the good is expansive, we expanded our goodness to our neighbor, and we minimize the suffering.
Gifts of this mentality are the Opening of the Third Eye, and Gnosis. Through it (Gnosis) we access to higher planes of consciousness, which the contemplative activity is the maximum representative. And through the third eye, the selfknowledge, we access to the same eternity of God, making us one with him.