For every formed thing in this Universe, there is a “mental equivalent.” Mental Equivalents are simply the mental images, or mental versions, of our desires; they are the thoughts and images from which we build our desires — or with which we find our desires. For everything you wish to create for yourself, there is a mental equivalent. Have you built a mental equivalent for the thing you most desire?


Whether you seek peace or riches, you need a plan; your plan is part of your mental equivalent. A mental equivalent was the airplane the Wright brothers had before their belief turned their mental equivalent into a physical reality. A mental equivalent is essentially the (p) in the Belief Formula (A=pxb) — the second step in an answered prayer. The first step, of course is (A), your answer, or desire; this is the thing you become aware of and desire enough to form a plan, or prayer — a mental equivalent of your desired answer.

The Belief Formula simply says that when you have a desire (A), you need only form a mental equivalent (p), and infuse it with belief (b), in order to realize the physical experience or expression of your desire. Ancient wisdom has told us that we wouldn’t be given any desires we didn’t possess the wherewithal to achieve; it is up to us to assemble the proper values for (p) and (b) to create our answer (A). Basically, the Belief Formula reads: A=pxb; or, your (A)nswer is the result of your (p)rayer, plan, or mental equivalent, as it is multiplied, or powered by, your (b)elief — which may range from great faith to great action.

The fact is, though, that whenever there is action, there is a mental equivalent. You may have acted unconsciously; but there is at least unconscious mental activity stimulating your actions via your brain, nervous system, etc… You may have acted without thinking much about your actions; but you can’t act without thinking “some” — on some level. There is always thought before action; when actions don’t turn out so well, or don’t produce very desirable results, it is simply a matter of a lack of faith, effort, or the proper mental equivalent. You may say, “But what if you have the right tools, and give it your all, but that’s still not enough?” Still, you have attempted something before your tools and effort were adequate to the task. You have still not failed, however; you now have important information about what is needed to reach your goal.

Whether you seek peace, or riches and fame, you will need a mental equivalent; they are simply made up of different thoughts, pictures, or mental images. And, you’ll find neither using the mental equivalent of the other; just as you wouldn’t build a very good office building using the blueprints, or plans, for a birdhouse. The mental equivalent for peace is simply that — peace. A mental equivalent for riches will involve much more detailed, or “colorful,” imaginings than those entertained by the average person — if the mental equivalent is substantial enough to inspire adequate faith or action to bring about a life of riches, that is.

When forming a mental equivalent, you think about your desire; and you do it in such a way as to inspire faith, joy, or the emotion you hope to experience in the moment your dream is realized, or “made real.” You can visualize, or imagine, or plan, or pretend; it doesn’t matter, as long as your desire is clearly framed in your mind, and your thoughts and feelings are of a “positive” nature. There often seems to be a magical element at work in the Universe; and these conditions are often associated with answered prayers, or dreams coming true. But even if you end up having to “do all the work yourself,” you’ll benefit from the physiological effects of positive expectancy — more energy, clearer thinking, better decisions, less stress, etc…

The formula for success — no matter what that means to you — starts with your desire for whatever it is you seek. When you dwell on your desire, your head will be filled with thoughts of your desire — thoughts you wouldn’t be having if you were watching television, or doing some other unrelated thing. If you focus your mental energy, you can form your thoughts into a mental equivalent of your desire — basically a plan, or prayer. If you put enough faith, or energy, into your mental equivalent, it will take shape in this physical reality.

The Wright brothers were dealing with two different realities. In one, everyone knew that it was impossible for man to fly; in the other, people witnessed Orville and Wilbur invent an airplane. It would have been much easier for the Wright brothers to agree with common knowledge, and the fact that they were in a bicycle shop, and not change things. But they had a mental equivalent, and were beset with a firm belief that man could fly. The Wright brothers couldn’t predict the future; but they certainly cast their votes by building a good mental equivalent.

What do you want? If you don’t have it, and you can’t tell a really good story about it, you aren’t thinking about it enough.

by Pete Koerner of Explore * Expand * Evolve with Pete & Jennifer Koerner

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