The Mental Equivalent : 9781891396700 : 30 Jan 2011 : 2011 reprint of 1953 edition. Emmet Fox (1886-1951) was born in Ireland, and is a famous New Thought spiritual leader of the early 20th Century. He had a large influence on the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous. His writing, especially "The Sermon on the Mount," became popular in AA. Fox taught that the foundation for all true productive expression was positive thinking. The technique involved having conscious awareness of our daily thought process and connectivity to God in order to realize any change or manifestation in the external environment. This concept was also taught by many mystics, including Rumi, Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi, and others from across all wisdom traditions. Fox believed that the doctrine of the mental equivalent was an essential metaphysical teaching; the doctrine that you will receive that for which you provide the mental equivalent.