Personal Peace Procedure

Presentation

The Personal Peace Procedure is a systematic, long-term personal development protocol designed by Gary Craig, the founder of EFT. Presented as one of EFT's most powerful tools when used with discipline and perseverance, this procedure starts from a radical premise: the sum of all our unresolved past experiences constitutes the 'emotional weight' we carry, largely determining our psychological, physical, and relational state day to day.

Unlike other EFT protocols targeting a specific problem or symptom, the Personal Peace Procedure adopts an exhaustive and systematic approach: it aims to methodically treat all the disturbing memories a person has experienced throughout their life. Gary Craig's reasoning: if each painful memory contributes to maintaining our current problems (anxiety, phobias, poor self-esteem, chronic pain, etc.), then methodically treating all those memories should progressively eliminate their contribution and produce a profound, lasting transformation of the overall emotional state.

This protocol is particularly remarkable for one documented effect: the generalization effect. When enough memories linked to a common theme are treated (for example, several memories of humiliation), similar memories not yet treated see their emotional intensity spontaneously decrease, without direct EFT work.

Creator: Gary Craig, EFT founder — protocol published in the 2000s

Core Principles

1. Exhaustive rather than symptomatic approach: Instead of treating the branch (anxiety, phobia, depression), it addresses the root — the totality of past experiences feeding those branches.

2. Specificity of memories (Movie Titles): You never tap on vague or global problems. You always tap on specific memories, named as short, precise movie titles: 'The argument with my father on my 8th birthday evening', 'The moment Mrs. Smith humiliated me in front of the whole class in 3rd grade.'

3. Systematic SUD evaluation: Each memory is assessed on the SUD scale (0-10) before and after EFT work. The procedure is only considered complete for a memory when the SUD score reaches 0 — not just a reduction, but complete resolution.

4. Disciplined regularity: Gary Craig recommends treating a minimum of one memory per day, with an ideal of three per day. This regularity is essential.

5. Generalization effect as progress signal: When untreated memories spontaneously see their SUD score decrease, this indicates the thematic network is being defused.

Technical Sheet

Creator

Gary Craig, EFT founder

Total protocol duration

Minimum 3 months (90 days), ideally 6 months to 1 year for complex emotional histories

Recommended frequency

1 memory per day minimum — 3 memories per day ideal

Number of memories treated

90 to 270 memories over 90 days (estimated by pace)

Practice format

Daily individual self-practice, with regular follow-up sessions with a practitioner

Evidence level

Generalization effect well documented in clinical EFT literature; several studies on EFT demonstrate lasting effects on anxiety and depression

Self-practice

Yes, strongly encouraged — it is the very essence of the procedure

Main Indications

• Chronic generalized anxiety
• Chronically low self-esteem
• Mild to moderate depression
• Repetitive relational patterns
• Chronic pain
• Addiction recovery
• Global personal development
• Preparation for deeper therapies

Procedure Implementation

The Personal Peace Procedure is primarily an autonomous daily practice:

Step 1 — Create the memory list (Film titles): Spend several days listing all disturbing, painful, humiliating, embarrassing, sad, or frightening memories from your life. Give each memory a short, precise, evocative movie title.

Step 2 — Initial SUD assessment: For each memory, note the current SUD score (0-10).

Step 3 — Daily treatment: Each day, choose one or more memories and apply the complete standard EFT protocol until SUD reaches 0. Check and date the memory once resolved.

Step 4 — Periodic list review: Every 2-3 weeks, reassess SUD for all memories, including untreated ones. Observe the generalization effect.

Step 5 — Continuous addition: As practice progresses, new suppressed memories may emerge. Add them to the list.

Step 6 — Practitioner follow-up: Maintain regular follow-up (monthly or bimonthly) with a certified EFT practitioner for intense or resistant memories.

Variations and Complementary Approaches

• Thematic Personal Peace Procedure: Group memories by themes to maximize generalization effect
• Associated journaling: Keep a procedure journal noting insights and observed changes
• Practitioner-guided version
• Integration with Matrix Reimprinting
• Adaptation for children and adolescents

Contraindications

• Isolated severe trauma: Must not be approached in self-practice — requires certified trauma practitioner
• Severe depression with suicidal ideation
• Tendency to dissociation
• Acute crisis period