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Dr. John Demartini’s Priority Code is a four-hour online seminar built around one of the central ideas in his work:
your life is organized according to a hierarchy of values or priorities.
The program promises to help participants identify what actually matters most to them, understand why they procrastinate in some areas but act consistently in others, make clearer decisions, and organize their lives around their highest priorities.
Compared with the two-day Breakthrough Experience, the Priority Code is shorter and substantially less expensive.
That makes it a more accessible entry point into Demartini’s work.
But it also raises some important questions.
How much of the program goes beyond information already available for free?
Are Demartini’s claims about values supported by psychological research?
And is a four-hour seminar worth paying a few hundred dollars for?
This review looks at what you actually get, what the program claims, what the broader research says, and where those claims should be treated cautiously.
The Short Answer
The Priority Code may be worth considering if you:
- already find Demartini’s ideas about values useful;
- want a structured live workshop rather than another book or video;
- struggle with priorities, motivation, or conflicting goals;
- want direct instruction from Demartini;
- and can comfortably afford the price.
It is harder to justify if you:
- have never explored his free Value Determination Process;
- expect the seminar to provide a scientifically validated personality assessment;
- want treatment for procrastination, depression, ADHD, or another clinical condition;
- or assume that every scientific-sounding claim on the sales page has been directly demonstrated for the Priority Code itself.
The underlying idea that people tend to function better when pursuing personally meaningful goals has support in mainstream psychological research.
That does not mean Demartini’s proprietary hierarchy-of-values framework, 13-question assessment, or Priority Code seminar has itself been scientifically validated.
Those are different claims.
What Is the Priority Code?
The Priority Code is a live four-hour seminar taught by John Demartini.
The current program centers on identifying your priorities and understanding how they influence:
- motivation;
- procrastination;
- decision-making;
- relationships;
- career direction;
- financial behavior;
- and day-to-day action.
Demartini argues that every person lives according to a hierarchy of values.
According to his framework, activities high on that hierarchy tend to receive greater attention, discipline, organization, and intrinsic motivation.
Activities lower on the hierarchy are more likely to require external motivation and to be associated with procrastination, hesitation, or frustration.
The seminar attempts to help participants identify that hierarchy more clearly and then organize goals and actions around it.
How Long Is It?
The current Priority Code is marketed as a four-hour intensive.
That makes it substantially less demanding than the Breakthrough Experience, which occupies two long live days.
For someone interested in Demartini’s work but unwilling to devote an entire weekend to a seminar, that difference matters.
Four hours is still a significant block of concentrated teaching, but it is closer to a workshop than a retreat-style experience.
How Much Does the Priority Code Cost?
Prices can vary by date, country, currency, and promotion.
When Method Examined checked the official page in October 2026, an upcoming US-time online event displayed a regular value of $329 and a current price of approximately $230.
That should be treated as a snapshot rather than a permanent price.
Always check the current event page before making a decision.
At roughly $200 to $300, the Priority Code occupies an interesting position in Demartini’s product range.
It is considerably more expensive than a book or self-paced introductory resource.
But it is far cheaper than the Breakthrough Experience.
The key question therefore becomes:
Are you paying for information, or for structured live implementation?
What Does the Program Claim to Help With?
The current sales page makes a wide range of claims.
These include helping participants:
- identify their highest priorities;
- distinguish authentic priorities from external “shoulds” and “oughts”;
- reduce procrastination;
- make clearer decisions;
- become more disciplined and focused;
- improve communication and relationships;
- align financial behavior with priorities;
- and act with greater inspiration and purpose.
Some of these claims are relatively modest.
For example, a workshop helping someone think more carefully about what matters to them is entirely plausible.
Other claims are much stronger.
The current marketing also uses language involving brain rewiring, the amygdala and executive function, epigenetic influences on values, and specific claims about the relationship between financial independence and a person’s highest priorities.
Those stronger claims deserve more scrutiny.
The Core Idea: Your Behavior Reveals Your Values
One of the more distinctive parts of Demartini’s approach is that he does not primarily ask people what they believe their values are.
Instead, he asks them to examine what their life demonstrates.
His Value Determination Process looks at areas such as:
- what fills your physical or digital space;
- how you spend your time;
- where you direct energy;
- what you spend money on;
- what you organize most carefully;
- what you repeatedly think about;
- what you talk about;
- and what goals repeatedly matter to you.
The idea is that actual patterns of behavior may reveal priorities more reliably than simply asking:
“What are your values?”
There is an intuitive strength to this approach.
People often describe themselves according to ideals.
Someone may say family is their highest priority while consistently spending nearly all discretionary time on work.
Someone may say health matters enormously while repeatedly organizing life around something else.
Looking at demonstrated behavior can reveal useful inconsistencies.
But the fact that an exercise can prompt useful reflection does not automatically make it a validated psychological assessment.
Is the Value Determination Process Scientifically Validated?
We did not identify peer-reviewed validation research establishing Demartini’s 13-question Value Determination Process as a psychometric instrument.
That distinction is important.
A scientifically validated assessment typically undergoes research examining issues such as:
- reliability;
- validity;
- measurement consistency;
- predictive ability;
- comparison with existing instruments;
- and performance across different populations.
The Demartini Value Determination Process is presented by its creator as a way of identifying a person’s hierarchy of values.
It may be useful as a structured self-reflection exercise.
But users should not treat the resulting hierarchy as equivalent to a clinically or psychometrically validated test.
Does Psychology Support the General Idea of Living According to Your Values?
Broadly, yes — but with important qualifications.
There is substantial research suggesting that goals are more motivating when they are personally meaningful or consistent with a person’s interests and values.
One influential line of research is the self-concordance model.
Research by Kennon Sheldon and Andrew Elliot found that people pursuing goals more consistent with their underlying interests and values tended to exert more sustained effort toward those goals and were more likely to achieve them.
Successful attainment of those self-concordant goals was also associated with greater well-being.
More recent systematic review and meta-analytic work has continued to support associations between autonomous or self-concordant motivation, goal effort, goal attainment, psychological need satisfaction, and well-being.
This gives reasonable scientific support to a broad principle:
personally meaningful goals can influence motivation and persistence.
But that is not the same as proving Demartini’s specific hierarchy-of-values model.
Mainstream psychology does not thereby establish that:
- every person has the precise type of strict hierarchy Demartini describes;
- the 13-question process measures that hierarchy accurately;
- lower-ranked activities necessarily produce procrastination;
- financial independence requires wealth building to occupy a particular position in the hierarchy;
- or the Priority Code produces superior outcomes.
General psychological research can support the plausibility of part of an idea without validating the branded system built around it.
What About Procrastination?
This is another area where the Priority Code contains an appealing idea.
Demartini often connects procrastination with low-priority activities.
In simple terms:
if something genuinely matters to you, you are more likely to act.
If it does not, you are more likely to hesitate.
There is some overlap here with established motivation research.
Research on procrastination shows that motivation, delayed rewards, task aversiveness, impulsivity, self-control, emotional regulation, and the timing of incentives can all influence whether people delay action.
So perceived importance or value can absolutely matter.
But procrastination is more complicated than:
“You procrastinate because the task is low on your values hierarchy.”
Someone may deeply value completing an important project and still procrastinate because of anxiety, perfectionism, task aversiveness, impaired self-regulation, competing immediate rewards, or other factors.
Clinical conditions can also complicate motivation and executive functioning.
The Priority Code may therefore offer one useful lens.
It should not be treated as a complete scientific explanation of procrastination.
What About the “Brain Rewiring” Claims?
This is where the marketing becomes more ambitious.
The current Priority Code page refers to moving from reactive amygdala-driven functioning toward executive functioning and uses the language of neuroplasticity and rewiring the brain.
Neuroplasticity is real.
Human brains change through learning and experience.
Executive functions are also real areas of psychological and neuroscience research.
But those facts alone do not validate a proprietary seminar.
Scientific terminology can describe plausible mechanisms without demonstrating that a particular four-hour program reliably produces the claimed neurological changes.
We did not identify published peer-reviewed research directly measuring neurological changes caused by the Priority Code.
Until such evidence exists, neurological language should be interpreted as part of the program’s explanatory framework rather than as proof of a demonstrated brain-level effect.
What About Epigenetic Claims?
The current Priority Code marketing also discusses influences on values involving multigenerational, gestational, and postpartum factors and uses the language of epigenetics.
Epigenetics is a genuine scientific field examining changes in gene regulation that do not involve altering the underlying DNA sequence.
But invoking epigenetics does not by itself establish a specific psychological claim.
A direct scientific argument connecting Demartini’s particular hierarchy-of-values framework to identifiable epigenetic mechanisms would require specific evidence.
We did not identify research demonstrating that the Priority Code’s model of values has been validated through epigenetic studies.
That does not make every claim about developmental influences on values wrong.
It simply means the scientific terminology should not be mistaken for direct validation of the proprietary model.
The Free Alternative You Should Try First
Before paying for the Priority Code, there is an obvious step worth taking.
Try Demartini’s free Value Determination Process.
The official exercise is designed to take roughly 30 minutes and uses 13 categories of questions to identify recurring priorities.
This gives you an inexpensive way to test the central framework.
Ask yourself afterward:
- Did the process reveal something useful?
- Did the resulting priorities feel meaningful?
- Did examining demonstrated behavior change how you think about your values?
- Do I want four hours of deeper instruction on this subject?
If the exercise leaves you completely unconvinced, purchasing the seminar may not make much sense.
If it gives you a useful insight but you are unsure how to apply it, the Priority Code becomes a more logical next step.
What Are You Really Paying For?
Much of Demartini’s basic values philosophy is already publicly available.
That means the $200+ ticket cannot reasonably be justified by information scarcity alone.
You are primarily paying for:
- four hours of structured live instruction;
- direct teaching from Demartini;
- a concentrated learning environment;
- exercises and practical application;
- the ability to work through the material in real time;
- the accountability of having reserved a specific block of time;
- and, under the current offer, access to two additional Demartini events: The Demartini Method Experience and Master Your Perceptions, Master Your Life.
This is similar to many educational products.
Information may be cheap or free.
Structured implementation is the premium product.
Whether that premium is worth it depends heavily on how you learn.
Is Four Hours Enough?
It is enough for an intensive introduction.
It is obviously not enough to resolve every problem involving motivation, relationships, finances, identity, and life purpose.
That is worth remembering because the current sales page covers a wide range of possible benefits.
A four-hour workshop can:
- introduce a framework;
- create insight;
- teach exercises;
- help someone reorganize a problem;
- and motivate further action.
What it cannot reasonably guarantee is permanent transformation across every major area of life.
The more realistic your expectations, the easier the purchase is to assess.
Who May Get the Most Value From It?
The strongest candidate is probably someone who already recognizes a recurring problem involving priorities.
For example:
“I keep pursuing goals I think I should want, but I never stick with them.”
Or:
“I have too many priorities and cannot decide which one should come first.”
Or:
“I understand my goals intellectually but do not organize my daily life around them.”
Or:
“I keep expecting people close to me to care about the same things I care about.”
For someone with those questions, a structured values workshop could be genuinely useful.
The Priority Code also makes more sense for someone who likes Demartini’s style of highly structured conceptual teaching.
Who Should Probably Skip It?
We would be more cautious if:
You have never explored Demartini’s values material.
Start free.
There is no reason to pay hundreds of dollars before discovering whether the framework resonates with you.
You want a scientifically validated personality or values assessment.
That is not how we would characterize the Demartini Value Determination Process based on the evidence we found.
You are seeking treatment for a mental-health or neurodevelopmental condition.
A values seminar is not a substitute for appropriate professional assessment or treatment.
You are expecting neuroscience to guarantee the result.
References to the brain do not constitute evidence that the seminar has been shown to rewire it in a clinically meaningful way.
The price would create financial stress.
The program is educational.
Its outcome is subjective.
Do not create a financial problem while trying to solve a motivation problem.
Is It Better Value Than the Breakthrough Experience?
That depends on the problem you want to address.
The Priority Code focuses primarily on values, priorities, motivation, and aligning actions with what matters to you.
The Breakthrough Experience focuses more heavily on applying the Demartini Method to emotionally charged perceptions and experiences.
They are related, but they are not interchangeable.
The Priority Code is:
- shorter;
- cheaper;
- more focused on values and priorities;
- and a lower-commitment introduction to Demartini’s teaching.
The Breakthrough Experience is:
- much longer;
- much more expensive;
- more intensive;
- and more focused on the Demartini Method itself.
If your main question is:
“What actually matters to me, and why do I keep failing to act on certain goals?”
the Priority Code may be the more logical starting point.
If your main question concerns resentment, grief, judgment, idealization, or another emotionally charged perception, the Breakthrough Experience may be more relevant.
For a detailed look at that program, see our Breakthrough Experience Review.
What About the Refund Policy?
Read the current terms before purchasing.
The Demartini Institute’s general seminar terms include cooling-off, deposit, cancellation, transfer, and refund provisions.
Those conditions can depend on timing and circumstances.
Do not assume that a marketing statement, checkout message, or previous event’s conditions automatically apply to the particular event you are buying.
Before completing payment, check:
- the cancellation deadline;
- whether part of the fee is non-refundable;
- the cooling-off period;
- any international payment deductions;
- transfer options;
- and the exact process required to cancel.
For a purchase costing several hundred dollars, this takes only a few minutes and is worth doing.
Pros
Lower financial barrier than the Breakthrough Experience
A few hundred dollars is still meaningful money, but the downside is much smaller than a four-figure seminar.
Short format
Four hours makes it relatively easy to fit into a schedule.
Clear topic
Values, priorities, motivation, and goal alignment form a coherent subject for a single workshop.
Some overlap with established motivation research
The broad idea that personally meaningful goals affect persistence and well-being is supported by psychological research.
You can test the underlying framework for free first
The Value Determination Process provides a useful filter before spending money.
Cons
The proprietary system itself does not appear to have a substantial direct research base
Research supporting values and self-concordant goals should not be confused with validation of the Priority Code.
Some marketing claims go substantially beyond the evidence presented
Neuroscience and epigenetic terminology can make claims appear more established than direct research on this program currently demonstrates.
Much of the conceptual information is available elsewhere
The financial case rests heavily on the value of live instruction and implementation.
Four hours is still four hours
People who dislike intensive conceptual teaching may find the format dense.
The outcome is highly subjective
There is no guarantee that a new understanding of your priorities will translate into lasting behavioral change.
Our Verdict
The Priority Code is probably one of the more accessible ways to experience John Demartini’s teaching live.
At roughly a few hundred dollars rather than four figures, it requires less financial commitment than the Breakthrough Experience.
Its central topic is also easier to evaluate beforehand.
You can explore Demartini’s values framework for free.
You can complete the Value Determination Process.
You can decide whether the basic premise produces useful insight.
Then you can ask whether four hours of live instruction is worth paying for.
That is a much more rational buying process than purchasing a seminar because terms such as “brain rewiring,” “authentic self,” or “destiny” sound compelling.
There is respectable psychological research supporting the broader proposition that personally meaningful goals and autonomous motivation matter.
There is also legitimate research showing that procrastination is influenced by motivation and perceived task value.
But that evidence should not be stretched into scientific validation of every element of Demartini’s proprietary framework.
For the right person, the Priority Code may still be useful.
Our view is:
try the free values material first.
If you find the framework genuinely useful and want help applying it more systematically, the live seminar becomes a reasonable purchase to consider.
If the free material does not resonate, there is little reason to assume paying more will change the underlying fit.
Check current Priority Code dates and pricing
Sources & References
Dr. John Demartini — The Priority Code
Official sales page used for the current seminar format, duration, pricing snapshot, program content, and claims concerning priorities, procrastination, relationships, finances, neuroscience, and developmental influences.
Dr. John Demartini — About Values
Official explanation of Demartini’s hierarchy-of-values framework and the reasoning behind his Value Determination Process.
Dr. John Demartini — Value Determination Process
Official free exercise describing the 13-question process used to identify demonstrated priorities.
Dr. John Demartini — Terms and Conditions
Official general terms covering cooling-off periods, deposits, cancellations, refunds, transfers, and seminar conditions.
Sheldon & Elliot (1999) — Goal Striving, Need Satisfaction, and Longitudinal Well-Being: The Self-Concordance Model
Longitudinal research examining whether goals consistent with a person’s interests and values are associated with sustained effort, attainment, need satisfaction, and well-being.
Sezer et al. (2025) — Goal Motives, Goal-Regulatory Processes, Psychological Needs, and Well-Being: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizing research on self-concordant and autonomous goal motivation, effort, attainment, psychological needs, and well-being.
Zhang et al. (2019) — To Do It Now or Later: The Cognitive Mechanisms and Neural Substrates Underlying Procrastination
Review of research on procrastination, including task aversiveness, incentives, delay, self-control, impulsivity, and emotion regulation.