Subliminal Messaging In A Nutshell

What are Subliminal Messages?

The mind is a highly complex instrument, consisting of different levels of consciousness, namely the conscious and the subconscious. The subconscious mind is incapable of logical thought processes or reasoning, and hence cannot differentiate between what is real and what is not.

Subliminal messages work by bypassing the conscious mind into the subconscious mind, in order to provide it with the goals to transform into reality. There is a link of communication between the conscious and the subconscious mind, which allows the subconscious mind, in turn, to affect the conscious mind. Thus, any ideas or goals that are embedded in the subconscious can be delivered into reality, no matter how unrealistic it may seem at that moment in time, as the subconscious is unable to debate or critically pick out the fallacies of these thoughts.

The Coke and Popcorn Test

Anyone who talks about subliminal messages will probably throw in the infamous “Eat Popcorn/Drink Coke” study by James Vicary in the 1950s. The impact of his study was in the spread of the common knowledge of subliminal messaging, as months after his study was conducted, 41% of respondents of the survey had heard of the term subliminal advertising. By the 1980s, over 80% of the surveyed were aware of the term, and 70% believed that it was effective.

However, we must draw your attention to the fact that the test was merely part of his procedure in obtaining a patent for a machine that could insert subliminal messages, which it did, and not on the effectiveness of said messages.

The Origins of Subliminal Messages

This could probably be attributed to the start of psychology as an empirical science, which could be separated from philosophical thought. According toe Johan Friedrich Herbart, perceptions and thoughts differed from one another in strength, and hence inhibit each other dynamically as they compete to gain enough strength to rise into the conscious mind. Ideas that do not gain enough strength still exist, and through collateral inhibition can influence other ideas that are subsequently consciously experienced. In other words, ideas obtained subliminally can still affect the conscious mind and behaviour.

The Origins of Subliminal Audios

The business of subliminal tapes and now CDs originated in the 1950s with Hal Becker, an engineer who experimented with visual subliminal techniques. In 1978, he was able to produce a machine to insert subliminal messages into music tapes. According to the Time magazine, in 1979 50 department stores used this device to insert messages promoting honesty at a subliminal level in the background music. These stores were able to report a significant reduction in shoplifting, although no scientific evidence was offered at that time to substantiate the claim.

Subliminal messages are currently most prominent in the self-help industry, where professionals are able to seek self-improvement without sacrificing time. These areas of improvement are wide ranging, from weight loss, breast enlargement and improvement in sex to self esteem and better sports performance.