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Category: English | Posted By: admin | Rating: 
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Subliminal messages are said to be everywhere we go, but our conscious mind is simply unaware of them. By definition subliminal means below the threshold of conscious perception. Subliminal messages stimuli cannot be identified by the conscious perception. This stimulus may affect your behavior and decisions. Tony Greenwald, a professor of psychology studied the effects that subliminal content (audio, visual) has on the subject. Greenwald’s results established that the claims for subliminal content to be false. With the self-help industry worth an estimated 50-million, can subliminal messages effect our decisions or are the claims phony.
In the 1950s a man by the name James Vicary owned a company called Subliminal Projection Corporation. Vicary told his customers that he could create subliminal advertisements for their products. The 1950s, people were going to the theatres to watch movies like, Picnic starring Kim Novak. Vicary claimed he did a study on about 45,000 movie-goers that unintentionally participated. This study spliced in words like “Hungry? Eat Popcorn” and “Drink Coca-Cola” throughout a movie, he said had a great effect on participates. The messages were flashed so quickly that the conscious mind couldn’t read them and therefore didn’t perceive them. Vicary claimed that after the messages were introduced into the movie-goers subconscious mind, they began to buy popcorn and drink coke. A reported sales for popcorn increased 57%, believed to be from the messages. These results have never been reproduced. Greenwald considers these claims a myth or urban legend since none of the statistics were scientifically verifiable.
The theory of the unconscious came by Sigmund Freud, who alleged the motivating force behind human behavior was the unconscious mind. Through this unconscious, individuals could quit smoking, lose weight, and hundreds more. In an issue of the Berkeley Wellness Letter in 1991 mentioned “the complete lack of any scientific evidence that such messages can alter human behavior. Nevertheless, one survey shows that 68 percent of the public believes in subliminal tapes, which are now a $50-million-a-year business”. People believe in the subliminal self help techniques, but it seems to be just a placebo effect. The Wellness Letter claimed that “One research team noted a ‘non-specific placebo effect’”. Presenting that the self help audio tapes with subliminal messages didn’t have any effect on the people. Regardless of the evidence of subliminal content using much of the placebo effect on the individual than anything else, the self-help industry is still slightly increasing popularity.
The gaining popularity of the Christian “ministries” that claim they will help you become closer with God, or “a great breakthrough in science brings to use the opportunity to hide God’s Word in our hearts as never before” insisted Vicki Jamison from Peterson Ministries. There are several “ministries” that offer Christians audio tapes with subliminal messages. The W.V. Grant Evangelistic Association presented a subliminal necktie, the company explained “When a Christian wears Eagle Neckwear: He is reaching thousands –virtually everyone who looks his way with the message ‘Jesus Saves’- what a silent soul winning tool!”. Those claims are presented with no scientific research; I suppose they are for only entertainment purposes. The idea of using the unconscious mind as a tool to learn with subliminal content may not be best quest for a Christian ministry to participate in. The bible never talked or hinted at the unconscious mind. The scriptures always referred to the conscious mind. These Christian ministries are setting up clients with subliminal audio or visual items that are not backed up with scientific research as well as using the Freud notions instead of faith in God and His Word. These ministries are presenting some magical mindlessness instead of being obedient to study God’s Word. These gimmicks presented are there solely for business, making this industry “buyer beware”.
A music group Judas Priest said to have subliminal messages behind the beats, demanded in court after two teenagers committed suicide. Alleging that the group and encoded subliminal messages that sounded like “Do it, do it, do it”, caused the teens to commit suicide. The court didn’t find any message in the track, and therefore couldn’t have caused such behavior. The court also said there wasn’t any scientific evidence with effects from subliminal content.
Advertising have been using subliminal techniques in selling products and things associated with them. In one article, Benson & Hedges was selling cigarettes but had a much deeper meaning. In 1976 on the back cover of Time Magazine, Benson had an airbrushed penis in the art, which at first or second or even third glance would not be noticeable. This could not be done by a mistake, the ad cost around half-million dollars. The artwork was developed by skilled professionals whom knew exactly what they were doing. The caption on the ad says “If you got crushed in the clinch with your softpack, try our new hard pack.” There are two words that pop out of this caption, soft and hard. Advertising has used these types of techniques with subliminal artwork to try to tap into the subconscious mind and alter behaviors; why else would this penis and these words be presented in this fashion.
There is not much scientific research with subliminal content. Many researchers such as Greenwald, Loftus, and Bornstein have presented information that proves subliminal audio and visual do not have any effect on the subconscious mind. Their research is not as in dept as other theories on human behavior, but is accurate. This 50-million-a-year business is for entertainment. If we want to quit smoking, or want to release stress, you will, and you don’t need any subliminal messages in your mind to do so.
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