Followup Question: Backmasking in music?

Question

Who believes that backmasking doesn't exsist/ can't be produced? Or.. if it did/could, it couldn't effect or subconscience?

If it does, do you think people use it for evil (or satanic) purposes?

Pretty simple question..

Answer 1

There is definitely stuff put on music tracks that is backwards. The Beatles did it, Queen did it . . .

Your question, does it work? does it make people do stuff? does it get into the subconscious and "do" something has been "proved" not to work.

I understand a study was conducted @ UT (I think . . . it has been a while) and most backward 'messages' were more irritating than not . . . the listener was annoyed, and tended to shut off the music not sit and become hypnotized or whatever.

The same thing with 'frames' inserted into video . . . messages tended to bother people. (inserted message saying 'eat popcorn' - caused people to leave the theater rather than get up and go buy popcorn)

I was listening to a Petra album, once (Christian Rock) and there was this obvious bit of backward 'whatever' right before a tune started . . . so I turned it backwards (like a DJ use to do) and they had inserted, "what are you doing lookin for the devil, when you ought to be looking for the Lord!"

Now that was funny . . . I laughed!

Answer 2

Judy Garland Elvis Presley Bob Dylan Frank Sinatra Ray Charles James Brown Aretha Franklin Bruce Springsteen John Lennon Paul McCartney Jimmy Hendrix Freddie Mercury Tina Turner Dolly Parton Liza Minneli Michael Jackson Madonna Whitney Houston! there are various extra yet i cbf listning lol

Answer 3

Actually, that's a straightforward question that can be answered scientifically. Just set up a test, play one song (with backmasking) several times to a group of people; meanwhile, play the same song but without the backmasking to a control group. Then try to figure out any measurable differences. Like cravings for drugs, positive attitude to EVIL!!! or something.

The two difficult things in this test will be:
1.) Creating a song that contains backmasking that sounds pretty much the same without it
2.) Admitting it doesn't work

Answer 4

It COULD be done, but it wouldn't sound like anything intelligible or worth listening to when you played it forward.It also wouldn't have any effect that being played forwards doesn't produce. Do I think people use it for "evil or satanic purposes"? The only evil purposes I'm aware of it being associated with are the evil purposes of the fascist christian right, desperately grasping for any excuse they can find to force others to believe the same things that they do, and to abolish all forms of media that offer an alternative view.

Answer 5

I read your two questions and am just going to answer this one.

Yes, you can construe music so that when play backwards words or sentences appear, or even different music. This can also happen unintentionally.

No, this could not be used for evil. How would that work?
"oooh, this record told me to murder backwards. Let's murderize!"

I think the skeptic's dictionary has a decent article:
http://skepdic.com/backward.html

wikipedia also has extended information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backmasking

Answer 6

I know that backmasking exists, because I actually hooked up a record player to play LP's backwards and listened to it. I do believe that it can probably affect our subconscience, we have amazing brains.

But I stopped worrying about that long ago- the satanists don't bother hiding it played backwards anymore, they just shout it out blatantly from the rooftops.

Answer 7

We looked at this phenomenon in my Experimental Psychology course at university. The phenomenon has never been shown to exist 'in the wild' (that is: outside a controlled laboratory experiment), though it COULD be done ... but most languages make it exceedingly difficult.

However, no study has ever shown it to have any effect when it was done.

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The reason people hear 'messages' in songs played backwards is a simple pattern-recognition behavior in the brain. One of the best experiments you can do to prove that backwards masking does not, in fact, exist at all, is to reverse a random song and try to find a 'phrase' in it. It doesn't even have to be clear, and a lot of times you can just make one up.

Tell your subjects, "See if you hear [the phrase] at time marker [xx:yy]." This is what is called prompting.

90%+ will hear it when prompted in the played-backwards version.

Get a new group of subjects, ask them, "I believe there is some phrasing in this backwards song but you tell me what you think."

Fewer than 10% will find your 'phrase'.

Do a proper control where you just ask the yes/no "Did you hear anything at all," and you'll still have fewer than 10%.

Backwards masking is entirely a hoax.

Answer 8

it could exist if people were to go around looking for it and it can only affect our subconscience if we let it affect us and no because if a luciferian or satanist wants to get their message across they would do it outright as they are not afraid to spread their message and beliefs

Answer 9

I would think people would want to think more about the actual lyrics and such. People who look for hidden meanings need a hobby or something.

Answer 10

No.

It has no effect on the subconscious.