for those of you who don't believe in ESP?

Question

explain subliminal messaging to me

so if they're not percieved by the normal five senses, does that mean they get picked up by an extra sense?

Answer 1

Anything truly below the level of detectable sensation could not, by definition, be perceived. However, the subliminal is generally said to be below the threshold of conscious perception. There is a widespread belief, not strongly supported by empirical research, that without being aware of its presence or content, a person's behavior can be significantly affected by subliminal messages. Thus, it is believed that one can influence behavior by surreptitiously appealing to the subconscious mind with words and images. If this were true, then advertisers could manipulate consumer behavior by hiding subliminal messages in their ads. The government, or Aunt Hilda for that matter, could control our minds and bodies by secretly communicating to us subliminally. Learners could learn while listening to music embedded with subliminal messages. Unfortunately, "...years of research has resulted in the demonstration of some very limited effects of subliminal stimulation" and no support for its efficaciousness in behavior modification (Hines, 312).

The fact that there is almost no empirical support for the usefulness of subliminal messaging has not prevented numerous industries from producing and marketing tapes which allegedly communicate directly with the unconscious mind, encouraging the "listener" not to steal, or coaching the "listener" to have courage or believe in his or her power to accomplish great things. Consumers spend more than $50 million each year on subliminal self-help products (Journal of Advertising Research, reported by Dennis Love, Sacramento Bee, 9-14-2000). A place called Hynotictapes.com offers a wide array of such tapes developed by James H. Schmelter, a hypnotherapist with an MBA and self-proclaimed expertise in synergistic science. If Schmelter's stuff is not to your liking, try Mindwriter Subliminals... A Breakthrough In Human Reprogramming.

It is true that we can perceive things even though we are not conscious of perceiving them. However, for those who put messages in tapes and then record music over the messages so that the messages are drowned out by the music or other sounds, it might be useful to remember that if the messages are drowned out by other sounds, the only perceptions one can have are of the sounds drowning out the messages. There is no evidence of anyone hearing a message which is buried beneath layers of other sounds to the point where the message does not distinctly stand out. Of course, if the message distinctly stood out, it would not be subliminal.

The belief in the power of subliminal messaging to manipulate behavior seems to have originated in 1957 with James Vicary, an advertising promoter who claimed to increase popcorn sales by some 58% and Coke sales by some 18% in a New Jersey movie theater simply by flashing very briefly the messages "Drink Coca-Cola" and "Hungry - Eat Popcorn." Even though the claim has been shown to be a hoax, and even though no one has been able to duplicate the event, belief in the legend lingers. This story and several others were retold by Vance Packard in The Hidden Persuaders (1957), a book that became required reading for a generation of college students.

Belief in subliminal messaging reached a surreal apex in 1980 with the publication of The Clam-Plate Orgy and Other Subliminals the Media Use to Manipulate Your Behavior by Wilson Bryan Key. The book has been reissued under the sexier title: Subliminal Adventures in Erotic Art. Key claims that advertisers use subliminal messaging of a very serious sexual nature in order to manipulate behavior, including imbedding sexy figures and the word 'sex' in images of such things as ice cubes and food. While carefully examining a Howard Johnson's menu, Key saw that the plate of clams pictured on the menu was actually the portrayal of a sexual orgy which included various people and a donkey. Among Key's many unfounded claims is that the unconscious mind processes subliminal messages at the speed of light. Actually, the fastest brain process chugs along at some 40 m.p.h. (Hines).

Despite the fact that there is no body of empirical support for the notion that subliminal advertising is effective, in 1974 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued an order saying that broadcast outlets that knowingly carry subliminal ads are operating "contrary to the public interest." In September 2000, Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and John Breaux of Louisiana complained to the FCC about a Republican ad that flashed the word ''RATS'' (or "BUREAUCRATS") across the screen for 1/30 of a second. ''We have reason to believe that broadcasters are airing television advertisements that contain subliminal messages in violation of the public interest,'' they said, apparently oblivious to the fact that something which can't be registered by the brain is unlikely to have any effect on viewers and is unlikely to violate anything except the reasonable bounds of credulity.


This is the only answer I could find!!
Kadija S

Answer 2

There are different flavors of subliminal messaging. Many are outlined and addressed in the books "The Hidden Persuaders" or "Subliminal Seduction". These are a very good read on the practice of subliminal and psychological manipulation practiced by the media and advertising.

There is the subliminal, or hidden messages style. This is often done with airbrushing, or even superimposed images on a scene. These are designed to manipulate the viewer in whatever manner is desired, mostly in the area of wanting, or disliking the image being viewed. An example would be a a glass of soda, with a foamy head, and possibly ice and maybe the liquid would be swirling around..Small images would be hidden inside the foam, the ice, or even the condensation sliding down the glass, designed to influence the viewer to feel more attracted to the product.

Another would be the psychological manipulation of the viewer by the image used in the advertisement itself...careful use of images, body language of the people involved, placement of background features, all of these are carefully crafted for manipulation..these are more psychological style, rather than actually subliminal messages. one I recall involved a man paining a sign on a window, he had already done an S and an E, and the placement of his brush and arm formed an X, spelling out SEX next to the product.

Mostly, when people think of subliminals, they think of the old movie theater gag, where the heat is turned up slightly in the theater, and one frame in a thousand is a picture of a frosty glass of soda. The concious eye doesn't see the soda, it happens too fast, but the subconcious will. Another is the use of messages hidden under music...Department stores often hide messages in the music they play, often involving being honest, not stealing, and buying whatever you want.

Answer 3

What do you mean by "subliminal messaging"?

That phrase can mean many different things. The ones that really happen are easily explained through the normal senses. The ones that aren't easily explained through the normal senses don't really happen.

None of it requires ESP.

Answer 4

Like in your avatar, there is a subtle black shape behind the body. The shape could be interpreted as horns. It is not a feature that stands out, but it could register at some level with a glance. That's subliminal. ESP would be if I knew that you were watching Fairly Oddparents while writing your question.

Answer 5

There are various types. Those that are supposedly communicated by what is called Neuro-linguistic programing are communicated via non-verbals such as word choice and emphasis, emotional appeals, distraction and attention controls, and other semi-hypnotic techniques. However, it is notoriously unreliable.

Subliminal messages that are inserted into films or broadcast media are simply efforts to reach the unconscious portion of the mind but bypass conscious, thinking portion. Flashes of names or other brief messages have been shown to provide some impetus for later behavior of the subjects, but the correlation was relatively low.

Subliminals are better explained via natural communication patterns that we use on our own rather than a paranormal event like ESP.

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Answer 6

the theory is that messages of a specific length are too short to be perceived through the liminal consciousness but can bypass the eyes (generally) and sort of perceived directly by the brain without its even realizing it. This has nothing to do with ESP as the messages are thee, embedded in content, just presented in a way which the frontal senses can't recognize.

Of course, effects studies have shown that it doesn't really work.

Answer 7

Messages hidden in pictures that you can't see are subliminal but that has nothing at all to do with ESP.

Answer 8

Well you are talking about something that is in our normal sensory range, just too fast for consciousness. That is a lot different than ESP that is claiming nothing measurable is the clue. And even the studies that back it have mixed results.

Answer 9

That's not ESP. That's what happens when your brain registers something unconsciously, like a picture that flashes by so quickly your eyes don't really see it but your brain recognized it. It's kinda cool, but definitely not ESP.

Answer 10

I believe in ESP because it runs in my family, but I fail to see how subliminal messaging relates to it.