Subliminal perception

A subliminal message is a signal or message designed to pass below the normal limits of perception. For example, it might be inaudible to the conscious mind (but audible to the subconscious or deeper mind) or might be an image transmitted briefly, yet perceived unconsciously. In the everyday world, some have claimed that subliminal techniques are used in advertising and propaganda.

History
The term subliminal message was popularized in a 1917 when the draft was going to happen in America for World War I. They would sneak messages into songs and would put subliminal messages in posters trying to get people to join the army.

James Vicary, a market researcher, claimed in 1957 that by quickly flashing messages "drink Coca-Cola" and "eat popcorn" on a movie screen it would influence people to purchase more food and drink. This led to a public outcry and many conspiracy theories of governments and cults using the technique for their advantage and the practice was banned in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. In 1962 Vicary admitted that he fabricated the entire incident (Boese 2002:137-38).

In 1973, Wilson Bryan Key's book Subliminal Seduction claimed that subliminal techniques were in wide use in advertising. The book contributed to a general climate of fear with regard to Orwellian dangers of subliminal messaging. Public concern was enough to lead the Federal Communications Commission to hold hearings and to declare subliminal advertising "contrary to the public interest".

Effectiveness
Subliminal perception or cognition, can be considered a subset of unconscious cognition where the forms of unconscious cognition also include attending to one signal in a noisy environment while unconsciously keeping track of other signals (e.g. one voice out of many in a crowded room) and tasks done automatically.

An important question about subliminal perception is: How much of the unattended or unconscious signal or message is perceived? That is, is the whole message sensed and fully digested or perhaps only its main and simpler features? There are at least two schools of thought about this. One of them argues that only the simpler features of unconscious signals could be perceived. The second school of thought argues that unconscious cognition is comprehensive and that much more is perceived than can be verbalized.

Various types of studies of subliminal perception have been conducted. The findings of recent studies demonstrate that subliminal stimuli can influence behavior and subsequent perceptions but it is as yet unclear how these results may generalize to real world settings. A related field is the question of whether anaesthetized patients are completely unaware whilst apparently completely asleep/unconscious.

Proponents of the power of subliminal messages claim they gain influence or power from the fact that they circumvent the critical functions of the conscious mind, and therefore subliminal suggestions are potentially more powerful than ordinary suggestions. This route to influence or persuasion would be akin to auto-suggestion or hypnosis wherein the subject is encouraged to be (or somehow induced to be) relaxed so that suggestions are directed to deeper (more gullible) parts of the mind; some observers have argued that the unconscious mind is incapable of critical refusal of hypnotic or subliminal suggestions.

Until recently research findings did not support the conclusion that subliminal suggestions are peculiarly powerful, or even have any effect at all. In 2006, Dr. Johan Karremans at the University of Nijmegen discovered that if the message was goal-relevant, for example quenching one's thirst, then subliminal messages may be effective. Also, some olfactory subliminal messages might work, be it in advertising, be it otherwise.

Mechanism
A form of subliminal messaging commonly believed to exist involves the insertion of "hidden" messages into movies and TV programs.

Instances
In 1978, Wichita, Kansas TV station KAKE-TV received special permission from the police to place a subliminal message in a report on the BTK Killer in an effort to get him to turn himself in. The image, which appeared for a split second, showed a pair of glasses (an image thought to hold significance to him) and text that read "Now call the chief." The attempt was unsuccessful, and police reported no increased volume of calls afterward; though the killer was eventually caught in 2005.

Before the re-election of French president François Mitterrand in 1988, a subliminal picture of him was mixed in the title sequence of French national television daily news show, and it appeared for several consecutive days.

During the 2000 U.S. presidential campaign, a television ad campaigning for Republican candidate George W. Bush showed words (and parts thereof) scaling from the foreground to the background on a television screen. When the word BUREAUCRATS flashed on the screen, one frame showed only the last part, RATS. Democrats promptly asked the FCC to look into the matter, but no penalties were ever assessed in the case. The effect this had on the overall presidential race was unclear. The Democrats and Al Gore received ridicule for finding malicious intent in something that could have been a simple mistake; the Republicans received ridicule for the lack of attention to detail and Bush's mispronunciation of "subliminal" (it came out as "subliminable").

Another instance of subliminal advertising revolves around commercials for the game Hūsker Dū? which flashed the message 'Get it', in the United States and Canada, prompting a furor.

In 1982, Mark Lindsey, a graduate of Virginia Tech submitted an entry for an addition to be built to the University of Virginia's football stadium. Lindsey realized that the stadium was in the shape of a "v" and promptly designed the new addition in the shape of the letter "t" to make the logo of the Virginia Tech Hokies. UVA officials were unaware that the design was a tribute to their in-state rival and picked Lindsey's plan. The addition was built in 1985 but replaced in 1999 after UVA officials discovered Lindsey's message.

PETCO Park, the home of the San Diego Padres, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is also the scene of a running battle with PETCO, a pet food retailer in San Diego, for several years regarding the purported mistreatment of live animals at PETCO stores. When the Padres announced that PETCO (which is based in San Diego) had obtained naming rights to PETCO Park, PETA was unable to persuade the Padres to terminate the agreement. Hence PETA used subliminal advertising in the form of an acrostic. It successfully purchased a brick with what appears on the surface to be a complimentary message: "Break Open Your Cold Ones! Toast The Padres! Enjoy This Championship Organization!" However, if one takes the first letters of each word, the resulting acrostic reads "BOYCOTT PETCO". Neither PETCO nor the Padres have taken any action to remove the brick, stating that if someone walked by, they would not know it had anything to do with the PETA/PETCO feud.

The British illusionist Derren Brown recently performed an example of subliminal messagaing to an audience of celebrities which revealed afterwards they that had in fact forgotten what had happened to them in the two hours that they had been at the show. This was achieved by flashing up the word "forget" at certain points and also through conveniently placed loud noises. In another example of subliminal messaging, Brown has an advert shown prior to the screening of a movie with the phrase "forget the movie" inserted within. Upon leaving the cinema, some audience members are completely unable to recall anything about the movie which they have just spent the last two hours watching (it was Ocean's 12) and demand to know why this was.

Allegations
Some groups have made claims that subliminal messages can be found in various forms of popular entertainment, such as the supposed use of "backward messages" in rock and roll songs. Conservative activist Donald Wildmon has claimed that The Walt Disney Company inserted the word "SEX" into the clouds in a scene in the animated film, The Lion King. According to Disney, however, the frame in question actually reads "SFX", a common abbreviation for "special effects", and was a signature by the effects animation team for their work. The lettering is ambiguous, but apparently supports Disney's claim.

Embedded Commands
In the field of NLP, as a form of subliminal messages the concept of "embedded commands" are used to mark out statements for participants and subjects unconscious minds. Ross Jefferies teaches this technique within the context of subliminal seduction.

Fictional references
While their ultimate efficacy is somewhat controversial, subliminal messages have a long history in television shows, movies, and novels.

As a joke, the creators of Beavis and Butt-Head inserted an obvious subliminal message with the twosome headbanging to the words "Nachos Rule", in flashing light.

The movie Josie and the Pussycats described a long lasting plot whereby the US government was controlling trends by inserting subliminal messages in popular music. Furthermore, towards the end of the film, a government agent shuts down the operation, saying that subliminal advertising works better in films. The words "Josie and the Pussycats is the best movie ever" are then spoken rapidly in voice-over and displayed quickly onscreen. Also, there are literally hundreds of product placement shots throughout the film, also related to that joke.

The plot of the movie They Live revolves around a man accidentally acquiring a pair of sunglasses which allow the wearer to see subliminal messages in billboards, magazines, and even money.

An episode of the The Simpsons involved Bart and his friends joining a boy band, the Party Posse. While watching a video for the Party Posse, Lisa notices the phrase "Yvan Eht Nioj" being repeated continuously by belly-dancers. She plays the video in reverse and finds that it means "Join the Navy". Also, an Uncle Sam "I Want You" poster can be seen in the video frame by frame. The joke was that the United States sends subliminal messages in order to recruit people.