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Subliminal Messages

1999
The typical human being probably thinks that he or she is not affected by subliminal messages because they either do not work or are illegal. Neither of those assumptions are entirely true. By definition, the word subliminal means "below the threshold of consciousness." The threshold of consciousness is the dividing line between something that can be processed by the conscious mind and something that enters the subconscious mind without any such processing. A subliminal message is not intense enough to produce a sensation but has sufficient intensity to influence the behavior and mental processes of one's mind. There are many ways in which a suggestion can be delivered to the audience, and you will see some such methods discussed in the advertising section of this site. When an individual is told to do something, he or she generally thinks about the positive and negative consequences, and then decides whether or not it is a good idea. This is done in the conscious mind, where the individual is aware of the suggestion he or she is being given. The decisions the conscious mind makes are based upon the knowledge and reasoning skills one has developed through experience and education. The subconscious mind does not have these reasoning skills, and thus has no ability to distinguish right from wrong, or judge the information it receives. When a suggestion enters the subconscious mind, it is taken as the truth and stored for future reference. For this reason, the strength of subliminal messages has virtually no boundaries, and can be dangerous when used improperly. These may be controlled to an extent by governments around the world, but we are still vulnerable to subliminal influence.