How to See Subliminal Messages
Subliminal messages are some of the most subtle persuasion tools ever conceived. Born out of psychoanalytical theory, subliminal messages are short, embedded communications that are supposed to bypass conscious awareness and influence the subconscious directly. While the effectiveness of subliminal messaging is debated, its popularity in advertising is not. Thus, learning to spot subliminal messages can help you recognize when advertisers are using covert persuasion tactics.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Visit "spot the subliminal message" websites such as Albino Black Sheep Flash Videos and The Pole Shift Forum. These sites show advertisements and then point out their subliminal messages. This will train your eye to spot subliminal messages.
-
2
Find a medium that shows subliminal messages that are not explained or pointed out. This could be a TV station, an Internet video site or a magazine. Magazines are especially well known for including advertisements that employ subliminal messages. Use this medium as a place to search for subliminal messages.
-
-
3
Look for things in the ad that stand out as being somewhat unusual. Strange shapes, phrases or items are often hiding places for subliminal messages. Take any unusual element in a print ad, or a brief clip in a commercial, as a sign of a potential subliminal message.
-
4
Observe verbal and non-verbal communication. Subliminal messages are often embedded into human speech and body language. For example, the human body is often used in magazine advertisements to create sexual innuendo, such as a man smoking a large cigar or a woman placing a beer bottle close to her chest. Verbal communication can also contain subliminal messages, such as code words and embedded commands.
-
5
Make note of very brief clips in commercials. It is very common, for example, for advertisers to insert a one- or two-section clip at the end of beer commercials featuring a woman wearing a tight shirt and a message like "thirsty?" or "need to cool off?" Look for brief clips like these at the end of commercials as they often contain subliminal messages.
-
6
Let your mind go blank and view the ad as one single piece. Often, subliminal messages are contained in the main text or image of an advertisement. Looking at an ad holistically can make these messages become obvious. Do this only after scanning for images in body language, text and brief clips.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
