James Vicary is another figure mentioned around subliminal messages. Packaged addresses show subconscious messages could have an effect on consumers when used by companies through advertisements. The book that was originally published in 1957 looks into various forms of advertising and the art of persuasion using different strategies including subliminal messages.
Subliminal messages can be traced back to the 1950s through the book, “The hidden persuaders” by Vance Packard. Subliminal messages have also been used in self-improvement to help people drop bad habits, behaviors, and negative thought patterns so that they can take up positive thoughts, better habits, and pleasant behaviors that impact their lives in an uplifting way. The companies and brands that use this strategy aim to influence the decision-making process of the consumer with the goal of increasing their product sales. Research shows that subliminal messages have the ability to influence our thoughts and behaviors and the stimuli can actually influence the conscious processing of information and decision-making ( 2)( 3). Subliminal messages have been used in many areas including advertisements and movies with the aim of persuading the consumers or listeners towards taking certain actions. It is a perception that doesn’t have conscious consideration. When information or a stimulus presented before you are not able to reach your conscious perception due to various reasons such as short duration, low volume, or lack of attention, it becomes subliminal perception. The word subliminal therefore means under a threshold, which is related to your conscious mind ( 1). The word “sub” means under and the word “limen” means threshold. The word “subliminal” comes from the Latin words “sub” and “limen”. The stimuli could be in form of written text or images that are flashed before your eyes but you cannot see them and your conscious mind cannot process then since they are below the threshold of consciousness. Subliminal messages are messages or stimuli that are presented to the mind in a way that the conscious mind cannot perceive. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Subliminal Messages.