Subliminal Messaging

Subliminal messaging originated in the late 1800's early 1900's when a journal was published that described the basic principles of subliminal messaging. After this publication nothing was done in terms of subliminal messaging for another fifty years when James Vicary was said to perform his studies in New Jersey. However much has been done in the area of subliminal messaging in the past fifty years. An experiment was done on subliminal messaging as recent as 2007. The experiment was much the same as Vicary's supposed study. 1,400 hundred subjects were shown subliminal messages and and amazing 81 percent of these subjects were influenced by the messaging. However even with the results of this study subliminal messaging is viewed by the experts as at most a very mild influential factor. Subliminal messaging has been banned by the government in advertising and specifically television advertises. This ban was proposed and implemented after the Vicary study and his conclusions. Most experts believe that subliminal messaging can only have an affect on people who want whatever the subliminal message is offering. For example thirsty people are more susceptible to the influence of messages promoting a drink then someone that is not thirsty. Beyond this market experts say that there is no effect beyond the placebo effect through subliminal messaging.
In my opinion I feel that subliminal messaging is not a big influential factor to the average person. I strongly believe that people have the free will to do or buy whatever they want and that messages shown to them at a high speed thats not visible will not influence them in anyway. If people are thirsty they will buy a drink and what they prefer as opposed to what was shown on the screen. I also believe that the self help tapes do not help anyone. For people to change something drastically like a habit or such they have to be commited to that change. A simple tape that says you will change will not just all of the sudden change you. A person that wants change needs to be determined to make that change happen but they sertainly do not need a tape to make the change.

Keywords: subliminal messaging, James Vicary, advertising