Subliminal Audition Perception

Subliminal means the stimulus that affects our subconscious. Our subconscious is like a store for experiences and perceptions to be remembered and used later. Subliminal perception can be defined as the subconscious effects of some external stimulants without awareness.

Messages, commercials, films, and songs play a major role in the creation of subliminal perception. These instruments aim to push the purchase button in the brain and trigger before consumers realize it. It is the basic mission of subliminal messages to make a positive or a negative impression in consumers’ minds.

There are 2 basic ways in which subliminal messages can be sent to the unconscious. One of them is visual perception, whereas the other one is auditory perception. To create a subliminal auditory stimulus, there are some methods:

1)    Auditory masking: This method involves hiding the target auditory stimulus. Auditory subliminal stimuli are shown to have effects on people. For instance, one study used other speechlike sounds to cover up the target words. The study found evidence of priming in the absence of awareness of stimuli. But the effects of these subliminal stimuli were seen in multiple outcome measures. However, the effect of these subliminal auditory stimuli is not that strong on human behavior.

2)    Effectiveness: Research on action priming has shown that subliminal stimuli can trigger only actions a receiver of the message plans to perform anyway. Most actions can be triggered subliminally if the person already has the potential to perform to a specific action. The effectiveness is just about creating moods and trying to make some minor changes in feelings and behaviors. Also, music has a great effect on the market’s ambiance.

3)    Method: The methodology of research also varies by the type of subliminal stimulus such as auditory, olfactory, sense of touch, and visual.

Another Experiment: Music on Behavior

The most well-known method is to use the music industry. Self-help CDs promote subliminal messages and make dramatic changes in people’s mental and psychological health like weight loss etc. Another bad usage is using the effect of rock music. Some songs are just written to commit suicide or make people feel sad, bad, or have other negative feelings subliminally. Even the pop music industry uses it to drive people to act inappropriately.

In 1985, 2 teenagers committed suicide because of the subliminal message that the song ‘Do it – Judas Priest’ includes. The lyrics were purposely giving a message to make teenagers kill themselves.

These subliminal messages can pass to the subconscious mind, either through the visual or auditory system. The mind will absorb these subliminal auditory stimuli every time and everywhere. The longer the stimuli are listened/heard, the more dramatic the results are. That's why listening to the same songs every time has a decline in brain functioning. There were 4 types of subliminal messages:

1)    Sub-threshold stimuli: Presented at very low energy levels that can’t be detected by the audience

2)    Masked stimuli: Hidden from the audience by the presentation of others

3)    Unattended stimuli: Presented in such a way that the embedded figure is unlikely to be separated from its figural context

4)    Figural transformed stimuli: Words and pictures blurred so that they are unrecognizable

Due to the wide difference that exists among the four types of subliminal messages, the research studies and experiments were limited only to sub-threshold recordings or messages. These recordings do 2 things:

1)    Music or sound place listeners in a light trance to make them more receptive to the subliminal message

2)    Second one is about the message itself. It will begin to write deeply into the brain or subconscious mind without awareness.

But sometimes this effect may not work. If the stimuli are too weak, people can’t perceive and thus it doesn’t work. Even another stimulus may sometimes nullify the main stimulus. Also, the most important aspect is that, perceivers’ awareness. If the awareness level of individuals is high, it is almost impossible to be deceived.