Alternative Technology: Subliminals

When people are physically sick, they usually go to the doctor and have their bodies assessed for whatever pain or sickness they have. When people are mentally or emotionally disturbed, they usually go to a counsellor, psychiatrist or psychological to alleviate their emotional anguish and psychological distress.

However, there is an alternative technology that offers both healing and improvement of physical, emotional and mental health. This alternative technology is better known as subliminals.

What Are Subliminals?

The theory behind the utilization of subliminals is that the messages which are under a person's visual level or audio level will be received directly by the "unconscious" mind, thus by-passing conscious detection and evaluation. People who listen to subliminal tapes just hear music or sounds from nature, such as waves, waterfalls, chirping birds, rustling leaves, dolphin calls, etc on the surface.

Underneath these music or nature sounds are subliminal verbal messages and affirmation that are inaudible to cognisant perception. According to this theory, the "subconscious" mind can and will tell apart the inaudible verbal messages from the audible sound messages, react to them, and act upon them.

The concept of receiving messages unconsciously through finer discerning mechanisms unavailable to the conscious mind is founded on Sigmund Freud’s theory of the unconscious.

Freud proposed that the driving force behind human behavior is the unconscious mind. He described the mind as being like an iceberg. The mass below the surface is referred to the unconscious mind and the conscious mind is referred to as the “tip” of the iceberg. Freud emphasized that the unconscious mind makes up most of the human brain, what is obvious and conscious is only a small part of the wholeness of a person. Hence, the promoters of the alternative technology of subliminals are fundamentally Freudian.

What Do Subliminals Offer?

Through the use of subliminal messages and recordings, the supposed power of the Freudian-invented unconscious is said to be at work. Individuals are told that they can be able to lose weight, stop smoking, improve their sleep, improve their sex life, overcome phobias and fears, relieve and totally eliminate stress, reduce migraines, etc.

Some subliminals even suggest cures for cancer, as well as liberation from physiological problems. Although such promises seem to be a rip-off to some people, there are actually some individuals who are willing to testify about the effectiveness of subliminals. There is an ongoing debate on whether subliminals are really effective or not.

In spite of the partial deficiency of scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of subliminals, they have grown to be quite accepted among Christians. There are now available "Christian" subliminal tapes distributed by a number of Christian "ministries."

Instead of using the customary Drink Coke or Eat Popcorn advertising subliminal messages, the Scripture is used along with, or in place of, other messages. These Christian subliminal promoters guarantee about the same things as their secular counterparts, with one exception; unlike their secular counterparts, they assert Christian rootedness and Christian spiritual aid for the listeners.

To conclude, alternative technologies subliminals are not 100% proven to be effective. People are divided whenever the issue of subliminal messages arise. Some would say that subliminal messages are just rip-offs and may be referred to as “placebos”.

However, some people would also say that subliminal messages are effective; they are not only believable because they don’t really target the conscious mind of individuals.