Subliminal self-help tapes promise to do everything from helping you quit smoking to helping you lose weight and improve your memory. The claim is that these wondrous things can be achieved simply by listening to their series of audio tapes of soothing sounds. However, hidden underneath the sound of the babbling brook or the crashing waves are powerful subliminal messages that can help you achieve whatever the tapes say they will.
Sub-audible messages refer to messages that are recorded in such a low volume or matched so perfectly with the rise and fall of the supraliminal content, that they cannot be consciously perceived. However, as the usual refrain goes, these hidden messages are perceived by your subconscious and exert a strong force on your behavior. Thus, for the purposes of this site, I also include "masked" speech or unclear (forward) sound patterns in the category of sub-audible messages.
In a fascinating study of the effectiveness of subliminal self-help tapes, Spangenberg, Obermiller, and Greenwald (1992) found, using a double-blind study design that these subliminal messages were not at all effective at inducing any change among users. However, they found a placebo effect in that the labels on the tape (irrespective of the content of the subliminal tapes) seemed to influence perceived effectiveness among subjects. So, are the purveyors of these tapes scam artists? Interestingly, what do you think the researchers found when they approached the manufacturers of the subliminal tapes for free samples? Rather than shy away, the companies apparently were eager to share their tapes for this research study. This is reassuring in the sense that many of these companies are apparently not trying to deceive you, but rather truly believe their products work. On the other hand, it is disturbing that the belief in these products is so strong that no amount of research can alter this belief.
The Walt Disney Company has been accused of every conceivable trick to guide our kids down the path of destruction. There are also several examples of subaudible speech accusations. In the movie Aladdin, there is a scene where Aladdin asks his pet tiger to "take off and go." Some people accused Disney of inserting the phrase "Good teenagers, take off your clothes" mixed with the supraliminal content. If you click on the link above to get to the Disney Urban Legends site, you can hear it for yourself and judge.
Another form of inserted speech is where an unintelligible phrase actually hides a message that is not readily apparent. Again, the Disney Urban Legends site contains information and sound clips on the accusation that, in the Lion King story book, the short recorded sound clip has Rafiki chanting "Squashed Bananas Up His Arse."
Of course, one of the more famous instances of sub-audible speech is part of the "Paul Is Dead" myth. As the Beatles song "Strawberry Fields" fades out towards the end, there is apparently the eerie howl of John Lennon claiming "I BURIED PAUL ..." Of course, John later claimed he was just saying "Cranberry sauce ..." The voice is not loud and distinct enough to make out.
"I
Buried Paul" (Strawberry Fields Forever)Home
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The Subliminal Site:
http://sbe.d.umn.edu/subliminal/
© 2001 Rajiv Vaidyanathan