A Primer on Subliminals

A Primer on Subliminals By Anthony Forwood NOTE: This document was originally written as part of a self-development series that I wrote for an unpublished book, so it was written in a positive light. However, in the spirit of informing Targeted Individuals of covert mind-control technologies, I feel that it offers some very useful information. TIs need to be aware that ALL audio and video (including your computers and cell phones!) are susceptible to being used for implanting subliminal messages. Be careful of those podcasts and YouTube videoas! Introduction The word ‘subliminal’ can be defined as ‘below the perceptible awareness of consciousness’. Our brains have developed in such a way that most of the information we constantly receive through our five senses is processed quickly and automatically at an unconscious level, below our awareness. These brain functions are referred to as the preconscious processes. They are not hindered by the higher brain functions used in conscious thought (which stem from the neocortex), which can check certain automatic responses to stimuli and either allow them or inhibit them before they’re carried out. The subconscious mind is concerned only with carrying out whatever instructions are given to it, while the higher consciousness of normal waking awareness is concerned with analyzing information and putting it into a contextual form that is based on our established beliefs and expectations. Because of the analytical nature of waking consciousness, it can easily defeat any messages given to it if we allow ourselves to analyze these messages too much. Even if the message is something that we want to believe, any contrary beliefs we might already hold will cause us doubt, effectively nullifying any otherwise beneficial results of the message. Subliminal messages are designed to reach the brain’s preconscious processes without coming to the attention of our conscious awareness. By doing so, they avoid the ability for any critical analysis of the message that might negate the instructions given in it. Thinking about what the message says, even for a moment, can adulterate it with doubts, fears, and other nullifying concerns. Although subliminal programming of our brains can be used against our best interests, such as their use in advertising to increase our potential for buying certain products, they can just as easily be used to help us, as is evidenced by

the positive results of using them to reduce shoplifting in department stores. They have been successfully used to help people stop smoking, lose weight, increase memory, beat insomnia, improve health, raise confidence, and innumerable other applications that benefit the user. A subliminal message that is delivered in a manner that will be most receptive and acceptable to a person is more powerful than one that is delivered forcefully. For instance, a gentle and soothing voice or a pleasing and aesthetic image will have a greater effect than a harsh and dominating voice or a disturbing and chaotic image. Even though such a difference might seem inconsequential due to the absence of conscious analysis to differentiate between the two extremes, the preconscious processes are deeply rooted into our primal functions, and these functions are strongly based on signals that reflect emotional content. A disturbing voice or image will cause the preconscious processes to automatically categorize it as a potential threat, and the natural reaction will be to alert conscious awareness to the fact that something is wrong. However, since conscious awareness doesn’t know about the message, a person will only perceive a certain level of unaccountable tension or uneasiness, without being able to discern what is causing it. This can upset the entire physiological system, and this will interfere with the desired effect of the message (unless, of course, the intention of the subliminal is to upset and interfere with a person’s physiological state). Emotions are a mid-brain function, and have some effect over the preconscious processes. They arise as part of these processes, and it’s only because of the higher brain functions that we can normally check them and either respond to them or inhibit our natural reaction. If an emotional message is delivered to the brain subliminally, our normal ability to check our emotions is defeated. A message that contains the right emotional content can cause us to be receptive to it. Because of this, appealing to the emotions has a great effect on the power of a subliminal message. Methods of Delivery Subliminal messages can be delivered in both visual and auditory formats, which correspond to the two predominant senses we use in acquiring and relating information. Although both methods work equally well, auditory subliminals are able to contain more information of a more precise nature than visual subliminals can. Visual subliminals are projected at the target in one of two basic ways: •

Slide insertion involves flashing a subliminal message or image on a screen while another presentation is being shown. Due to the limited

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speed of receptivity of our visual awareness, we are only able to perceive an image that lasts longer than about 1/20th of a second. Television and movie film was designed based on this fact, and project still frames onto the screen at about 20-25 per second – fast enough to create the illusion of fluid motion. A subliminal message, projected on a screen once every second for 1/20th of a second or less, will not be consciously perceived, but will be picked up by the preconscious processes. Candlepower ratios involve using a lower light output to project the message than is otherwise used to illuminate the screen it is projected on. For instance, a movie being projected on a screen at 10,000 candlepower will mask a subliminal image being simultaneously projected at 5,000 candlepower.

An image can be encoded into a second image, and the encoded image will be subliminally received by anyone that views the second ‘cover’ image. This cover image is the only one of the two that is consciously visible, but the subconscious is nonetheless cognizant of the hidden image as well. Of course, the effects of such subliminal input is not very dramatic with a single short-term exposure, but with more continuous and longer-term exposure there is a definite effect. For instance, if the image of an old friend you haven’t seen or thought of is subliminally projected at you for five seconds during your normal activity on a computer, you may or may not have any conscious thoughts about the person. If, however, the subliminal image is continuously projected at you on your computer screen for an entire afternoon, it is very probable that the friend will eventually arise in your conscious thoughts. In understanding how the subconscious functions, it is easy to see how and why this works. Normally, the conscious mind is able to intercept and make the final decision about how the stimuli it receives is to be responded to. By avoiding conscious recognition of the hidden image, while still keeping it in an otherwise recognizable state at the level of the preconscious processes, the image is impressed upon the subconscious directly. The subconscious will always respond in ways that resonate with whatever is impressed upon it. In the example of an image of an old friend, this will trigger associative memories as the subconscious responds to it. Audio subliminals can be projected in a number of ways, including the following: •

Psychoacoustical concealment has a number of methods, such as harmonizing the voice frequency of the subliminal message with the primary sound output that it overlays. With this method, the voice can be made to sound like a musical instrument, trickling water, a gentle wind, or any other background noise that is audible to the listener.

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Back-masking, or metacontrast is a method of recording the subliminal message in reverse, such as has notoriously been used by the music industry in the past. White noise masking is similar to psychoacoustical concealment, except that the voice of the message is either matched with specific frequencies used in the audible tracks (such as music), or lowered slightly below the level of audible white noise. Since white noise contains all frequencies of sound, the message is effectively buried within the noise.

Other more technical methods for embedding subliminals exist, but they are beyond the scope of this text, and involve advanced techniques of sound manipulation. Our purpose here is to explain subliminal programming methods that are relatively easy to apply without the need for a lot of technical knowledge and sophisticated software or special equipment. Using the basic methods presented here, and with an understanding of how subliminals work in influencing us subconsciously, anyone can take advantage of subliminal programming for their own personal development. A simple method for applying audio subliminals is to mask the subliminal message by projecting it at a normally audible volume, but overlaying it with sound at a higher volume that effectively drowns it out. As long as the subliminal message is of a volume that’s normally audible, the brain will pick it up and process it, even though it’s below the level of conscious awareness due to overriding sounds. Another simple method is to deliver the message at sound frequencies that are just above or just below the human range of hearing. Although the sound cannot be consciously heard, the brain can still pick it up. Some methods used by manufacturers of subliminal audiotapes involve manipulating the sound in ways that may or may not be of any actual benefit. One such method involves significantly increasing the speed of the message in order to add more content to their tapes. However, it should be understood that the brain isn’t able to interpret messages that are sped up beyond a certain point. Language is a learned ability, rather than an inherent trait, and a message is understood as much by how it is expressed as by what it says. The brain is less likely to take a fast, high-pitched, squealing voice very seriously, if it’s able to comprehend it at all. Perhaps speeding up the subliminal recording has an improved effect, but it seems more likely that the ability to process and understand sped up sounds, beyond a certain point, would require a certain amount of mental development, just as language comprehension does. Back-masking – or reversing the subliminal recording – is also questionable for similar reasons. The brain is not normally capable of understanding a word

that’s played backwards unless we first learn to recognize it that way. We don’t normally understand reversed sounds for what they are, so we shouldn’t expect the brain to be able to, either. There was no stage in our brain’s development that would conceivably require this need, so there’s no reason to assume that it has the ability to do this automatically. Going Beneath The Threshold of Awareness The subconscious is exposed to external stimuli before it can reach conscious awareness. Much of these stimuli are processed through auto-response mechanisms (preconscious processes) before we can consciously intervene. This means that we are totally unaware of much of the external stimuli we respond to, at least until after the fact. Subliminal messages, such as those we hear about being used in department stores to reduce shoplifting, work by taking advantage of this fact. It was determined early in the twentieth century that we cannot visually perceive anything that lasts for less than about 1/20th of a second. The technology of the motion picture industry was designed around this fact. The moving images that are produced on a movie screen or standard TV set are actually a series of still images that are shown just a little bit faster than we can perceive – at about 25 frames per second – and this gives the effect of flowing movement. The advertising industry took advantage of this in the 50’s and 60’s by interjecting suggestive messages or pictures between the normal TV and movie picture frames at a rate that couldn’t be consciously perceived, but would be easily picked up by the subconscious. The effect of such subliminal suggestions was found to be so effective (and potentially sinister) that the government had to impose laws against it. But the fact is that it works, and although certain forms of it have been outlawed to some extent in advertising, it’s undoubtedly still being used there and elsewhere. The military and intelligence in particular take a serious interest in psychological warfare techniques, and subliminal suggestion in this form has been in their arsenal of weapons for years, and is used by them more often than most people realize. Subliminal suggestion should not be considered totally evil, however. It can just as well be used for positive ends. Imagine being able to feed your subconscious the subliminal messages of your own choosing. Perhaps you feel nervous about an upcoming job interview, and you wish to feel relaxed and confident about it instead. If you could spend a few minutes or hours just before the interview giving yourself subliminals while relaxing in front of the TV set watching

something you enjoy, you would be able to very effectively program your subconscious to make you become relaxed and confident for the interview. With a little computer programming knowledge, a person can write a simple software program that will project whatever message they choose while they’re busy using the computer for something else. Having a message flash on the monitor every 1/30th of a second will have the equivalent effect of directing the subconscious to actualize the content of the message into reality. For instance, the message “I AM HAPPY” will direct the subconscious towards making you feel happy. It will also override any opposing messages that you might feed it from your conscious thoughts while it is running. They can also be used to override any unwanted subliminals, even if you don’t know what their actual content are. Although subliminals have their limitations, with a proper understanding of how they work, a person can take advantage of them for their own personal betterment. How Subliminals Work The brain is good at setting up temporary neural configurations in order to adapt to ongoing requirements in information processing. For instance, when we try to remember something, we set up temporary neural configurations that filter out anything not related, and associations build through neural activity that draws the required memory to the forefront of consciousness by remapping its prior imprint. This remapping also takes place when our beliefs and expectations begin to subconsciously mold our reality. The neural configurations that process information at the subconscious level (through the preconscious processes) are affected by our thoughts and beliefs. When we continually tell ourselves that we’re unhappy, for instance, we reinforce the neural configurations that affect our mood, and a state of unhappiness becomes more ingrained into our conscious reality. When you are unhappy and you try telling yourself that you are happy, the thought just doesn’t feel right. You can actually sense your physical being reject the idea, in the form of a mild sense of ill-at-ease. This is because the thought impulse of happiness doesn’t flow easily through the neural configurations that are currently in effect, and the energy is quickly dispersed. But with determined effort through repetition of the thought, the neural configurations in the brain soon begin to react more accordingly and find the proper configuration for the thought impulse you’re sending that’s harmonious to it. Physically modeling a state of happiness by smiling, lifting slumped shoulders, and outwardly acting happy, will further increase the susceptibility of the brain to change its state to one of happiness.

The brain has developed through stages of greater functionality, from the Rcomplex with its very primitive survival traits, to the ‘old mammalian’ brain with its emotional traits, to the neocortex with its ability to think and plan. The Rcomplex has a very strong influence on our thoughts and actions, buried so deep within our mental makeup that we’re often not even aware of this influence when it takes place. The emotional influence of the limbic system also has a strong effect on our thoughts and actions, but the effect is closer to conscious awareness and so is more controllable. The neocortex, which provides us with the ability to think logically and to analyze, can also affect our thoughts and actions for better or worse, depending on how we manage it. The influence of each of the brain’s three evolutionary stages needs to be understood in order to realize why some drives or mental traits are more powerful than others. The primitive drives of the R-complex are the most deeply rooted and therefore they tend to affect us most strongly. This is why fear, violence, sex, and physical pleasures so easily arise in all corners of society, and why they are so easy to use to influence a person’s thoughts and actions. Almost as easy to use in this way are the more advanced emotions, which are actually just more subtle distinctions of the basic emotional opposites of fear and security that derive from the R-complex. The main difficulty in influencing the mind lies in the functions of the neocortex, which gives us the ability to think before we act, therefore allowing us to catch the influence of the lower brain functions before we act on them. This is what allows us to hold back our fist when someone makes us angry enough to want to strike out physically. The trick behind using subliminals is to bypass the neocortex altogether and elicit a response from the lower brain functions inherent in the R-complex or limbic system. Because the brain has the ability configure itself to properly respond to whatever instructions are given to it, and because the more strongly established configurations are the easiest to set up, suggestions that stimulate the neural configurations directly connected to the functions of the oldest part of the brain will be the best ones to use for influencing a person. Therefore, fear, sex, hunger, pain, pleasure, etc. are all strong motivators, because they are driven by our deepest brain functions that lie within the R-complex. The neocortex spends a lot of its time overseeing what the lower brain functions are doing. If it detects that the emotions are causing undesirable actions, it can overrule them and take control. If we sense that we’re in danger, our neocortex causes us to look for where the danger may be coming from by analyzing our situation. If it detects possible danger in the external environment then we can take defensive action, and if it detects that it’s just our imaginations then we can just ignore it and it soon recedes.

In order for subliminals to avoid the attention of the neocortex, it’s important that the mind is in a receptive state and is focused on something else. This is reported to have worked extremely well when subliminal messages were flashed during television broadcasts, because the viewers were already in a receptive state and their minds were on the television program they were watching. The suggestive messages went directly into the subconscious without any blocking by the neocortex. Influencing Higher Brain Functions Sometimes we might be interested in affecting the mind and brain at a higher level than the R-complex. For instance, we may want to influence a person’s actions based on a much higher emotion than fear, such as that of charity or altruism. This is a lot closer to our conscious responses, and so it will be more likely that any appeal to these higher emotions will have to pass the final judgment of the neocortex if they are to elicit the response we want. The neocortex operates primarily through reasoning and logic, so in order to elicit the response that we want in a person, we have to first assure that the neocortex itself is in line with that desired response. How do we do this? We simply align the reasoning of the person so that they perceive reality in a way that will make them receptive to our suggestions. If, for instance, you want television viewers to give money to your cause, you fill their awareness with examples of why giving money is logical and reasonable for them to do. You might also dispel any doubts that they might logically have by telling them in a straightforward and up-front manner that any reservations they might have about acting are well founded, and you explain why. Then you go on to assure them that these doubts are unnecessary, and explain in a logical manner why that is, but at the same time appealing to the emotions that have been triggered by your overall presentation. The key factor in these instances is to appeal primarily to their sense of logic, rather than just to their emotions. As long as the person is first made to feel that they are acting with reason, they will allow themselves to be consciously influenced by the deeper brain functions of emotion. Repressed Needs and Desires Repressed needs and desires are good targets for eliciting action in a person through subliminal suggestion or otherwise. Repressed needs and desires usually stem from the inhibition of natural human activities. Sex, food, sleep, pleasure, or anything else that we have natural urges for but withhold from ourselves (or is withheld from us) are strong motivators at the subconscious

level, even if we consciously deny them to ourselves. These repressed needs and desires aren’t very well curtailed by the reasoning abilities of the neocortex because the reasoning itself is usually quite weak or faulty, and often needs to be given continual reminders as to why it is logical to repress such needs or desires. This is why a person who is told throughout their youth that sex is immoral or dirty will usually hold out from having sex for a longer time than is natural, and then eventually, after they’re finally free of parental authority, they experience its pleasures and are suddenly having sex with whoever comes along. As long as these needs and desires remain repressed, they will not ever go away, because they’re hardwired into us as part of our basic survival mechanisms. They’re being unnaturally repressed due to false beliefs and overrestrictive reasoning, as well as by the social conditioning imposed by our parents, peers, and authority figures. But they can just as often be self-imposed through our own ignorance, fears, and doubts. By understanding what the repressed needs and desires are for a person, it’s easy to lead them into almost any act that they would otherwise freely do given the right circumstances. It’s just a matter of finding out what it is they need or desire but are repressing. For instance, someone who is still a virgin at twentyone in spite of having plenty of opportunities to have sex, and who has been brought up in a family that is very religious and strict in following the moral codes imposed by their church, will be a high candidate as someone who is repressing their natural sexual urges. Such people are consciously denying their natural responses to their environment, and need to continually remind themselves, or be reminded, that sex is for procreation only and shouldn’t be for pleasure. The unnatural repression of sex creates a conflict with the subconscious, which only obeys instructions to abstain because of the constant reminders. But if those instructions are themselves overridden, then the wall of denial crumbles very quickly and the person is willing, even obsessed, with fulfilling their long repressed desire. The promise of sex or other physical pleasure is very effective in motivating a person to take extreme risks and to lose all sense of his or her higher morals. Those instinctive influences of the R-complex are the strongest, so that fear and pleasure are the strongest motivators. Using subliminals to motivate through these basic drives will have the greatest success. *** References: “Subliminal Learning: An Eclectic Approach” Eldon Taylor, PhD (1988) Just Another Reality Publishing

“The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size” Tor Norretranders (1998) Penguin Books “The Biology of Transcendence: A Blueprint of the Human Spirit” Joseph Chilton Pearce (2002) Park Street Press “How Brains Think: Evolving Intelligence, Then and Now” William H. Calvin (1996) BasicBooks “The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter, & Miracles” Bruce H. Lipton, PhD. (2005) Mountain of Love / Elite Books “Reality Check: What Your Mind Knows, But Isn’t Telling You” David L. Weiner (2005) Prometheus Books