Get Inside A Person�s Mind Using Subliminal Messages

Subliminal messages are one of the tools used to control the mind. These messages enter the unconscious mind without being detected by the conscious mind and can influence the thought process, changing the behavior of a person to act differently from his/her original plans. The idea of entering a person�s mind and controlling his/her thoughts has intrigued scientists, corporations, philosophers and the public alike.

The subconscious mind is said to be more complicated than the conscious, and subliminal messages function through it. Johan Friedrich Herbart wrote essays exploring the relation between the conscious and the subconscious. He called the boundary between the two as �limen of consciousness� and ideas struggle for domination over the boundary. As per him, ideas lie beneath the consciousness levels and contend with one another to get into the area of consciousness. Thus they have effect on each other and those ideas that are still beneath the consciousness level have the capacity to control the consciousness mind. Subliminal messages have a great role to play in this struggle.

The idea of individual existence of the conscious and the subconscious mind is not accepted by many psychologists. Instead they separate the cognitive processes by means of a subjective and an objective threshold of awareness. The existence or non existence of stimulus influences the response of cognitive agencies correspondingly. An event that is present below the subjective threshold and above the objective threshold at the same time is considered as a subliminal influence.

The perception of subliminal messages by the brain is a subject of study by scientists. A few say that only the simplest part of the subliminal messages is absorbed by the brain. Others say that the subconscious mind is more receptive and takes in more than can be expressed in words. Studies at University College London recently has shown that subliminal messages attract cerebral interest at the subconscious level. How it affects conscious decision making is not apparent but the study is definitely an interesting development.

Subliminal messages enter a person�s mind through audio visual means. Human beings have been using language as a tool to influence the human psyche since the 5th century B.C. These days, subliminal tools are more developed and self hypnosis is a commonly used tool to improve self confidence and concentration. Subliminal messages are also believed to be transmitted by backmasking through music. Mind control techniques have also been used by businesses in order to influence purchases. However, there is no scientific validation of any of the above theories or techniques.