A subliminal message is transmitted below the usual limits of perception.
A subliminal message is one that has been designed to be transmitted below the normal limits of perception . This message reaches the receiver, but he or she does not consciously receive it . It may be a sound or an image that the receiver perceives unconsciously and that, despite this absence of a conscious process, can modify their behavior.
Before moving forward, we are going to know the etymological origin of the two words that give shape to the expression: message emanates from the Provençal messatge , which, in turn, comes from the ancient Latin verb mittere (translatable as “to command” ). Subliminal , for its part, has its origin in Latin and means “what is below consciousness.” It is a word made up of the prefix sub- , which is synonymous with “under” ; the noun limis , which is equivalent to “limit” ; and the suffix -al , which is used to indicate that something is “relative to” .
Subliminal message concept
The message is the object of communication . It is the content composed of signs, symbols or signals that transmit information . The communicative process, therefore, contemplates the participation of a sender who, through a medium or a channel, transmits a message to one or more receivers.
Subliminal , for its part, is an adjective used in psychology to name what is below the threshold of consciousness . When the term is applied to a stimulus , it is referring to the fact that it, due to its brevity or weakness, is not consciously perceived, although it influences behavior .
There is a consensus among psychologists about the existence and capacity of subliminal messages to generate effects on recipients. Experts maintain, however, that its consequences on people's behavior are neither lasting nor powerful.
Subliminal messages are common in advertising , whether in advertisements from companies that want to increase their sales or in advertisements from governments that want to influence the population in a subtle way.
Advertising usually appeals to subliminal messages.
The notion in different areas
Within the field of music it has been discovered that there are also subliminal messages. Specifically, scholars have discovered that these have been achieved through a technique called backmasking , which has its origins in the 1960s . This, which consists of recording backwards, has hidden messages with a different purpose.
In the world of cinema it is also considered that there are many subliminal messages. This is an example of animated films that come out of the Disney or Pixar factories and that are aimed, fundamentally, at a children's audience.
In the films of this last production company, to point out one case, “A113” usually appears. This combination of letter and numbers is the identification of the classroom in which the current leaders of Pixar studied and learned everything they know about animation.