Can subliminal messages make physical changes

#CAN SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES MAKE PHYSICAL CHANGES TRIAL#

''About 50 percent said they had improved on memory or self-esteem, but the effect was a result of the labels, not the tapes. ''We asked, do you believe your memory or self-esteem has improved since you've used this tape?'' said Anthony Greenwald, a psychologist at the University of Washington, who did the studies.

Changes in self-esteem or memory were measured by 12 different psychological tests. Listener heard only a sound like that of ocean waves the messages about memory or self-esteem were beneath the threshold of conscious awareness, the manufacturer said.Д«ut in the experiment half the volunteers received tapes with the labels reversed: what was labeled the self-esteem tape, for example, was actually the memory tape. One tape was to improve self-esteem, the other to boost memory. In a study reported at the psychological association's meeting, two subliminal tapes were given to volunteers, who used them for six to 20 sessions over several weeks. The results do not support the commercial claims made for subliminal tapes. Only recently have there been well-conducted scientific tests of subliminal messages. ''As I read the evidence, including my own work, the subliminal message could have been a contributory cause to the suicides,'' he said. Shevrin, a witness for the parents, disagrees. Moore said the assumption that embedded messages can compel such a strong reaction is wrong. Testifying last week as an expert witness for the defense, Dr.

The parents of two men who killed themselves after listening to an album by the band contend that the suicides were caused by a subliminal message, ''Do it!'' on a song portraying a hopeless view of life.

#CAN SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES MAKE PHYSICAL CHANGES TRIAL#

The scientific debate has spilled over into the courtroom in the trial of a rock band, Judas Priest. THe matter is of more than academic interest. The panel of cognitive psychologists declared that the lore about subliminal perception is largely nonsense. Moore was the chairman of a panel on subliminal messages at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Boston. However, the right message under the right circumstances might be therapeutic, but you have to tailor it to the individual.'' ''A uniform, off-the-rack message is not likely to have an effect, and can even have negative effects. Howard Shevrin, a psychologist at the University of Michigan. ''On the whole, the tapes do not work,'' said Dr. ''For example, I regard subliminal tapes as a form of health fraud.''Д®ven psychologists who say some subliminal messages can have therapeutic effects are skeptical about commercial tapes. ''There's a huge gap between the scientific data on subliminal perception and the extravagant claims made for it,'' said Timothy Moore, a psychologist at York University in Toronto. Both sides agree that popular understanding of subliminal persuasion is largely na,ive, crediting it with powers that it simply does not have. But psychoanalytic researchers claim their data show that certain kinds of subliminal messages can have great persuasive and therapeutic impact. Some, most of whom are cognitive psychologists, say there is no credible scientific evidence that hidden messages can persuade or cure. And for vendors of audio tapes, the power of the imperceptible exhortation to strengthen memory or take off pounds is more than an article of faith - it is a profit center.Д«ut scientists studying the mind's ability to register information outside awareness are locked in debate about the power of messages directed to the unconscious mind. Critics of advertising often take for granted the power of ''hidden persuaders.'' Many parents stand convinced that messages buried in rock music are poisoning their children's minds. THE power of subliminal messages is taken as an article of faith by many people.

Can subliminal messages make physical changes