The CIA and Subliminal Messages
In 1957, in a movie house in Ft. Lee New Jersey James Vicary conducted one of the most famous experiments into the effects of subliminal messages By showing the audience flashing subliminal messages intended to make them want to buy coca cola and popcorn he claimed he increased the sales of both products.
Maybe we can find some answers in experiments that were started as far back as 1957 by a government agency that has the resources and power to find out whether subliminal messages are effective or not!
A worrying note in the above mentioned journel states that it may be possible to include a word such as “obey” in their subliminal messages.
As is probably obvious to you, the CIA wanted to learn whether or not they could use subliminal messages as a form of manipulation. In reports that have been declassified and released under the Freedom of Information Act we can read just how involved in this pursuit they were.
Although we have no way of knowing whether the CIA ever stopped their investigations into subliminal messages we do know that it is prevalent in advertising. It is also used frequently in self improvement fields as a tool for self change. Subliminal messages are used in a variety of personal development products.
It is well known that the CIA take great interest in mind altering research. It should not be a surprise then to find out that they conducted their own studies into
subliminal messages!
“The Operational Potential of Subliminal Perception” is a 1958 CIA document that has been released which outlines the agency’s involvement in the study of subliminal messages In addition to this, in 1980, Martin A. Lee wrote an article for High Times in which he claims a former CIA agent stated that the CIA were committed to the investigation of subliminal messages as a tool for manipulation in politics and whether or not they could use them to influence the outcome of a political vote.
Vicary admitted in 1957 that his findings had been fabricated but the phenomenon of subliminal messages still lives on. Why is this?
The Vicary study caused controversy from the outset. It caused concern in government which eventually bled to the general public. The panic created soon paved the way for a complete ban of subliminal messages from TV and radio in several countries!
The CIA and Subliminal Messages