Subliminal Perception is a signal or message embedded in another object, designed to pass below the normal limits of perception or the threshold of sensation of one's consciousness. The threshold that is being referred to is an individual's absolute threshold. The absolute threshold is the smallest level of energy required by an external stimulus to be detectable by the human senses, including vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch. This tends to vary amongst many different people. These messages are invisible by the conscious mind, but supposedly affect the subconscious or deeper mind. Subliminal techniques have occasionally been used in advertising, but the purpose, effectiveness and frequency of such techniques have been debated for years. It is proven that stimulation below the level of a person's conscious awareness can be shown to have on some aspects of behavior.
How can something we do not notice affect our behavior? Subliminal messaging was made to affect part of the mind, which is split into two parts known as the conscious mind and subconscious mind. The conscious mind works while an individual is awake and implements ones awareness. However the subconscious part of mind is always active and operates below the level of conscious awareness, it controls reflexes, automatic functions like sleeping, breathing, or blinking and handles the processing and storing of incoming information. Since subliminal messaging is focused on passing through a person's threshold it targets an individual's subconscious mind it causes them to become unaware that they are being manipulated. Therefore this can either positively or negatively be influencing a person's mental processes or behaviors.
There is no doubt that advertising plays a monumental role in today's society. To achieve success in advertising, a company must pull at the consumers' psyche long enough so they will stop and look at the product being displayed.
