The results of this study appear to indicate that the unconscious/preconscious mind is able to perceive a recorded verbal message that cannot be consciously understood at the high rate of speed at which it was recorded. The words Democrats and Bureaucrats scrolled across a dark screen at the end of the ad, but then another word flashed on the screen for 1/30th of a second, rendering it invisible to the naked eye. Based on the statistical data and certain drawings collected in this study, it would appear that the auditory subliminal message did have an effect upon the imagery and dreams of the subjects in the experimental group. The Republican Party (GOP) was caught using a subliminal message in an election ad attacking Democrats. When the drawings were examined, the effect of the subliminal message could be seen. The results indicated a significant difference between the dream drawings and the imagery drawings of the experimental group and the control group. A statistical analysis was performed from data collected on blind ratings given to all the drawings by two art therapists. Both groups were asked to produce a pretest drawing before the tapes were played, an imagery drawing immediately after the tapes were played, and a dream drawing of any dreams they might have that night. Nine subjects in the control group heard the normal music recording without the subliminal message. The ITA was the Independent Television Authority, the body set up. Letter to the Postmaster General from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 22nd October 1958 (HO 256/607) TWW was Television Wales and the West, the newly established ITV company for the region. This message was mixed with a normal music recording and played to nine subjects in the experimental group. Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. Almost immediately, there was a sort of mass hysteria. Soon after, London’s Sunday Times newspaper ran an article on both the experiment and Vicary’s report on. In this report, he claimed that, after being exposed to the subliminal messages, Coca-Cola purchases went up 18, while popcorn purchases went up 57. An avalanche of criticism from outraged citizens and congressmen produced more research on the subject and conflicting results have been bandied ever since. Once Vicary finished his experiment, he published a report on it. The auditory subliminal message was produced by speeding up a message that was sung until it could not be consciously understood. The subliminal message was the brainchild of NY market researcher, James Vicary, who boasted that Coke sales in the lobby increased 58 and that popcorn sales rose 18.
The purpose of this research was to investigate what effect an auditory subliminal message, produced by speeding up the rate at which it was recorded, would have upon the imagery and dreams of a group of normal subjects.