Perhaps you’ve heard some talk about secret messages in movies and music designed to alter your behavior. It’s a story straight out of a spy novel — the government or different big corporations trying to control your behavior.
This secret information is called a subliminal message. While they can be used for nefarious purposes, you can use positive subliminal affirmations to influence your subconscious and change your life.
What Are Subliminal Affirmations?
Subliminal messages are messages that the subconscious picks up but not your consciousness. You wouldn’t notice a subliminal message because it passes too quickly for your consciousness to comprehend it.
But your eyes and ears still pick up information even when your consciousness can’t handle it. And whatever your consciousness doesn’t consume, your subconsciousness picks up.
Subliminal affirmations, then, are positive messages placed in seemingly ordinary media. Since lots of subliminal affirmations tend to be aural, you can listen to what sounds like white noise but have your brain flooded with positive messages that are designed to enact change in your life.
These changes range from a better mood to physical changes to manifesting success. If you desire something, there’s probably a subliminal affirmation video about the subject.
Why Use Subliminal Messages?
Subliminal messages can drastically improve your journey using the Law of Attraction to benefit your life.
Explaining the Law of Attraction
The Law of Attraction works just like how it sounds. Likes attract likes. So when you have a positive mindset, you tend to attract positive outcomes around you, such as healthy relationships, a fit body, more confidence, and a higher paying job.
When you’re riddled with negativity, you attract more negativity. If you hate yourself and your body, you keep good people away from you and attract those who wish to do you harm.
The basis of the Law of Attraction is your thoughts. How you think cascades out into the universe, and the universe then gives you what you asked for.
We must mention a caveat, though. It would be rather cruel to say that everyone deserves the adverse outcomes in their life because of their thoughts, especially when those adverse outcomes occurred when one was a child and didn’t have a fully developed consciousness to then attract or deflect anything from the universe.
So we’re not saying that you deserved whatever trauma you got in childhood, if any. But growing as an adult expands your consciousness so that it can interact with the universe more. If you have any negative thoughts stemming from childhood, they can hinder how well you achieve the life you want to live.
That’s what we mean to say. As an adult, your thoughts control the life you create for yourself. So now you must ask yourself: do you surround yourself with good thoughts or bad ones?
If you find yourself constantly thinking negative thoughts, using subliminal messages can help you get on the right track toward positivity so you can achieve the positive outcomes you strive for.
When it comes to a slimmer body, more commas in your bank account, or more fulfilling relationships, inundating your subconscious mind with positivity can then turn the tides for your conscious mind.
Examples of Subliminal Affirmations Today
The YouTube channel Subliminal Affirmations Booster has dozens of videos ranging from weight loss, male “member” enhancement, growing curly hair, getting a job, and more.
There are other channels dedicated to creating subliminal affirmation content to help you achieve your goals faster. Some of them are eight hours long and designed for you to sleep through them, getting all the subliminal messages into your subconscious throughout the night.
Subliminal affirmation videos on YouTube are free and perhaps the easiest for beginners of manifestation to implement into their lives. Lie back, pop in some headphones, and listen as the positive messages wash over you.
The History of Subliminal Messages
If you’re not a history nerd, you might not care about when subliminal affirmations first arose. If that’s the case, then no sweat — you can skip this section. But we’ll briefly explain how subliminal messages first came around and how they evolved to be on YouTube today.
Early Greeks
Starting in at least the 5th century B.C., the early Greeks used rhetoric as a way to influence people. They incorporated mind-persuading data into sentences people either said or wrote to influence how the audience’s perception of the material.
Depending on where information is placed in a sentence, the listener’s brain can pick up on that information while it’s embedded in the rest of a seemingly innocuous sentence.
And since the listener is consciously focusing on the sentence as a whole, they typically don’t notice that words or phrases stuck out to them more so than others because of where they were placed.
‘20s England
There was allegedly another time in the 20s when the BBC tried to persuade skeptical viewers that the radio isn’t bad. Radio was pretty new back then, so people weren’t convinced that the voices from the radio were harmless and not the devil coming out of a tiny box.
When the radio jingle aired, it sounded innocent and normal. But when played backward, it was thought to say, “This is not a noose. Really, it’s not.” As radio picked up, it’s unclear as to whether the message stayed or changed to accommodate other messages meant for the listener’s subconscious.
James Vicary in 1957
Perhaps one of the most famous anecdotes of subliminal messaging came in 1957. James Vicary, a marketing researcher, spliced messages into the film of movies that lasted 1/2000 of a second. “Drink Coca-Cola” and “Eat popcorn” flashed on the screen.
Vicary claimed that popcorn sales skyrocketed by nearly 58%, while Coca-Cola sales increased by 18%. Vicary publicized his findings, which lead to a public outcry among the general public and legislators, causing the ban of subliminal messages from entering mainstream media.
In reality, top researchers who tried to reproduce Vicary’s results failed to do so. Even Vicary claimed he fabricated the study, as he never released a well-detailed description of his study nor included outside evidence to support his claim. It is thought that Vicary made up the study to boost attention to his failing marketing company.
Modern Times
The Bush Political Ad in 2000
And yet, you can still see remnants of subliminal messages in more recent memory. Take this political ad from the 2000 presidential election that aired on television.
Around 26 seconds into the video, the commercial claims that under Gore’s reign as president, bureaucrats would decide the prescription plan for American seniors.
The word “bureaucrats” slid onto the screen, but for a brief second, “rats” displayed prominently on the screen.
Most people have an aversion to rats, as they associate rats with filth, trash, and degeneracy. So by flashing “rats” onto the screen, the RNC campaign (who created the ad) hoped to link rats with bureaucrats and thus Al Gore to dissuade people from voting for him.
“Bad News” in How I Met Your Mother
Another example is from the hit show How I Met Your Mother in the episode “Bad News.” Throughout the episode, viewers see various numbers in descending order, starting at 50. A “38” is on a sauce bottle in a restaurant, someone reads a book with “25” in the title, and it continues to decline.
Upon first watching, viewers aren’t quite sure why the numbers are descending — if they even notice that the numbers are changing at all. But people feel uneasy with random countdowns as they can’t be entirely sure what the result will be when they reach 0. The numbers create a sense of dread in the viewer.
Sure enough, when the final number pops up, it’s revealed that one of the main character’s father died from a heart attack. It makes sense why the numbers declined as they did. It’s not only the countdown to the bad news but could symbolize the shrinking time that the father’s character had in the show.
The descending numbers on How I Met Your Mother weren’t flashed on the screen for a brief period, so they don’t look like other subliminal messages we’re used to. But since you don’t really know what’s going on but still feel uneasy, the numbers fulfill the functional purpose of a subliminal message.
While subliminal messages may not work all of the time, they can certainly draw out a response in the viewer or listener when done properly.
Do Subliminal Affirmations Work?
A 1985 study from the United States among 65 undergraduate students who were exposed to subliminal messaging in music found that the messages had no impact on them.
There’s evidence that subliminal messages don’t work as well. When Dennis Radar, a serial killer known as the BTK Killer (Bind Torture Kill), was still on the loose, the police tried to get him to give himself up.
A Wichita, Kansas news station KAKE-TV played this ad in which law enforcement discuss the BTK Killer. Midway through the announcement, a message flashes in the top corner that says, “Now Call the Chief” with a picture of glasses.
When the BTK Killer murdered a woman named Nancy Fox, he taunted the police by sending in a sketch from the scene, including the glasses shown in the subliminal message.
Law enforcement officers hoped seeing this message could persuade the killer to feel remorse and confess to his crimes, but he never did. The ad with the BTK Killer damaged the efficacy of how well subliminal messages worked.
However, a 2018 study from Colombia found a direct relationship between subliminal messaging and a young person’s attitude toward a brand. Mainly, if the subliminal messages were positive, then the person’s attitude toward that brand became positive.
And with the example from How I Met Your Mother, subliminal messages can work if it also hits conscious perception as well as subconscious ones. Or if the subliminal messages are made in such a way to be highly effective.
How to Pick Subliminal Affirmations That Work
Lots of the subliminal messages in the examples from this article were mostly video messages that flashed quickly and sporadically. Perhaps that’s why their results weren’t so effective in the audience who received the message.
Therefore, it stands to reason that the more messages you send your brain, the more subliminal messages will stick and thus cause the mindset shift to help you improve your life.
With increasing awareness about the Law of Attraction and manifestation, creators have made highly effective videos to help flood your subconscious with positive messages for a specific purpose.
These videos rely on audio subliminal affirmations rather than a visual one, which we think is more effective. If the eye doesn’t pick up the message for whatever reason — either you blinked at the wrong time or just wasn’t looking at where the message was placed — then that message won’t wind up in your subconscious.
But your ears pick up everything. That fact is unfortunate when there’s a loudly crying baby on an airplane, but it’s great for when you’re trying to listen to subliminal messages.
All you have to do is play a video with audio subliminal affirmations and turn it up so your ears can hear it. It’s best to use headphones to get the video’s total experience, but not using headphones is also fine (as long as you don’t disturb the people around you).
Lots of the subliminal affirmation videos have the affirmations embedded in nice-sounding audio, such as peaceful rainfall or cosmic sounds. You’re not only listening to something pleasurable, but you’re putting dozens of positive messages into your brain.
Best of all, a lot of these videos are free for you to consume as long as you have access to YouTube. All you have to do is play them, close your eyes, and enjoy.
That’s why we recommend these free subliminal affirmations playlists online. Don’t go trudging up advertisements from decades past to get subliminal messages when there are fine-tuned ones ready at your fingertips.
Best Subliminal Affirmation Videos
As mentioned previously, the YouTube channel Subliminal Affirmation Booster makes high-quality videos designed to pack your subconscious with lots of positive messages. They’re free and easy to access.
Not only that, but the videos on the channel are diverse as well. There are videos designed to induce physical changes, such as a slimmer body, changing hair texture, and both masculine and feminine beauty.
There are also videos to promote better relationships and welcome wealth into your life. Most of the videos on this channel, though, tend to be around 10 minutes long.
For longer videos and a more spiritual or meditative vibe, check out Jason Stephenson’s channel. The videos on there last anywhere from one hour to four, with most of them coming in at around three hours of positive subliminal affirmations.
Some of the messages you get in his videos include, “My life is changing through thinking positively,” “I believe in me,” and “I am a winner.” Hearing that for hours is enough to turn even the darkest and most negative mind brighter.
You can continue looking on YouTube for videos that suit your fancy. Whether you want to sleep every night listening to positive affirmations or sneak in a few videos on the car ride to work, you can find the right playlist for you. It’s unlikely you’ll watch all the videos the site has to offer.
How to Get Results from Subliminal Affirmations Faster
You won’t get results from the Law of Attraction overnight. There’s no guarantee you’ll get them in a week, a month, or even a year. Some people are lucky and get their results quickly, while others have to wait longer. It leads you to wonder if there’s anything you can do to speed up the process.
Luckily, there are.
Trust the Process
The Law of Attraction is greatly hindered when you have doubts about the process. Doubts like this are essentially negativity that clouds how well your positive thoughts perform. If you listen to the videos but think, “Man, I’m feeling kinda stupid right now,” you’re essentially negating the process and wasting your time.
If you find that subliminal affirmations aren’t for you, then fine. You’ve experimented and found a truth about yourself. But in that time, you have to throw yourself whole-heartedly into subliminal affirmations. You have to trust that if you listen to them a lot and trust that they’ll work, you’ll get the results you desire with enough time.
You get what you give to the universe. If you give the universe wishy-washy but mostly positive results, you’ll get the same back. When you send intense beams of positivity into the universe, you’ll get back equally robust and tangible results in your own life.
Who knows — you might find that giving your all to subliminal messages was the right choice in getting what you wanted out of life. When you’re healthier, happier, and wealthier, you might never want to go back.
Listen Frequently
With your limiting beliefs gone, you open up the communication channels in which your subconscious receives subliminal affirmations. Your conscious mind doesn’t stand as a barrier to your subconscious anymore.
So the next step is to listen to these videos a lot. Create a routine in your day so that you play these videos without a second thought. It can be when you’re getting ready in the morning before work.
Play these videos back to back or on loop. The more messages you give your brain, the quicker you can flip your brain toward positive thinking and manifest your desires.
At the very least, you should play positive subliminal affirmations for about 20 minutes a day. The longer you can listen to them, the better.
Feel free to play them on the drive to work or when you clean the house. You can play them after you get back home to destress. You can even play some of these playlists while you sleep, so you’re always giving your subconscious the messages it needs to produce positive change.
Practice Conscious Affirmations
What better way to train your brain to think positive than to include your conscious mind with your pursuit of the Law of Attraction.
Take a few moments out of your day to say these positive statements to yourself. You can tailor them to your specific interests, but we’ve included a broad swathe of affirmations you can include for a variety of desires.
- My life will improve because of positive thinking.
- I respect and love myself.
- My mind and body can heal itself.
- I am growing.
- I am ready and willing to receive money.
- I will produce my success.
Since lots of subliminal affirmation videos don’t include people speaking or lyrics, you can easily talk over the messages you’re listening to with your statements.
This technique maximizes your time and jam packs both your subconsciousness and consciousness with positive affirmations. If you’re trying to manifest success, for example, you can make those results come quicker thanks to stacking these messages.
Make It Routine
A couple of days of intensely watching subliminal affirmation videos coupled with muttering positive statements to yourself isn’t enough to shift your mindset and achieve the results you want.
You see, the universe is built off of vibrations. Vibrations are everywhere, and you are currently producing vibrations now.
Humans can pick up on these vibrations. That’s why you sometimes meet someone new, and they give you a bad feeling. Why else would you feel that way if not for the fact they gave off a physical, albeit intangible, vibration that your brain notices? You can avoid the people and things giving off bad vibrations and gravitate towards those giving you good ones.
Your thoughts comprise your vibration. If you think negatively, you’ll surround yourself with a “bad vibe” that not only repels people around you but dissuades the universe from giving you good things. Surrounding yourself with positive thoughts is the best way to change your vibe and thus attract good outcomes in your life.
But changing your vibe doesn’t happen quickly. You have to work continuously to ensure no negative thoughts creep into your psyche. You have to make your mental space conducive to positivity, which could not only require mental changes but physical changes as well.
Yes, you have to think positive thoughts and listen to subliminal affirmations — those two are crucial. But you also have to create habits that boost further positive thinking in your life.
One of the best habits you can adopt in your life is exercising. Running, for example, requires mental toughness and stamina since running isn’t comfortable. You have to force yourself to continue doing it. Your brain just happens to reward you nicely with a rush of dopamine after every run, but you get the point.
Running benefits your brain and body, which then benefits your consciousness and subconsciousness. When you feel better about yourself, you help change the vibe you give off. And then, when you say positive statements and consume positive affirmations, you boost that vibrational signal to the universe.
You have to make subliminal affirmations a routine part of your life. You should also implement other good habits to intensify the vibrational signal you give off.
Adopt Other Good Habits
As mentioned previously with exercising, subliminal affirmations can help amplify the vibrational signal you give off into the universe if you build other concrete habits that help promote inner positivity.
Some positive habits to adopt involve eating healthy, hanging out with friends often, reading books of both fiction and non-fiction, meditation, stretching, laughing often, and helping others in need. This is in no way a comprehensive list, and you should continue to add positive habits to your life as you see fit.
This also means you should quit bad habits that make you feel poorly about yourself or add to the negative vibe you give into the universe. Such bad habits include smoking, gossiping, wasting time on social media in an attempt to validate yourself, lying to yourself and other people, not keeping a promise, and overall being selfish.
When you work on continually adding more positivity to your life and taking away the negativity, your thoughts will change as well. You’ll no longer feel the downward pull of negativity on your thoughts, which then expand out into your behavior and vibe.
You’ll also boost your confidence and self-esteem, which then spirals you upwards into having the courage to get what you want.
In short, subliminal affirmations should be one piece of a larger network of overall positive incorporations into your life. If you adopt consuming subliminal affirmations in addition to other functional changes like exercising, eating healthy, reading, and quitting bad habits like lying, gossiping, and putting yourself before others, you’ll see your life transform.
All it takes is thinking positively. You can help your brain do so with about 20 minutes a day of subliminal affirmations. When you spiral upward (as opposed to downward), you’ll achieve the success you’ve always dreamed of.