In the 1950s, advertising expert James Vicary conducted an experiment in a movie theater, where he allegedly flashed the phrases "EAT POPCORN" and "DRINK COKE" so quickly that the audience couldn't consciously register them. He claimed that this resulted in an 18.1% increase in Coke sales and a 57.7% rise in popcorn sales. This marked the birth of "subliminal advertising". However, today, this form of advertising is banned in most countries, including the US, where the FCC deems it deceptive. Despite this, self-help tapes claiming to contain subliminal messages continue to generate $50 million in sales annually. This raises the question: which is more effective, subliminal advertising or hypnotic writing?
Vicary's infamous movie theater experiment has been debunked as a hoax. His claims of testing on 50,000 people were false, as the small town theater couldn't accommodate such a number. Furthermore, he didn't keep an accurate count of popcorn or coke sales. It seems Vicary wanted subliminal advertising to work to boost his consulting business. However, research indicates that his method was ineffective.
Subliminal tapes have also been scrutinized. Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson, authors of the book "Age of Propaganda", conducted studies to determine the effectiveness of subliminal advertising and self-help tapes. Their research found no evidence to support the efficacy of these methods. Despite people's desire to believe in subliminals, there was no proof that they worked to any degree.
Unlike subliminal advertising, hypnotic writing is not deceptive, hidden, or illegal. It aims to influence people with clear, consciously perceived words. Hypnotic writing employs stories, active writing, strategic sentence structure, and more to achieve results.
Subliminal advertising doesn't boost sales, but hypnotic writing does. While subliminal advertising supposedly operates below your conscious level of awareness, hypnotic writing works on your subconscious mind by engaging your conscious mind.
Consider this: subliminal advertising might involve the controversial claim that "images" in ice cubes in a liquor ad resemble naked women. However, you'd have to interpret the ice cubes like Rorschach Test ink-blots to reach that conclusion. And even if there were faint images of naked women in the ice cubes, would that genuinely persuade anyone to buy more alcohol?
On the other hand, an example of hypnotic writing might be a story-oriented sales letter. For instance, a letter I wrote that began, "I'm nearly in tears..." told a story of how my latest book was inspiring people to pursue their dreams. The story allowed the sales message to resonate with readers, leading to increased book sales. Hypnotic writing works.
In conclusion, while subliminal advertising is not only dubious but also illegal, hypnotic writing is legitimate and yields results.
Why Encourage People?
Win taught me that whatever you focus on expands. This was long before the movie The Secret or before the Law of Attraction hit mainstream media. Win called it the first law of psychology. Whatever you focus on will expand.
The Unparalleled Influence of "The Book of est"
In the vast sea of self-help literature, one book stands out as a transformative powerhouse: "The Book of est." This lesser-known tome has not only reshaped my perspective but has also left an indelible mark on the lives of countless readers. It's a book that eclipses even the most renowned titles like "Think and Grow Rich," and for some, it holds a more profound impact than religious texts such as the Bible. This is a bold claim, but it's rooted in the profound personal transformations that "The Book of est" has catalyzed.
Attracting Harry Potter's Magic Guitar
These days I love attracting guitars and playing guitars. I'm fortunate enough to know musicians as well as guitar teachers. Weekly lessons with Guitar Monk Mathew Dixon are a blast. Talking music with guitarist Pat O'Bryan is always enlightening. And meeting luthiers (guitar makers) is also educational and inspiring. (Pic's of Pat and me.*)
