How long have subliminals been around?

Subliminals are not new. For centuries, they have been used in physical and emotional healing and education. For instance, practitioners of ancient disciplines used a "whispering technique" to help students memorize lessons. The teacher whispered behind other sounds (strong winds, ocean waves, musical instruments) so students could not consciously hear the whispered lesson.

But the use of subliminal techniques is still not widely accepted. Subliminal techniques are alternately considered revolutionary, wishful thinking, powerful, snake oil, or devilry - depending upon the source. The U.S. educational system does not incorporate the techniques of subliminal learning, as some European systems do, and many health care professionals deny or ignore the possibilities for subliminals in physical and emotional healing.

Nonetheless, subliminals have become big business. Retail sales of $50 million were reported in 1987 for U.S. produced subliminal audio tapes, and in 1989, one company earned over $20 million in gross sales.