This article says that some learning can take place subliminally. However, the effect is small and non-specific, unlike previous claims. (The article is in the NY Times archive and is no longer free.)
The Education of the Subconscious
Column Name: ** Vital Signs: Perceptions** New York Times; New York, N.Y.; Oct 30, 2001; Eric Nagourney
I am also very interested in learning more about the subliminal tapes. I have seen several advertisements for a light and tape therapy that alleges to take the victim into a Theta wave brain wave pattern. The advertisement further alleges that while in the Theta wave pattern, the victim’s brain is most susceptible to infusion of new thoughts. That is when the tape apparently kicks in with “mommy and I are one…destroy mommy” mind altering messages.
I would seem rather apparent to me, that if this were the case, why had our government not acted on this program to teach it’s operative’s all kind of great stuff, similar to the what they did to Keanu Reeves in, “The Matrix”.
I’m surprised Cecil didn’t take him to task for a blanket character assault and several logical fallacies (psychologists trying to understand how the brain works hardly means they are trying to find ways to manipulate people; participation of a few psychologists in advertising techniques does not make all psychologists guilty; ad hominem attack that psychologists are unreliable by definition; assertion that all psychologists would automatically “smear” Key). I assume it was a limitation of space and not an oversight of such blatant ignorance.