We each have our own folk subliminal songs, nearly alike but diverse enough to reflect the variations in our upbringing and informed perspectives. Considering the blend of conscious and subliminal elements of awareness, it is a fair assumption that these folk songs represent in part at least a subliminal stimulus to composition. Similarly, many people believe that subliminal messages in rock songs can influence listeners.

Some years back, parents of two boys who committed suicide alleged that the rock group ?Judas Priest? had subliminally inserted the words "Do it, Do it" below the lyrics in a morbid song called "Beyond the Realms of Death."

Charges have also been made, that concealed messages are present in Christian rock songs as well.

Another claim is that certain mock-'n'-mobb recordings allegedly contained ?satanic? subliminal messages in songs that were recorded backward and superimposed. Some people allege that listeners subconsciously perceived these messages and then followed the evil advice. The issue for psychologists is not whether any rock band ever inserted such a message or not. There are a lot of "wild" rock bands, after all...

The real issue is whether a backward message recorded below the threshold of human perception has any influence.

If people hear such a message, can they ever understand it? Even if they don't hear it, does it subconsciously alter their behavior?

Researchers have recorded several messages (nothing satanic) and asked participants to listen to them backwards. So far, no "Einstein" listening to a backward message has been to decode what it would sound like forwards, and except for a nasty headache, listening to it hasn't influenced behavior in any perceivable way.