The human mind is a miraculous thing! Information bombards us daily from each of our five senses. Our brain processes all this information through a subconscious filtering system named the "Reticular Activating System" (RAS).

Even though scientists and doctors are still unsure of how this part of the brain performs its functions, salespersons and marketing specialist have known for decades how to use it to increase their sales. They call this marketing method "subliminal advertising". To understand how this marketing strategy works, you must understand how your brain processes incoming information.

As described in "The Role of the Brain", the RAS:
"alerts the brain to incoming information from the senses, and from the centers of thought, memory and feeling. More than that, it adjudicates the relative importance of that information. . . In a way the RAS is like a vigilant secretary, sorting out the trivia from the incoming messages."(1)

In the plainest of English, the RAS filters out information deemed unimportant, while forwarding on to our conscious memory information that we consider important. However, the information that has been filtered out is not discarded; rather, it is stored in our subconscious memory.

Police departments often use hypnotism to help witnesses access these subconscious memories. Hypnotism is a technique used to enable us access to our subconscious memories. This permits us to recall the details of events that our RAS had previously filtered out.

Subliminal advertising is a method used to take advantage of how our brain processes information. This includes the filtered information stored in our subconscious memory. Subliminal ads work because even without remembering the details of an advertisement, our subconscious retains the information etched deep into our brain.

One example of subliminal advertising is the product placement ad. This advertising method inserts products into different media such as movies, video games, and TV programs! By having the stars of the show drinking a particular brand of soda, or using a specific type of computer, your subconscious is associating those brands with that movie star. The next time you watch a movie, pay attention and you will easily see various brand-name products.

After the show, you will probably not consciously remember what the star was drinking (well, at least not before you read this). However, your subconscious does. The next time you are thirsty,

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