Subliminal perception currently remains a significantly controversial topic in our society. Studies have been conducted to prove the existence of subliminal perception and the effect of subliminal stimuli on various research experiments. Today, we are still learning new things about this phenomenon.
Subliminal perception or subliminal projection refers to the presentation of stimuli below a person’s conscience awareness, in an attempt to influence behavior and feelings. It is a technique of extending information below the absolute threshold of sensation, or awareness. Messages, or stimuli, are received by the senses and retained below the sense of awareness. Messages played backwards have the ability to be recognized, but they have never had influential capabilities over people. An observer receives these specific subliminal messages subconsciously without realizing he or she even noticed it. However, there is no information that proves that people are able to learn new ideas through their subconscious state of mind. Only simple one or two word phrases can be processed, not difficult and complex statements. Stimuli that are too weak or too brief to be consciously heard or seen may be still be

Wilson Bryan Key also saw the word S-E-X embedded everywhere, ranging from liquor to Ritz Crackers. Key believes that, "SEX is the most frequently embedded word in the American advertising industry," stated within the chapter, "Sex is Alive and embedded in Practically Everything." Key claims that the holes in the Ritz Crackers are composed during bake time to form the letters S, E, and X within the crackers (Key, Seduction 64)

In 1991, a study was performed which involved the subjects listening to several taps that would improve their self-esteem or memory. This process also involves the first approach to subliminal perception, like Vicary's movie experiment, it involves the constant repetition of a weak stimuli increasing and the effect on the subjects involved. The subjects were chosen for their interest in either of the two fields under experimentation. Their levels of self-esteem or memory abilities were measured and taken into consideration. A tape was distributed amongst the subjects to listen to on a daily basis for the duration of a month to increase their self-confidence or memory abilities. At the end of the month, the subjects were tested again to see if there had been any improvement.