Unconscious Triggers
July 3, 2012One of the most interesting subjects I’ve researched over the past year has been the power and possibility of the human unconscious. Every moment of our lives, we are bombarded by far more sensations—sights, sounds, odors, tastes, textures—than our conscious brains can process. This means the vast majority of these stimuli are acted on by our unconscious brains and alter our behavior without our awareness.
The essay I wrote about this appeared in the Dutch edition of Ode Magazine back in early 2011 and it is has now been released in the U.S. edition. A highlight:
Want to make a person more pliable? No problem. Just sit them down in a comfortable chair. Trying to make a good impression during a job interview? Give your prospective employer a hot drink and their unconscious brain will make you appear “warmer” and friendlier. Looking to increase donations during a charity drive? A spritz of Windex in the air promotes generosity because the concept of clean is unconsciously tied to the concept of virtue. How about a treatment for obese patients? Make them play a picture game in which they cross out photographs of cake and cheeseburgers and their unconscious brains will slowly learn to reject fatty foods.
To read the full story click *here* or click on the magazine cover at the bottom of the post.
