Do Subliminal Messages Actually Work? Post #1

I used to believe that listening to “focus” audios or subliminal tracks on YouTube could help me study or feel more confident. It felt like a secret brain hack that no one talked about. But after going through the lecture and reading Anthony Pratkanis’ article on subliminal self-help tapes, I learned there is no real evidence that subliminal messages have any meaningful effect. In his study, participants who listened to tapes labeled for memory or self-esteem didn’t actually improve in either area. What really changed was their belief that they had improved, not their actual performance. That really stuck with me because it shows how powerful our expectations can be. The placebo effect is strong, and sometimes our minds trick us into feeling better even when nothing changed. This made me realize that a lot of what feels real is just perception, not proof. Next time I see a video claiming to rewire my brain overnight, I’ll be a lot more skeptical.