Introduction to Psychology

Introduction to Psychology

3.10 Subliminal Perception Not all stimuli register in awareness. A subliminal stimulus is one that is so weak or brief that, although it is received by the senses, it cannot be perceived consciously. Although subliminal stimuli cannot control consumer behavior, research suggests that such stimuli do affect more subtle phenomena such as perceptions and behavior. 3.11 Extrasensory Perception ESP is most commonly called the "sixth sense." It is sensory information that an individual receives beyond the ordinary five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. It can provide the individual with information of the present, past, and future; as it seems to originate in a second, or alternate reality. The term "ESP" was used in 1870 by Sir Richard Burton. A French researcher, Dr. Paul Joire used the term ESP in 1892 to describe the ability of person who had been hypnotized or was in a trance state to externally sense things without using their ordinary senses. The argument rests on the hypothesis that two realities exist, the physical one and a second one. ESP can occur when there is an integration between both realities. This occurs infrequently and only when the barriers between the realities are broken. It does not happen often, because if it did, all unconscious thought would flood and overflow the conscious mind, a condition which the mind could not withstand.

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