dk.nightchills-第6章
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The subliminals apparently had influenced people to buy these products even though they were not hungry or thirsty。
〃You see；〃 Salsbury said； 〃the subconscious mind believes everything it is told。 Even though it constructs behavioral sets based on the information it receives； and although those sets guide the conscious mind…it can't distinguish between truth and falsehood！ The behavior that it programs into the conscious mind is often based on misconceptions。〃
〃But if that were correct； we'd all behave irrationally。〃
〃And we all do；〃 Salsbury said； 〃in one way or another。 Don't forget； the subconscious doesn't always construct programs based on wrong…headed ideas。 Just sometimes。 This explains why intelligent men； paragons of reason in most things； harbor at least a few irrational attitudes。〃 Like your religious fanaticism； he thought。 He said： 〃Racial and religious bigotry； for instance。 Xenophobia； claustrophobia； acrophobia 。 。 。 If a man can be made to analyze one of these fears on a conscious level； he'll reject it。 But the conscious resists analysis。 Meanwhile； the inner half of the mind continues to misguide the outer half。〃
〃These messages on the movie screen…the conscious mind wasn't aware of them； therefore； it couldn't reject them。〃
Salsbury sighed。 〃Yes。 That's the essence of it。 The subconscious saw the messages and caused the outer mind to act on them。〃
Dawson was growing more interested by the minute。 〃But why did the subliminals sell more popcorn than soda？〃
〃The first message…'Drink Coca…Cola'…was a declarative sentence；〃 Salsbury said； 〃a direct order。 Sometimes the subconscious obeys an order that's delivered subliminally…and sometimes it doesn't。〃
〃Why is that？〃
Salsbury shrugged。 〃We don't know。 But you see； the second subliminal was not entirely a direct order。 It was more sophisticated。 It began with a question： 'Hungry？' The question was designed to cause anxiety in the subconscious。 It helped to generate a need。 It established a 'motivational equation。' The need； the anxiety； is on the left side of the equals sign。 To fill the right side； to balance the equation； the subconscious programs the conscious to buy the popcorn。 One side cancels out the other。 The buying of the popcorn cancels out the anxiety。〃
〃The method is similar to posthypnotic suggestion。 But I've。 heard that a man can't be hypnotized and made to do something he finds morally unacceptable。 In other words； if he isn't a killer by nature； he can't be made to kill while under hypnosis。〃
〃That's not true；〃 Salsbury said。 〃Anyone can be made to do anything under hypnosis。 The inner mind can be manipulated so easily。 。 。 For example； if I hypnotized you and told you to kill your wife； you wouldn't obey me。〃
〃Of course I wouldn't！〃 Dawson said indignantly。
〃You love your wife。〃
〃I certainly do！〃
〃You have no reason to kill her。〃
〃None whatsoever。〃
Judging by Dawson's emphatic denials； Salsbury thought the man's subconscious must be brimming with repressed hostility toward his God…fearing； church…loving wife。 He didn't dare say as much。 Dawson would have denied it…and might have tossed him out of the office。 〃However； if I hypnotized you and told
you that your wife was having an affair with your best friend and that she was plotting to kill you in order to inherit your estate； you would believe me and…〃
〃I would not。 Julia would be incapable of such a thing。〃
Salsbury nodded patiently。 〃Your conscious mind would reject my story。 It can reason。 But after I'd hypnotized you； I'd be speaking to your subconscious…which can't distinguish between lies and truth。〃
〃Ah。 I see。〃
〃Your subconscious won't act on a direct order to kill because a direct order doesn't establish a motivational equation。 But it will believe my warning that she intends to kill you。 And so believing； it will construct a new behavioral set based on the lies…and it will program your conscious mind for murder。 Picture the equation； Leonard。 On the left of the equals sign there is anxiety generated by the 'knowledge' that your wife intends to do away with you。 On the right side； to balance the equation； to banish the anxiety； you need the death of your wife。 If your subconscious was convinced that she was going to kill you in your sleep tonight； it would cause you to murder her before you ever went to bed。〃
〃Why wouldn't I just go to the police？〃
Smiling； more sure of himself than he had been when he entered the office； Salsbury said； 〃The hypnotist could guard against that by telling your subconscious that your wife would make it look like an accident； that she was so clever the police would never prove anything against her。〃
Raising one hand； Dawson waved at the air as if he were shooing away flies。 〃This is all very interesting；〃 he said in a slightly bored tone of voice。 〃But it seems academic to me。〃
Ogden's self…confidence was fragile。 He began to tremble again。 〃Academic？〃
〃Subliminal advertising has been outlawed。 There was quite a to…do at the time。〃
〃Oh； yes；〃 Salsbury said； relieved。 〃There were hundreds of newspaper and magazine editorials。 Newsday called it the most alarming invention since the atomic bomb。 The Saturday Re…
view said that the subconscious mind was the most delicate apparatus in the universe and that it must never be sullied or twisted to boost the sales of popcorn or anything else。
〃In the late 1950s； when the experiments with the tachistoscope were publicized； nearly everyone agreed that subliminal advertising was an invasion of privacy。 Congressman James Wright of Texas sponsored a bill to outlaw any device； film； photograph； or recording 'designed to advertise a product or indoctrinate the public by means of making an impression on the subconscious mind。 Other congressmen and senators drafted legislation to deal with the menace； but none of the bills got out of mittee。 No law was passed restricting or forbidding subliminal advertising。〃
Dawson raised his eyebrows。 〃Do politicians use it？〃
〃Most of them don't understand the potential。 And the advertising agencies would just as soon keep them ignorant。 Every major agency in the U。S。 has a staff of media and behavioral scientists to develop subliminals for magazine and television ads。 Virtually every consumer item produced by Futurex and its subsidiaries is sold with subliminal advertising。〃
〃I don't believe it；〃 Dawson said。 〃I would know about it。〃
〃Not unless you wanted to know and made an effort to learn。 Thirty years ago； when you were starting out； this sort of thing didn't exist。 By the time it came into use； you were no longer closely tied to the sales end of your businesses。 You were more concerned with stock issues； mergers…wheeling and dealing。 In a conglomerate of this size； the president can't possibly pass approval on every ad for every product of every subsidiary。〃
Leaning forward in his chair； a look of distaste on his handsome face； Dawson said； 〃But I find it rather…repulsive。〃
〃If you accept the fact that a man's mind can be programmed without his knowledge； you're rejecting the notion that every man is at all times captain of his fate。 It scares hell out of people。
〃For two decades Americans have refused to face the unpleasant truth about subliminal advertising。 Opinion polls indicate that； of those who have heard of subliminal advertising；
ninety percent are certain it has been outlawed。 They have no facts to support this opinion； but they don't want to believe anything else。 Furthermore； between fifty and seventy percent of those polled say they don't believe subliminals work。 They are so revolted by the thought of being controlled and manipulated that they reject the possibility out of hand。 Rather than educate themselves about the actuality of subliminal advertising； rather than rise up and rage against it； they dismiss it as a fantasy； as science fiction。〃
Dawson shifted uneasily in his chair。 Finally； he got up； went to the huge windows and stared out at Manhattan。
Snow had begun to fall。 There was very little light in the sky。 Wind； like the voice of the city； moaned on the far side of the glass。
Turning back to Salsbury； Dawson said； 〃One of our subsidiaries is
