Though humans can’t consciously see or hear these messages, they might still influence brain pathways. Subliminal messages are visual and auditory cues delivered at levels below the threshold of human perception. Thus, some people wonder if they can use subliminal messages to influence their brain pathways and encourage weight loss. In short, it appears that subconscious cues may influence various eating behaviors ( 6, 7, 8, 9). Though both depend on neural pathways in your brain, the hedonic pathway in particular is triggered by things like stress, thoughts, emotions, and things you perceive, like advertising. On the other hand, the hedonic pathway can override the homeostatic pathway and cause hunger, even when your body has ample energy. The homeostatic pathway encourages you to eat when your body doesn’t have the energy it needs to complete its most basic functions. Two main pathways in the brain regulate the intake of food and drinks in humans ( 4, 5).

People have tried using subliminal messages to change many kinds of behavior, including to quit smoking, exercise more often, boost self-esteem, and even lose weight. For this reason, subliminal messages have often been used as a simple way to influence people’s thoughts and encourage them to change their behavior.

In other words, the human brain might perceive and react to subliminal messages without even realizing it. Though they’re below the threshold of human awareness, they may still stimulate the brain and affect behavior ( 1, 2, 3). Subliminal messages are stimuli, like sounds or images, that are too faint or quick for most people to consciously perceive.

Subliminal music for weight loss