Advertising, news, movies - is hypnosis? How to identify and protect

Introduction. Have you ever caught yourself thinking that thoughtlessly Do you watch TV or take the headline at its word? That advertising fascinates you to buy something you never thought of before? These everyday media. publicity. news. cinema They can influence our minds so deeply that it is compared to hypnosis. But can the screen really bring us into a trance, like a magician with a pendulum? In this article, we will conduct a small journalistic investigation on a popular science basis to understand whether there is a mass hypnosis effect in the media, how to recognize it and, most importantly, how to protect yourself from it.

What is hypnosis and what is media?
Before you accuse a TV or a movie projector of witchcraft, let’s understand what it is. hypnosis. In the classical sense, hypnosis is a state of consciousness of increased suggestibility, when a person is focused on a narrow range of stimuli and less critically perceives information. Usually imagine a hypnotist with a pendulum or a rotating spiral, lulling with a voice: “Your eyelids are getting heavier...” In fact, hypnosis is not magic, but a psychological phenomenon in which the critical filter of consciousness is temporarily weakened.
Interestingly, one of the experts, hypnotherapist Nick Aguirre, argues that hypnosis is essentially equal to the effect on a person (Aguirre talk links media, hypnosis: News: The Media School). Hypnosis is “anything that tries to control or change a person’s behavior through the formation of beliefs” (Aguirre talk links media, hypnosis: News: The Media School). So if advertising or news influences our beliefs and behavior, they use hypnosis techniques in some way. Aguirre identifies three main “hypnotic modalities” that are common in the media: authority (For example, the lead in the white coat is trustworthy), doctrine or a compelling idea (slogan, story) and overload Aguirre talk links media, hypnosis: News: The Media School (Aguirre talk links media, hypnosis: News: The Media School) Let's see how these techniques manifest themselves in advertising, news and movies.

Advertising: Inconspicuous suggestion
Advertising surrounds us everywhere – from TV commercials to banners on the Internet. Its purpose is to persuade us to take an action (to buy a product, a service) or to form an attitude. And it does this often, bypassing our logic, acting directly on emotions and the subconscious. For example, instead of the boring specs of a new phone, a commercial will show us a happy family at a picnic shot on this smartphone in warm colors. This is an emotional suggestion: the product is associated with joy and comfort, and the viewer is involuntarily imbued with sympathy.
Sometimes the methods of advertisers literally teeter on the verge of direct hypnosis. The story of the 1950s: marketer James Vikeri claimed to have introduced hidden flashes of the phrases "Drink Coca-Cola" and "Eat popcorn" into the cinema, invisible to the eye. He claimed that popcorn sales were up 57.7 percent and cola sales were up 18.1 percent (The Subliminal Experiment - Ilya Vedrashko). This was the effect of so-called subliminal messages (i.e., subconscious messages). The news shocked the audience – people were afraid that they could secretly zombify through the screen. Later it turned out that the Vaikeri experiment was most likely a hoax: repeated attempts by other researchers failed, and even the US Federal Communications Commission demanded evidence that Waikeri never provided (The Subliminal Experiment - Ilya Vedrashko). However, the uproar surrounding the story showed that the public believed that advertising could work like hypnosis, imperceptibly instilling ideas.
Today, advertising techniques have become even more sophisticated. Instead of secret outbreaks, subtle psychological moves are used: authority – for example, an expert in a bathrobe advises toothpaste (we automatically trust the opinion of the “doctor”); cliché An annoying jingle or slogan that gets stuck in your head emotional triggers – cute puppies, causing tenderness, or fear of missing out on benefits (“only today 50% off”). All this hits the feelings, bypassing rational comprehension. We may not even remember later why we chose this brand of milk, even though we have seen it advertised dozens of times. But the choice was made – the suggestion worked.
It is no coincidence that advertisers cooperate with psychologists. Some techniques are based on neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and techniques Ericksonian hypnosis It is a style of speech suggestion developed by psychotherapist Milton Erickson. Advertising texts are used certain words and phrases, which cause us the necessary associations, enter into a slight trance. For example, the slogan with the element of suggestion: “Imagine a cozy evening with a cup of our tea...” – the word “imagine” already plunges you into a small dreamy state, where you are more receptive to advertising. So, step by step, advertising sort of programs our behavior.
Identify Advertising hypnosis is possible by asking yourself a few questions: “What feelings are trying to cause me?” Doesn’t that sound too good to be true? It’s helpful to include an inner skeptic: noticing when a mood or image is being sold to you instead of facts. And most importantly, remember that bright images and loud promises are created to bypass logic. Protection: pause. Before you click “buy”, exhale and soberly assess: do I really need it, or am I cleverly manipulated?



News and Propaganda: Information Transaction
Daily news They inform us about events, but they often shape our opinion of the world. Sometimes news is presented in a way that is more like a session of mass suggestion. Especially when it comes to politics or social conflicts, propaganda mechanisms are included. A classic technique. repetition. If the same thought is constantly heard from the TV screen or from each headline, over time you begin to believe it, without even figuring out whether it is true. Social psychologists call this the illusory truth effect: a repeated statement seems more true simply because it has become familiar. As early as the 1960s, the philosopher Jacques Ellul warned that “the prolonged, hypnotic repetition of the same ideas, images, and rumors prepares a person to accept propaganda.” Indeed, it is enough to recall slogans from different eras (whether political slogans or obsessive clichés in the media) – they work almost like mantras.
Beyond repetition, news can put us in a special state. trance Fear or shock. For example, during crises or emergencies, TV channels constantly spin frightening footage, dramatic music, large emotional plans. This creates an atmosphere of anxiety in which the audience is glued to the screen and absorbs any messages. In this state, a person is less inclined to critically reflect on what he heard – the “fight or flight” effect works: we react with emotion, not reasoning. The media sometimes deliberately warms up these emotions to keep the audience’s attention – and at this point they can inspire the right interpretation of events.
The information flow itself can act hypnotically. We receive news 24 hours a day from all sides: TV, Internet, social networks. This never-ending information overload paradoxically causes the brain to shut down. French philosopher and sociologist Jean Baudrillard noted that in an avalanche of news people fall into a state of stupor, losing the ability to distinguish the important from the secondary. A similar thought was expressed by Ellul: when we are overloaded with information, the brain “closes”, ceases to take everything critically – a kind of protective trance so as not to go crazy from the flow of information (Finding New ‘F-words’ in Trump Era News | The International Jacques Ellul Society). In such a numb state, the messages pass “under the radar” of consciousness.
How? recognizeWhen is the news trying to hypnotize us? Signs: too frequent repetition of the same words or images (think about why this is done); strong emotional coloring of the news, inspiring a sense of panic or, conversely, euphoria; lack of alternative points of view (meaning you want to convince the only “correct” version). For protectionIt is useful to receive news from different sources, especially independent ones. Comparing different points of view brings us back to critical thinking, as if it brings us out of a trance. Another trick – ask questions: “Who is reporting this information?” What does he want? How do I feel when I listen to this – scared, angry? If emotions are clearly pressing on you, this is a signal that they are trying not to inform you, but to suggest something. In such moments, it is important to take a step back: switch, cool the emotions and then analyze the facts.

In a dark room, alone with an illusion
Finally, cinema It seems to be an area of art and entertainment. But there is also a place for hypnosis. Everyone who has been to the cinema knows this feeling: the lights go out, and for a couple of hours you seem to fall into another world. In psychology, there is even the term “suspension of disbelief” – the willingness of the viewer to believe in what is happening on the screen and emotionally engage. Essentially, we voluntarily go into a trance to enjoy history. A good director, as a skilled hypnotist, knows how to control the attention of the public: music he sets the mood, editing - the rhythm of experiences, acting - inspires empathy to the heroes. The auditorium unanimously laughs, freezes with terror or cries - as if on command, although there are no teams, there is only the magic of cinema.
Scientists have investigated the physiology of this phenomenon. Back in 1969, researcher Herbert Krugman attached electroencephalogram sensors to a viewer watching TV. He found that after 30 seconds of viewing brain The viewer switches from active beta rhythms (wake state) to slower alpha waves characteristic of a relaxed, trance state (Dr. Herbert Krugman (1969): Watching TV induces alpha brain waves (similar to hypnosis) | Cognitive-Liberty.online). Once the subject looked at the printed text of the magazine, the brain returned to beta rhythms, that is, to meaningful attention (Dr. Herbert Krugman (1969): Watching TV induces alpha brain waves (similar to hypnosis) | Cognitive-Liberty.online). In other words, the screen literally lulls our rational brain into a light trance, close to hypnotic! In this state, we are deeply absorbed in the video series and more suggestible to the ideas contained in it. No wonder, when people leave the hall after a strong film, it takes time to “come to their senses” from the world of illusions.
Of course, the movie doesn’t aim to sell directly (unless it’s a hidden advertisement for a product in the frame), but it can change beliefs gently, through history. For example, a well-made war drama can inspire patriotic uplift or, conversely, pacifist ideas – and the viewer will not even notice that his position has shifted. Documentary films, feature films on social topics are not only entertainment, but also a powerful way to influence views. In the 1940s, director Frank Capra spoke of cinema as a “weapon” of influence. In Nazi Germany, Leni Riefenstahl promoted ideology with her films, using large-scale spectacular scenes (for example, the film Triumph of the Will). There, the real hypnotic technique was the construction of mass actions, emphasized by music and editing, so that the viewer would be imbued with the greatness of the leader shown. This is essentially a collective cinema hypnosis.
Signs. The fact that the film purposefully inspires the idea: too one-sided depiction of the topic (no complicated characters, everything is black and white – means you are being manipulated); the feeling that you are “played” on emotions (excessive pressure on pity, fear, pride). But it’s not easy to recognize when you’re watching, because you’re immersed and vulnerable. Therefore defence It's more of a general thing: develop critical thinking and after watching, think, "What did you want me to say with this movie?" Do I agree? What tricks have bothered me? It is useful to discuss what you have seen with someone - clarity of thought returns in an argument. And, of course, you should not consume movies and TV series indiscriminately: choose high-quality content, different genres, so as not to dwell on one type of suggestion.

Conclusion: Knowledge is the best defense
Conclusion. Is it possible to say that advertising, news and movies are hypnosis? In a certain sense. yesThey can put us in a state close to trance: our alertness decreases, emotions come to the fore, and critical perception is dulled. It is at such moments that the media send their suggestions – buy a product, believe in the news, experience a feeling that then grows into a belief. But it's also important to understand that, unlike the hypnotist scene, we always have a choice whether to be influenced. Mass media hypnosis is not omnipotent if we resist it with knowledge and awareness.
How do you defend yourself? First of all, develop caution and criticality. When you know about manipulation techniques, they are more difficult to turn unnoticed. Alternate sources of information, arrange yourself a “detox” from the screens so that the brain does not plunge into passive mode for a long time. If you feel that something captures you too much (be it a tempting commercial or a hysterical news story), pause, distract yourself, let your emotions cool down. Remember that awareness is the main antidote to hidden suggestion. The media can be a powerful tool of influence, but ultimately the final word is ours. Let the screen be a window into the world, not a mirror for our consciousness, and then no hypnosis threatens him.



Glossary

• Hypnosis A special state of consciousness characterized by concentrated attention and increased suggestibility with weakened critical control.
• Trans. An altered state of consciousness (such as a hypnotic trance or meditative state) in which a person is distracted from external stimuli and deeply immersed in himself or into a narrow focus (such as a screen).
• Subconscious The layer of the psyche, where there are thoughts, feelings and desires that are not directly aware, but affect behavior. Advertising is often aimed at subconscious perception.
• Sublimine message A hidden, brief signal or image that is perceived subconsciously (so fast or implicit that consciousness does not fix it). It is assumed that such reports can influence behavior (although the scientific evidence for this is controversial).
• Alpha waves A type of electrical oscillation of the brain with a frequency of ~8-13 Hz. Alpha rhythm is characteristic of relaxed, calm wakefulness (for example, a state of light rest or the onset of napping). Associated with a less critical, more dreamy state of mind.
• Promotion The purposeful dissemination of ideas, views or information (often political) in order to form certain beliefs in the audience. Can use emotional and manipulative techniques, repetition and one-sided coverage of the topic.
• NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming) Pseudoscientific method of communication and psychocorrection, based on a set of techniques of influence by word and body language. The goal is to “reprogram” the human mind. Although the scientific effectiveness of NLP is not proven, some of its techniques are used in sales and advertising.
• Critical thinking The ability to analyze information objectively and balancedly, to verify facts, to distinguish opinions from facts, not to succumb to first impressions or emotions. Developed critical thinking is the main tool against manipulation and suggestion.