Subliminal, << suhb LIHM uh nuhl, >> refers to stimuli that are so weak or last so short a time that a person is not aware of them. Such stimuli are said to be subliminal (below the threshold of consciousness). The consciousness threshold varies from person to person and from time to time, even in the same person. Psychologists have been trying to determine whether subliminal stimuli can influence people, perhaps through the unconscious. Some use has been made of such subliminal stimuli in advertising and in attempts by retail stores to reduce shoplifting.
See also Consciousness.
