The TikTok Trend That Has People Convinced They Can Wish Anything Into Existence
Can you really wish your way to a better life?
Golubovy & PopTika / Shutterstock Subliminal messaging has been around for decades, and there have been mixed opinions on whether or not they have an effect on human behavior.
Subliminal messages started gaining traction in the 1940s, when they were occasionally inserted in radio, film, and television programs. Since then, they have been a prominent tactic in advertising, and numerous studies have shown that subliminal messaging subtly influences the human brain.
In the current day and age of technology, though, a new wave of subliminal messaging has been taking over social media, and it has users across platforms — TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit — under the impression that they can change their lives, appearance and more by doing "subliminals."
Let’s take a look at what subliminals are, what social media users are saying about them, and if they really work.
What are subliminals and do they actually work?
Subliminals are just a form of subliminal messaging. They’re more readily available for widespread consumption thanks to the ever-expanding world of social media and online communities.
Social media users claim that by listening to subliminals, people can change their face shape, lose weight, make money, get clear skin, and more.
For example, TikTok user Savannah Rae Böhlin uploaded a video to the platform where she claims that by listening to her video, one can willfully clear their skin with no acne products or a skincare regimen.
Rather, the only thing they need to do is listen to her video, and repeat the mantras that appear.
“Omg my face started tingling,” one TikTok user commented, citing a sensation that many other social media users note while doing subliminals.
A Reddit user also claimed that after listening to subliminals for “height gain,” their friends and family told them they “looked taller” as a result.
“I'm listening to subliminals for height gain,” the Reddit user wrote. “I have those tingling feelings in my legs and back. My friends and family told me that I looked taller after listening to it for 3 days. But it frustrates me when people say it's all fake and it doesn't work.”
It’s important to note that the user did not provide before/after photos to back up their claims.
Another Reddit user challenged that social media user’s results, writing, “Answer honestly, which do you think sounds more likely: that you have trumped all of modern science and grown physically taller after listening to noise, or you have started standing straighter.”
People on TikTok don't just use subliminals for physical changes.
Böhlin, the TikToker who posted the clear skin subliminal, also posted one for “good grades.”
Some of the phrases she tells her followers to repeat include, “I trust myself to perform to the best of my ability,” “I am intelligent,” and “I feel secure in what I’m learning.”
Multiple users alleged that their bodies were tingling after listening to the video and repeating the phrases out loud. But again, there was no concrete evidence that the subliminal actually worked.
Can subliminals help you manifest anything into your life?
While social media users on multiple platforms claim that by listening to subliminals, you can change just about anything you want, evidence that you can change things like your physical appearance or your grades just by willing them into existence is scarce.
Think about it: can you really go from failing a class to acing it just by listening to a TikTok star play a Tibetan singing bowl? Will $5,000 suddenly appear in your bank account because you visualized money while listening to new age music on YouTube or TikTok?
Most likely not, but there are positive benefits that come out of reading and repeating positive mantras, which people have done for countless years.
Studies have shown that affirmations and mantras have a positive effect on the human brain, and can "decrease stress, increase well being, improve academic performance and make people more open to behavior change."
That being said, maybe it’s not the subliminals in and of themselves that will quickly change the course of one’s life, bring them money and success, or suddenly bring them unwavering happiness.
Perhaps it’s the consistent positive reassurance people are now giving themselves that alters their thought patterns and perception of everyday life. And, in turn, they’re finally seeing what they want to see.
Olivia Jakiel is an editor and writer who covers celebrity and entertainment news. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her zingers on Twitter.