Subliminally Yours

We tend to think that we’re only aware of what we choose to focus on. The truth is far more unsettling. Our senses are wide open channels, and we’re constantly absorbing the world around us. Every sound, sight, scent, and sensation is being recorded, logged, stored somewhere deep within.

We are bombarded every day with subliminal messages. But before I go further, let me clarify the term. Subliminal comes from the Latin sub (below) and limen (threshold). It refers to anything that happens below the level of conscious awareness. A subliminal message, then, is something your brain absorbs without you realising it. Your subconscious mind picks it up and influences you.

You might not consciously notice it, but a flash of an image, a word buried in a song, or the subtle colours in an advert will affect you. Your brain registers it, and over time, those invisible things shape the way you think, feel, and respond to the world around you.

Your mind is like an ocean. Everything you’ve ever seen, heard, touched, or felt is submerged in those depths. Conversations you forgot, images you glanced at for a second, offhand comments from strangers are all in there.

If you could drop a trawler net into that sea of memory, what would you pull up?

A scent might trigger a childhood memory. A song might reel in a heartbreak you thought you’d buried. A passing phrase could awaken a belief you didn’t even know you held.

Subliminal messages are like tiny fish – small, unnoticed, but numerous – and together, they can shift the tide. Our eyes and ears are the primary gateways. They take in more than we can ever consciously process.

Your eyes register symbols, colours, and motion in milliseconds. Your ears pick up tone, pitch, and emotional undercurrents in someone’s voice. By the time your conscious mind catches up, your subconscious has already logged the data. This is how we end up carrying emotions we can’t trace, or forming beliefs we never questioned.

It’s no wonder, then, that we’re so emotionally bruised—constantly absorbing what we don’t even realise is harming us. To protect our mental clarity in a noisy world, we have to learn to train our eyes and filter what we absorb.

The internet, media, advertising are full of psychological hooks and emotional bait. If we don’t become intentional about what we see, we’ll passively take in everything — the fear, the comparison, the distraction, the noise.

Not everything visible is valuable.

Not everything loud is worth hearing.

We need a filter for the mind. A good filter is shifting our focus.

The Bible gives us a clear lens for filtering our focus. In Philippians 4:8, Paul writes:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

This verse is more than spiritual advice. It’s a survival strategy in a world of subliminal junk.

It’s a call to consciously choose what we give our attention to – and what we allow into the depths of our mental ocean.

Your mind is always listening.

Your eyes are always watching.

The question is: What are they being fed? And what kind of person are you becoming because of it?

It’s really the little things that turn out to be enormous. Choosing to speak kind words. Sharing a smile. Holding your tongue when tempted to argue. Making an about-face when you find your mind wandering into negativity (because you remembered the goal of Philippians: to focus on everything excellent). Apologising for speaking harshly or rudely instead of accepting your offensive behaviour as a good thing.

Philippians 4:5 reads:

“Let your gentleness be evident to all.” (NIV)

“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.” (ESV)

“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.” (NLT)

The call to “let your gentleness be evident to all” is more than just about behaviour; it’s about growing into spiritual maturity. It means becoming wise and self-sacrificing, calm and patient, peaceful and contented — traits that don’t come overnight but develop as we intentionally filter what we let into our minds and hearts.

In a world overflowing with noise and distraction, these qualities ground us. They allow us to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively. They help us choose peace over chaos and focus on what is good and true, even when the world tries to pull us in the opposite direction.

Choose wisely.

Trawl carefully.

Focus intentionally.