Ok, this is a tricky subject, but I felt compelled to ask.

[K. Ayato]

I'm sure a lot of you know or have heard of the term known as backmasking. Simply put, it's talking about so-called hidden messages in song lyrics that are found if one plays a particular song backwards. It was brought upin my cognitive psychology class as an example of what is known as subliminal learning (learning below conscious awareness), and empirical research shows that this kind of thing has no effect on influencing someone's behavior.

That's what one of the things I have to ask. When artists (secular or Christian) write a song, do they intentionally plan to write lyrics that will say something else (or sound like it) when the song is played backwards? Another question related to that is do people automatically interpret such sounds from a song played backwards as demonic or promoting drugs and such, regardless of whether or not they were told about the messages beforehand?

Lastly, why would anyone want to find such things in the first place?

[mechana2015]

i highly doubt anyone plans lyrics to sound like anything when played backwards (I've always thought backmasking was a load of crock anyways) they just write what they think. I heard of one band in history that did it intentionally, I think. I'm sure people who are paranoid/looking for a problem in somthing ar invariably going to find one... like looking for beings of doom in the shadows of your roof on a sleepless night. I think someone can hear any message in a backwards audio track if they listen for it or think there is one, otherwise its coincidence.

It may have been amistake... DJ's play things backwards for effects when they mix music... otherwise someone got very bored.

[K. Ayato]

I think it all started with that one scene from the movie The Exorcist, which isn't even a so-called Christian movie to begin with.

[ClosetOtaku]

I think it all started with that one scene from the movie The Exorcist, which isn't even a so-called Christian movie to begin with.

No, earlier than that -- John Lennon worked with George Martin to include some 'special effects', including backward messaging, in a number of later Beatles works, including the infamous White Album. I wouldn't be surprised if it had been attempted before that as well.

"Backmasking" was a big deal in the mid-1980s, when many preachers were looking for yet another reason to turn kids off of rock and roll music (or more likely, scare parents into preventing their kids from listening to same). What they were primarily objecting to was not the intentional backmasking, but unintentional -- that is, certain lyrics, played backwards, vaguely sounded like something evil from another world. Which, of course, is kind of true, assuming Satan sounds like a sedated Geddy Lee eating celery.

As you said, there is no empirical evidence that any of this made it through and was understood subliminally by listener's brains. Naturally, the same thing could be said for the lyrics of "Louie, Louie" even when played forward. In essence, the preachers were having their cake and eating it too -- Rock and Roll lyrics couldn't be understood, they said, but play it backwards and you will understand it perfectly. Bunk.

[ClosetOtaku]

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[Cap'n Nick]

I'm thinking that if they're smart enough to craft lyrics that are coherent when played either forwards or backwards, they'd write better songs.

[shooraijin]

I think the most important nail in the coffin is that most bands are in it to make money, and going to great (expensive) technical lengths to mess with their audience's heads generally doesn't translate into dollars. A BBC documentary on this interviewed Judas Priest on the subject, and asked them if they'd ever done any sort of thing like Satanic messages, subliminal suggestions and so on on their own records. "No," said the lead singer, "and if we did, we'd have it say, 'buy more albums.'"

[Hitokiri]

No, earlier than that -- John Lennon worked with George Martin to include some 'special effects', including backward messaging, in a number of later Beatles works, including the infamous White Album. I wouldn't be surprised if it had been attempted before that as well.

My Sociology class studied that as well as Charles Manson. Those songs, such as Revolution 9, sounded actually how it is supposed to say. Such as "turn me on dead man".

Also I can't remember the words but someone said "Another Bites the Dust" song.

[shooraijin]

Allegedly, the portions of "Another One Bites The Dust" where Freddy Mercury is saying something unintelligible (which may well be simply Freddy Mercury saying something unintelligible ... gasp!) have the backwards message "smoke marijuana." This was actually demonstrated on that same BBC show with a turntable on backwards, and despite the enthusiasm of the demonstrator, was really rather a stretch in practise.

Clearly these people have too much time on their hands.

[Maledicte]

One Christian band (I forget the name) once had a backmasked message that said, "Whatcha lookin' for the devil for, when you ought to be lookin' for the Lord," or something to that degree. A pretty tongue-in-cheek thing to do.

[Stephen]

Moved to the music board.

[Hitokiri]

Training for Utopia had something I hard to this affect:

"Down with your Quaran, down with your Gospel of Satan, down with your witch craftbook, down with you rZues". I was just throwing out names. I read it once on a TFU website. Basically slamming against other religions.

[K. Ayato]

In my cognitive psychology class, the professor gave another example of backmasking, only with the poem "Jabberwocky" from the book Through the Looking Glass. Even without any prompting from him, the whole thing just sounded weird.

[plutogrl03]

I've read that poem before and didn't understand it (and still don't understand it now). What was the backmasking in "Jabberwocky"?

[termyt]

One Christian band (I forget the name) once had a backmasked message that said, "Whatcha lookin' for the devil for, when you ought to be lookin' for the Lord," or something to that degree. A pretty tongue-in-cheek thing to do.

Petra. The song is Judas' Kiss.

Anyway, my thought is that the backmasking is not at all random. Some of it can be attributed to hearing what you want to hear, but some of it is pretty clear. If it was truly random, would there be just as many messages saying nonsensical stuff like "Bunnies fly at midnight?" My guess is someone intentionally placed the messages there. Anyway, most of the songs creditted with backwards messages are pretty questionable forward as well, and that should be enough to urge caution.

[Maledicte]

Anyway, my thought is that the backmasking is not at all random. Some of it can be attributed to hearing what you want to hear, but some of it is pretty clear. If it was truly random, would there be just as many messages saying nonsensical stuff like "Bunnies fly at midnight?" My guess is someone intentionally placed the messages there.

But, but, but...I can never hear them!!! As much as people say that that's what's being said, try as I might I still CANNOT hear a thing!

[K. Ayato]

The backmasking in a passage of "Jabberwocky" is weird. First, my professor played it without any prompt as to what the message (he said it was a demonic one later on) was. Then he told us he would play it again, and told us to listen for a phrase that sounded like "saw a girl with a weasel in her mouth". Even then, it was just plain weird. Both times I didn't get it. Sounded like garbled noise to me.