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Reinforcing the Unreal: Subliminals and the Normalization of Unscientific Body Transformations on Reddit
Conference proceeding   Open access

Reinforcing the Unreal: Subliminals and the Normalization of Unscientific Body Transformations on Reddit

Shruti Phadke
Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp 1-19
13 Apr 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3790846
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https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3790846View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open Access via Drexel Libraries Read and Publish Program 2026 Open CC BY-NC-ND V4.0

Abstract

Human-centered computing -- Empirical studies in collaborative and social computing Human-centered computing -- Empirical studies in HCI
Subliminals are audiovisual routines that claim to induce change through mental programming, promising transformations across many aspects of modern life. While the idea of subliminal influence is not new, contemporary subliminals have become popular online commodities for pursuing implausible bodily modifications mediated by social media. This study applies a mixed-methods and computational approach to characterize the desires that motivate subliminal use and the social reinforcement that legitimizes unverified practices. The findings show that subliminal users are strongly oriented toward Western beauty ideals and frequently participate in adjacent magical thinking communities alongwith weight-loss and eating disorder forums. In terms of community interaction, posts that share positive results receive higher support and visibility, whereas skeptical reports tend to be unpopular and less endorsed. Taken together, this research contributes an empirical understanding of how unscientific attitudes toward rapid self-transformations are sustained and normalized in online spaces.

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