Subliminal Images in Watchtower Literature

Hi all,

Subliminal images in Watchtower stuff:

http://watchtower.observer.org/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SUBLIMINALIMAGES  and there are many more than this.

What I want to know is - why?  What purposes do these images serve?  Are the artists JWs themselves?  If so, are they directed to put these in there?  Why does the WT deny their existance?  

I think it's scary.   Any thoughts, theories, etc.?

BAG,

This has been discussed many times.  Many of these images are just in the eye of the beholder.  Some of them do exist and are most probably just artists playing pranks.  This is quite common in industry.  There is no reason to believe the WT Society is commissioning these things.  They deny that they exist because some of the pictures people claim exist really do not exist and they are embarassed about the others.

rem

Since Jehovah is the editor of the Watchtower, it makes you wonder how these "pranks" were able to slip through.  That's why the Society denies their existance. 

It sure made me wonder. Then it made me doubt. The snowball started rolling downhill from there.

Tammy

Oh, and...

Welcome BornAgainGirl!

Rem:

I agree with you.  People see things in clouds or in the patterns of wallpaper.  It doesn't mean that the sources are from the devil.   Even if the artist pulled a prank, it doesn't mean that it was done with the approval of the leaders of the Watchtower Society.  There are enough legitimate faults in the organization without 'grasping at straws."    

Mizpah,

I agree with you now in hindsight.

But back in the early 1980's when I first encountered this, it was really earth-shattering. In the black and white world of JW thinking, the Watchtower was a letter from God. It was inspired. This demonic image before me appearing in the folds of an angel's robes was explained away as apostates that had infiltrated the Bethel art department.

Apostates back then were thought of as under demon control, so it was almost like Satan himself taking over the medium and Jehovah powerless to stop it, even though his Son was now ruling in the heavens! So was there no one in Bethel or the Governing Body with enough of Jehovah's Holy Spirit to catch this Apostate graffiti?

Others around me just accepted it and said "Oh, those evil apostates! Satan really has a hold of them in this time of the end."  To me, however, it was inconceivable that Jehovah would let his holy words be desecrated. It gave me huge doubts. It was very shocking!

Tammy

Strangely enough, as small as this issue is, it was the one that opened my eyes.

After the pictures appeared, I wondered how the society would deal with it.  Well, I waited and waited, eventually assuming that they would just ignore it.  Although less than totally satisfying, I would have accepted this lack of response.

But, one day, in a seemingly unrelated article about rumors, they completely denied that it had happened.  They just came out and said that there were no pictures, even though I could see them with my own eyes.  I found this insulting to my intelligence.  The society appeared to have no respect for their members at all.

From that point on, I began to notice that all was not well in JW-land.

I'm sorry but I see NO subliminal images that show any signs of being purposely put there. Maybe that is why the WT has denied it because they are nothing more than similarities.

Some of the hidden pictures in the publications were very close to wishful thinking, but there are two pictures that I cannot believe are anything other than purposeful insertions:

- WT, Feb 1/83, p19.  This picture shows two sisters in service, being directed by an angel.  In the folds of their skirt, a picture (looking like a greek god) can be seen

- Revelation climax, p159.  This picture shows Jesus extending his hand.  In his palm is a face.

In both of these pictures, the hidden face is out of place.  Once you have noticed it, you realize that it is not naturally occurring.  In fact, its lines are unnatural to the picture.

 

Haven't seen either of those...do you know if they are on the web anywhere?

This is the one that I remember.

It looked more like a demon to me, but that is just my interpretation. It was definitely there and it was definitely not some face-on-Mars trick of the mind. It was deliberately drawn.

Tammy

The thing that bothered me about the images was not the fact that they were there. I had no problem with the concept that someone in the Art Dept. at Bethel was a closet apostate or Satanist or something and was slipping these pictures into the publications. If the WTS had just said, "Yeah, there was some weirdo doing this stuff and we kicked him out of Bethel (or disfellowshipped him, or whatever), so it won't be happening any more," I would have had no problem with it at all.

The problem lay in the fact that they lied about it. They completely denied that there were any pictures, when some of them were as clear as day. Furthermore, the elders were on a witch-hunt for anybody who saw the pictures and wouldn't shut up about it. That was the first time that I realized, beyond question, that the Society would lie to protect its interests. A big step toward the door for me.

Here is the picture of Zeus in the sisters' dress.

zoom +

The full image. The image of Zeus is clearly visible

I haven't seen any that looked to me like they had to be anything more than coincidences. Also, at Bethel, the Art Dept jobs were the jobs that were the most sought after by anyone with artistic talent. Not that some artists weren't a bit "crazy," but doing anything like this on purpose would just lead to being kicked out of Bethel, and seen as an apostate. If these really were closet apostates, why have we never heard of any of them? How long can they stay in the closet?

Gamaliel

I had heard that Jehovah was the one who actually write's the Watchtower, and the Governing Body merely transcribes what He dictates to them.  But since the GB have given up the "mundane" responsibilities of transcribing to the other sheep class, that means the GB are actually the editors now, which means Jehovah has to give them a rough draft for approval before anything get's printed.  I wish you people would get it straight.....GEEEEEZ.

 

Integ. 

there is a book available on this topic.  I got mine from Randy at Freeminds (One of the ads that cycle thru the top of these pages is for 'The Watchtower Store - look there).  Some of the images are definitely inserted on purpose.  Some seem to be a bit of a stretch. 

After reading the book and looking at the pictures, I decided that they were likley the work of a creative, underappreciated WTS artist

For anyone to think it is intentionally done by the writers or any of the GB is ridiculous.

As Rem said,  it's no more than some bored dubs in the artist dept. having some fun. You would think though this info. is out and those in charge are aware of the accusations and would be watching for them . Would the artists STILL do it in the limelight? I wouldn't think they would be that dum.

Gumby

The images can be seen on line, but I can't seem to figure out how to link to it.

Anyway, if you want to see them, go to: http://watchtower.observer.org

then, click on the side bar for "subliminal images".  The one in question is in the section "A tower of Darkness".  There are a bunch of others, too, including the ones that are a stretch and the ones that are definitely there.

Are the images intentional? Absolutely!  Don't let anybody tell you that subliminal art is not used by the WTS.  The Freemasons and other secret societies use subliminal art and symbols to convey ideas they don't want to express openly all the time.  And since obviously this has to be passed by the WTS reviewers they must be in on it.

 

Case in point, is this one below.  It shows a "dog" in the side of Jesus while he is impaled on the torture stake.  Does this mean anything?  Yes!  Revealation says that Jesus was "impaled in Sodom..." linking his death to homosexuality.  Homosexuality in the Bible is represented by dogs.  Paul said he had a "thorn in his side" with his weakness and thus a "thorn in the side" is associated with a weakness.  As well, Jesus was pierced in the side when he was on the torture stake. 

This, of course, relates to the "subliminal" subcultic reference in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus that shows Lazarus outside the Rich Man's gate whose ulcers, meaning his spiritual weakness, is licked by and thus placated by dogs.  That suggests, thus that Lazarus had a weakness for homosexual men.  Based upon the also subliminal belief that Lazarus and the Prodigal Son represent Jesus at the second coming, who must not only appear in the body of an ordinary man, but a man who, like the prodigal son becomes spiritually dead, the dog in Jesus side at the time of his impalement would represent their subliminal cultic understanding of this belief that Jesus, as the prodigal son, would be impaled or die a spiritual death due to his homosexual tendencies.  

But back to the subliminal art.  This would be the ideal subliminal reference to that concept, showing a dog (homosexual) in Jesus' side (his weakness) while he is impaled on the torture stake (showing this kills him).

The scriptural references to Jesus "death" or "impalement in Sodom", therefore, are consistent with the prodigal son returnning with filthy garments needing to be exchanged for clean ones, but not just any clean garment, but the "best one" meaning he would have the garment of the heir to the kingship and the house of the father, meaning he would become the Messiah.   Likewise, Zechariah 3 shows at the time of the kingship of the king-priest Joshua, which is the second coming reference when Jesus appears as king-priest Melchisedek at the second coming, that he has befouled garments, representing a filthy previous life before he becomes the Messiah.  But these sins are forgiven him and he is given "robes of state" representing his becoming the Messiah.  Thus the new "robes of state" in Zechariah parallels to the new garments the prodigal son gets after coming back from the dead, the "best one" in the prodigal son parable.

So DEFINITELY the WTS uses subliminal art sometimes.  Now that doesn't mean every single thing that happens to look like something is deliberate, I imagine there are cases of that, but is common among secret societies, like Freemasons to use subliminal art to communicate concepts and ideas instead of words and then to come out in full force and claim there is no such subliminal art.

http://watchtower.observer.org/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020403/SUBLIMINALIMAGES/416010

CAN YOU SCAN THIS FOR ME?

By the way, since you are into subliminal art, one that is not here that should be is one in the "Revelation Book" showing the a sleeping black man in the hand of Jesus as he hands a scroll to John.  I think it is on page 198 or 98.  I don't know.  But that is DEFINITELY an intentional representation and it matches up with the subcultic belief that this prodigal son Messiah would be an "ethiopian eunuch", and thus a black man.  The sleeping black man thus represents the Messiah as the prodigal son who had died but must come back to life.  This sleeping black child, though is an image of the "sign of the son of man" that many have seen and relate to the Messiah being the black prodigal son at the second coming.  So if you can check out that page you should be easily convinced not only does the WTS use subliminal art to communicate suppressed concepts to whomever out there (other Freemasons, I guess), but that they do know and understand the sub-cultic belief of some anointed ones that the Messiah would reappear in the flesh as a black man who leaves God's house and becomes spiritually dead (impaled) by homosexuality.  So that is what some of the subliminal art is like.

Obviously, they can't discuss this in the Watchtower, since it would give people ideas, so they deal with it in the artwork for people who understand it. 

Thanks for posting about subliminal art.  It definitely is alive and well in the WTS which has a large portion of Freemasonry adherents for some reason. (Actually, the reason is obvious, when Russell put Freemasonry symbolisms on the WTS poublications, such as the winged disc and the Knights of Templar symboms, he was inviting Freemasons to come and practice in this new religion.  These "symbols" are not "subliminal art" but they are similar in that they have a secret meaning to those who understand them, but to others they are written off as just casual art with no meaning.  But 'cmon!  Russell would have not used those symbols unless they had specific meaning, right?

People can look at this and understand it must be true, but still want to be in denial that there is a secret, underground cult going on within the witness organization; the subliminal art is some proof of that.  But it's hard to prove and people would rather believe it's not real.  So they remain in the dark.

JCanon

If you can scan the photo in the Revelation Book I would be much appreciated.  You can send it to me via E-mail or link it.  It used to be on the internet on some webpage but I lost track of it.  Otherwise, just check it out!!!  Thanks!