The simplest form is widely known as post-hypnotic suggestion. In short, it is the induction of a person into a behavior or thinking pattern that makes itself manifest after he has come out of the hypnotic state. An altered sense of perception or behavioral pattern may be "programmed" into the person under hypnosis; certain sequences of events may be set as triggers to enter or exit the post-hypnotic pattern.
The more elaborated form is also well studied. For example, if, while asleep every night, you hear a repeated voice to tell you eat more cookies, you would soon find yourself turning into that blue monster of Sesame Street. (OK. I am exaggerating a bit.)
In practice, this phenomenon becomes what is know as suggestion therapy: a therapist uses carefully worded "suggestions" to help the person to bring about a positive change. It is often used for treating habits, such as nail biting. Well, many of our dying patients also have their family showing them Sutra sound clips. It remains unknown whether that would help the comatose subject passing the Modoribashi (The Bridge to No Avail, 奈何橋) more easily.
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Contrary to post-hypnotic suggestion and related tricks, subliminal stimuli, as a form of subconscious suggestion, is largely a myth.
The original idea was attractive: Visual stimuli are quickly flashed (usually in 0.2 second) before an individual's mind could process them, and the potential use in advertisement was widely publicized by marketing experts in 1950s. However, subsequent research has been unable to replicate these marketing claims beyond a mere placebo effect.
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