 The finding of backward Satanic messages has been explained as caused by the observer @-@ expectancy effect . The Skeptic 's Dictionary states that " you probably won 't hear [ backmasked ] messages until somebody first points them out to you . Perception is influenced by expectation and expectation is affected by what others prime you for . " In 1984 , S. B. Thorne and P. Himelstein found that " when vague and unfamiliar stimuli are presented , [ test subjects ] are highly likely to accept suggestions , particularly when the suggestions are presented by someone with prestige and authority . " Vokey and Read concluded from their 1985 experiment that " the apparent presence of backward messages in popular music is a function more of active construction on the part of the perceiver than of the existence of the messages themselves . " 
