Invisible Ink and Other Hidden Message Resources

Hidden messages may be concealed unconsciously or by design. Messages hidden unconsciously may reveal the sender’s true thoughts or feelings. Codes, ciphers, and other means of encryption have been employed for centuries to safeguard sensitive or secret information. Information can be hidden in audio tracks, in pictures or paintings, and in written codes. Deciphering hidden messages, both conscious and unconscious, is an exciting challenge for professionals and amateur code breakers.

Audio
Backmasking
Backmasking, or “backward masking”, is the deliberate recording of a message, sound, or word onto a musical track. The track is intended to be played forward and the backmasked message is recorded on top of the music. The backmasked message is meant to be a subliminal message that bypasses the conscious mind.

• Backmasking: Information on Reverse speech, including examples and history.

• Backmasking and Perception: Examples of forward and backward music and information on backmasking and pattern perception.

• Backmasking Examples: A definition of backmasking and examples of how it has been used by recording artists and other groups.

Reverse Speech
Reverse speech is the message unconsciously embedded in normal human speech. Reverse speech is thought to reveal the speaker’s true thoughts. Reverse speech can only be detected consciously by recording speech and playing it backward.

• Reverse Speech: An experiment to determine the intelligibility of reverse speech.

• Reverse Speech and Hypnosis: How hypnosis and reverse speech relate to the unconscious mind.

• Reverse Speech ANalysis: A skeptical analysis of reverse speech claims.

Numeric
Cryptology

Cryptology is the hiding of information and messages through codes, ciphers, and cryptograms. Cryptology also refers to the practice of deciphering these codes to access the encoded information. Ancient cryptology sought to conceal messages and make them unintelligible to undesired readers, and modern cryptology seeks to safeguard information such as ATM keys and electronic passwords.

• Math and Cryptology: View slides reviewing the basic mathematic underpinnings of cryptology.

• Cryptology Lessons: Online lessons in cryptology, including the foundations of cryptology and classical cryptology.

• Basic Cryptology: An explanation of cryptology, how it is used, and examples and links to more information on types of codes.

Bible Code
The Bible Code, or Torah code, refers to a cipher that unlocks the books of the Torah to reveal the future. The most popular encryption method is the Equidistant Letter Sequence, which analyzes parts of the text by reading words formed by every fourth letter of the text (or any other number) in a graphic format. Some maintain that the Bible Code can only be used to read texts of the Torah itself, while others suggest it has wider application.

• Old Testament BIble COdes: Testing the hypotheses of various Bible Code theories.

• Equidistant Letter Sequences: Various professors and scholars investigate the 1994 article that posited the Equidistant Letter Sequence Code in the Book of Genesis.

• The Bible Code Explained: An explanation of how the Equidistant Letter Sequence code was developed and an analysis of it.

Visual
Sacred Geometry
Sacred Geometry is used in constructing sacred buildings, such as temples and churches, and other sacred objects, such as altars and religious art. Symbolic meaning is assigned to geometric shapes, proportions, and numbers. One can also determine if a natural object or man-made structure conforms to sacred geometry by overlaying the image of the object with geometric diagrams.

• Sacred Geometry and Architecture: How Sacred Geography was used to create sacred spaces.

• Sacred Geometry: The use of shapes, such as polygons, triangles, and squares, and sacred numbers in sacred geometry.

• Sacred Geometry and the Human Form: The relationship between the Great Pyramid, the Golden Mean, and the human body.

• Sacred Geometry Code: How to decipher the code revealed by sacred geometry.

Steganography
Steganography is the technique of hiding a message within another medium. Messages can be hidden in graphic images, sounds, music, or words that appear innocuous to the untrained observer who does not possess the key. The advantage to steganography as an encryption technique is that the encrypted message appears to be a normal communication or image and will pass unnoticed. 

• Steganography: Definition of steganography, how it I s used, and how to defend against statistical steganalysis.

• Steganography Applied: An overview of the origins and uses of steganography and specific tactics for using steganography effectively. 

• Quantum Steganography: An analysis of the security of steganographic messages.

• Lexical Steganography: Resources on lexical steganography, including an introduction to using steganography as an identifier of trademarked information.

Other
Anagram
Anagrams are formed by rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to create a message. Anagrams can be used to encrypt messages by using a standard algorithm to change the places of letters. Longer anagrams provide greater security, although the increased number of possible messages can be problematic if a pre-determined algorithm is not used.

• Galileo’s Anagram: An explanation of Galileo Galilei’s famous anagram and its meaning.

• Generating Anagrams: An explanation of anagrams and how to form them; also includes explanations of anagram-generating software.

• Anagram Encryption: An applet to aid in anagram encryption and decryption.

Apophenia
Apophenia is the recognition of patterns in seemingly random data. Patterns from meaningless information can be extracted visually or aurally. These patterns are thought to reveal hidden messages.

• Apophenia: The origins and history of the phenomenon of apophenia.

• Apophenia Definition: A definition and short history of apophenia and how the phenomenon occurs in everyday life.

• Types of Apophenia: An explanation of apophenia, pareidolia, and the use of apophenia in fiction.

Asemic Writing
Asemic writing means “wordless” writing or writing with no semantic content. The writing is left free of meaning so that the viewer may fill it with meaning. Asemic writing may include ideograms, pictograms, or reflected writing.

• Asemic Writing: The history and definition of asemic writing.

• Asemic Writing and Art: An asemic writer explains his art and asemic writing.

• History of Asemic Writing: The development of asemic writing and influences on asemic writing.

Invisible Ink
Invisible ink is a writing substance that appears invisible to the naked eye but can be revealed through a specific means, such as the application of heat. Invisible ink is used to combat counterfeiting, mark property, and identify manufactured goods. Historically invisible ink was used to write secret messages under the cover of a visible message.

• Make Invisible Ink: Step-by-step instructions for making and using a simple form of invisible ink.

• Smart Paper: An explanation and activity to understand the use of microencapsulation technology, smart paper, and invisible ink.

• Invisible Ink: A brief overview of the applications of invisible ink.