Reverse Speech: What It Is, and What It Tells Us About the Nature of the Subconscious Mind

Reverse Speech is the theory — first introduced in the 1980s by Australian-born researcher David John Oates — that human speech contains embedded backward messages (reversals) that originate from the subconscious mind.

These covert messages appear every 5 to 15 seconds and often form clear, coherent phrases that may complement, expand on, or even contradict what’s spoken forwards.

It’s considered a dual‑layered communication system:

→ Forward speech = conscious mind 🗣️ → Reverse speech = subconscious patterns, emotional archetypes, or hidden truths 🌊

📚 Key Publications & Research on Reverse Speech

🔹 David John Oates, Reverse Speech: Voices from the Unconscious (1996)– Foundational text introducing the speech complementarity model and metaphor theory

🔹 Karen Stollznow, Language Myths, Mysteries and Magic (Springer, 2014)– Discusses the Reverse Speech phenomenon, including reversals like “Man will space walk” found in Neil Armstrong’s famous quote

🔹 Mark Newbrook & Jane Curtain (Monash University, 2010)– Rigorous critique of Oates’s methodology; raised concerns about scientific validation, though Reverse Speech practitioners later responded with a formal rebuttal

Reverse Speech & the Subconscious Mind

🌌 Deep-Level Communication

Reverse Speech is viewed as a direct channel from the unconscious or even the collective unconscious, expressing itself through metaphor and symbolic imagery rather than literal speech.

🚪 Types of Reversals

Reversals can:

– Agree with the forward message (congruent)

– Contradict it (revealing internal conflict)

– Expand or mirror meaning (amplifying depth or nuance)

🌀 How This Supports Hypnotherapy Practice

Integrating Reverse Speech into hypnotherapy allows for:

🔍 Uncovering hidden narratives

Clients may speak one thing aloud, while their subconscious reveals deeper, unspoken truth

🎯 More targeted interventions

Using reversals, therapists can tailor suggestions and metaphors based on true internal content — not just what the client thinks is going on.

🔄 Deeper integration and transformation

By working with subconscious metaphors, clients can shift long-held emotional or behavioural patterns at the root — enabling sustainable, embodied change.

🧘‍♀️ Booking Sessions: Mudgee & Worldwide

Based in Mudgee, NSW, I offer:

1. In-person hypnotherapy & reverse speech analysis for local clients

2. Online sessions via Zoom or audio submission — perfect for international or remote clients

🔁 Your speech is recorded and reversals are carefully reviewed to guide customised hypnotic journeys

📞 Curious to explore your subconscious in a totally new way?

Schedule a consult.