Reverse speech

[4] It is based upon the theory that during spoken language production, human speakers subconsciously produce hidden messages that give insights into their innermost thoughts.

[5] The most famous recording that allegedly demonstrates this is the speech given by Neil Armstrong at the time of the first human lunar landing on 20 July 1969.

Pareidolia is even more likely to occur when a person consciously tries to detect a pattern, as is the case for someone listening for intelligible phrases in backwards speech.

[7] Others have criticized "reverse speech" as lacking a rigorous methodology and not being informed by an understanding of issues in linguistics,[2] and characterized Oates as "more interested in making a profit than educating others," pointing out the large amount of merchandise and services his website sells.

[2] Oates' work has been described as "dangerous" because of its potential for misuse and the likelihood of leading to false accusations of people in criminal courts, similarly to the controversial practice of facilitated communication.