I think it was the word "subliminal" that made you think of manipulation. On the other hand, I read the quote you posted as meeting the reader at their level a

I think it was the word "subliminal" that made you think of manipulation. On the other hand, I read the quote you posted as meeting the reader at their level and guiding them to a clearer, deeper understanding by providing information in a logical, intuitive way. This would mean, for example, providing real-world context for each abstract concept introduced, rather than just leaving the concept by itself together with an abstract definition.