There is literally never only one meaning symbol has, as they are obscured in presentation so they are many layered. To answer the OP yes it does affect us, otherwise they wouldn't bother with it. The amount of importance they are giving to it is understandable too. Consider that we communicate here using symbols. Because it's what letters are, single letter has almost the same purpose as one eye thing . They don't bother with words they are taking shortcuts in a forbidden way...Can a word force you to produce emotion? Or make you to spend energy (in both senses) Im sure we can agree on that and i don't lost anybody just yet.
I shouldn't talk about that, but whatever for the sake of clarity one time. Example of most simple magic, you write something, your actual goal you want to achieve. Take those words dispose letters and randomly connect them. Now you have a glyph. Information only your unconscious mind can read. Your mind will try to find associations or meaning and fail therefore it will not interfere the unconscious mind anymore. The only thing left is to charge it with energy. And that's what we are doing if we don't recognize what we see. They are milking us, sheeple just got new meaning for you, and according to them you got a bit wiser. Because knowledge is amount of definitions you have. Consider an example. You end up in uninhabited island, there is only you and random aborigine. You both see a sheet of paper on the ground. Definitions, uses, information? aborigine: Soft so either eat or wipe ass.. something has to give. You take it you see it's a map you have hundreds of definitions and uses in your mind already. If you take into account paper, ink and other details it's probably not less than 500... And the elite considers us aborigines. Just to make clear im not saying they are right...
One eye on surface it's as
@lophatt pointed out like handshake, showing alliance etc. Deeper you go darker it gets though...