How To Cheat A Polygraph? Countermeasures

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

Today the myth about the super-efficiency of the polygraph is widespread in society. The annoying oversights are attributed to insufficient qualifications of individual specialists, but the very reliability of the technology is almost never questioned. On the pages of various publications, one can often read "authoritative data" that the reliability of lie detector tests is 95-97 percent, or even higher.

This myth is strongly supported both by the polygraph examiners themselves and by other interested structures.

First, for advertising purposes, in order to create commercial demand for this type of service. They are not cheap and generate good returns for specialist firms.

Secondly - to exert psychological pressure on the test takers, depriving them of the will to resist and increasing the effectiveness of tests. This approach, figuratively speaking, helps to ensure victory even before the start of the battle.

Third, there are deeper, socio-psychological reasons. Even in antiquity, they knew that the fear and simultaneous admiration of the crowd before something mysterious and powerful is the basis of power over it.

The myth of the power of the polygraph, which is cultivated today, is no exception. The "bosses", the ruling class use it to keep in fear and obedience those who are below them on the social ladder (people, plebs, subordinates, office plankton - call it what you want). It is not for nothing that in many fantastic dystopias the polygraph and polygraph examiners are an integral part of the totalitarian system, an instrument of social control and oppression of the masses by the ruling elite.

With the same manipulative purpose, the myth is spreading today that only criminals are afraid of polygraph tests, because "an honest person has nothing to hide." And refusal to test or an attempt to oppose the polygraph procedure is already a priori proof of your unreliability. This is done to make you feel afraid and guilty in advance for not wanting to be tested and turning your soul inside out. Although aversion to the polygraph and refusal to test does not mean that you are a complete villain. According to the legislation of most countries, a test on such devices is not direct evidence of guilt or innocence.

Each person has his own personal inner world, which he seeks to protect from other people's interference. And to admit to which he is not obliged to. Each of us has personal motives, interests and secret desires that we do not want and do not have to communicate to outsiders. In the Anglo-American legal system, there is even a special category of privacy, meaning the right to secrecy and inviolability of private life, the intimate sphere of a person. Polygraph testing is a direct invasion of your private area and may be justified in some cases. For example, when investigating serious crimes (murders, terrorist acts, etc.) that pose a threat to society and people's lives. If you have been slandered, falsely accused of committing a crime, then a polygraph test sometimes remains the only chance to prove your innocence. But often the compulsion to testing can be called nothing other than an insult to a person, gross interference with private life and psychological violence against a person. These can be a complete check of personnel for loyalty at the whim of a big boss who wants to know all the ins and outs about the life of his subordinates; suspicion of adultery on the part of a jealous spouse; and other things that are widely represented today in the prices of commercial polygraph companies.

Polygraph examiners at the request of the customer (or even simply out of their own unhealthy curiosity) often go for a direct violation of ethical norms and professional standards. They literally begin to turn the test taker inside out, trying to find out everything about him: from political views and religious beliefs to sexual preferences. This is especially common when hiring and screening existing personnel (so-called screening). These kind of intimate questions can make up a large part of the questionnaire compiled for you by the polygraph operator. If it is impossible to refuse such testing (for example, due to the threat of immediate dismissal), but you also do not want to reveal the secrets and nuances of your private life, then an attempt to deceive the polygraph may be the only way out for you.

Each polygraph examiner, before starting testing, without fail tries to inspire the "victim" with the idea of the futility of countering the polygraph. During the briefing, they will explain to you in a friendly and relaxed manner that, they say, the lie detector "sees everything" and cannot be deceived. And you just have to relax and enjoy the process of turning you inside out, when other people's insensitive fingers unceremoniously climb into the hidden depths of your soul. We will not blame the specialists for this professional trick - this is part of their job, written in the instructions.

Let's talk about whether you can actually fool a lie detector? Who can cheat a polygraph?

Science and technology do not stand still, however, the real efficiency of the polygraph today is still far from the declared indicators. This is evidenced by a large number of errors and high-profile scandals, when the results of the test on the detector literally ruined the lives of innocent people. Even in the USA, where (unlike in Russia) the tradition of active use of the polygraph has many decades, enormous experience has been accumulated, and the level of training and qualifications of personnel is not like our home-grown specialists, the reliability of assessments is today estimated by unbiased experts at 70% at best. And this is the most optimistic data. Laboratory and field studies examining the accuracy of polygraphic tests have shown that they make a significant number of errors. Also, experiments have been carried out that have proven the possibility of teaching successful counteraction to a polygraph. They testify that, although it is difficult to deceive a lie detector, it is quite possible.

The lie detector can be tricked quite simply by social psychopaths. They do not have an adequate perception of social norms and social morality. Accordingly, questions about the violation of these norms do not cause a physiological anxiety reaction. For a similar reason, there are restrictions on polygraph testing of minors and very elderly people in "senile marasmus" - the former are still unable to understand the meaning and social significance of the questions. Pathological liars can easily cope with this task, because if the person himself is sincere believes in his lies, then for a polygraph it already looks like the truth. It is no coincidence that the instructions of polygraph examiners indicate that testing of mental patients during an exacerbation of manic psychosis or schizophrenia is impossible, since in this case the person being tested himself cannot distinguish illusion from reality. Another group is highly professional actors who perfectly master their craft (Stanislavsky system, etc. etc.), who know how to identify themselves with a fictional character and merge together with the image of their hero, up to physiological manifestations: "laughter and tears to order, whatever you please." It is also necessary to mention the employees of the special services who have received special training. Systematic "training" with the help of the detector allows them to bring the necessary states and reactions to the level of unconscious reflexes in order to successfully deceive the polygraph. Other people for this require considerable effort, and sometimes just luck. Individual geniuses who have such a gift from birth are not counted, since there are very few of them. Unlike the "fighters of the invisible front", you most likely will not have access to the apparatus for preliminary training, and the time for preparation will be very limited. But that doesn't take away your chances of success.

The first step is to overcome the fear and "awe" of the polygraph, which you have been instilled in advance with a manipulative purpose. And also get rid of the guilt that is embedded in you. They block your will to resist. And it helps you calm self-confidence and a mood for winning, not losing. Remember that a lie detector is not omnipotent. He cannot read your thoughts and thus know something about you. It only logs the state at the time of testing. Or rather, the change in physiological parameters when answering questions. Based on the collected data, the computer generates a probabilistic estimate, which is then analyzed by a specialist. A polygraph, like any machine, can be fooled, it can be “brained” so that it cannot give an exact answer.

What you need to know about the operation of a lie detector?

The basic principle of the polygraph is as follows: the more important and meaningful the question is for you, the stronger the physiological reactions. As a rule, a person who is not involved in the case, which interests the interrogators, responds approximately equally to all questions: significant for the case and not significant. And for the one who is involved, meaningful questions cause uncontrollable tension. Usually, before the direct test on a lie detector, all the questions that will be asked are discussed with the test taker. The topic of the check is negotiated in advance to avoid a vague reaction to an unexpected question.

If a person is "head-on" without preparation to ask something like "Have you slept with your boss's wife?", He simply may not understand what is happening. He will become nervous or hesitate to answer, even if he has never done it. Or he will be very surprised - and the polygraph shows the reaction to lies and surprise in about the same way.

During the preliminary discussion, you can already decide how you will respond. Knowing the topic and the approximate range of questions, you can use this. To expel the real picture from consciousness and create a “legend” that is beneficial for you: a bright, emotionally colored image that will supplant the real one. With advanced imagination and self-hypnosis skills, this can help you fool the polygraph. The key point here is to force yourself to believe in this alternate reality, and not just present it in every detail. And the main difficulty is “not to think about the white rhinoceros”, to forget for a while about how everything really was. Otherwise, the real picture in your mind will be superimposed on the imaginary one. Two mutually exclusive images will simultaneously cause mental stress and stress. You will show a belated reaction to questions and other artifacts. They will show that you are constructing an imaginary event (or, more simply, lying) and this will be recorded by the polygraph as evidence of your lie.

Before the main test, carry out the so-called. Trim (pre-test) interview to "calibrate" your answers. Your psychophysiological indicators are being studied in a normal state. The sensors record upper (chest) and lower (abdominal) breathing, heartbeat, pressure, tremors (tremors) and electrical skin response. Further tests find out how the indicators "jump" when the test-taker is asked questions that are meaningful to him. Usually they are quite simple: "Is your name so-and-so?", "Do you have a family?", "Are you going to cheat the polygraph?"

It also examines your reaction to a deliberate lie. The polygraph examiner calls several names, including yours. You must lie, that is, say that the spoken name is not yours. Thus, it is checked how you react to a lie and how the detector detects it. For a similar purpose, you may be asked to write down a number from several suggested ones, choose a playing card, put some figurine in your pocket, etc. Then the polygraph operator "guesses" the subject, analyzing your reactions. A funny detail: in many instructions for polygraph operators, it is advised that when "guessing" not be limited to analyzing psychophysiological reactions, but for reliability, resort to cheating techniques - marked cards, hidden video cameras … acceptable. After all, among other things, the preparatory stage should break the test person's will to resist, convince him of the futility of trying to deceive the polygraph. Therefore, during the preliminary demonstration, they try to completely eliminate the likelihood of a "puncture".

The main test can take several hours. Questions are read, you are encouraged to listen carefully and answer honestly "yes" or "no". Each question is followed by a pause (15-20 seconds) during which the psychophysiological reaction to it is recorded. The polygraph records when your "heart skipped a beat", where there was a holding of breath, after which question there was a "sigh of relief", and where did your hands tremble and your knees began to vibrate.

Here are some signs of emotional stress in response to being presented with a meaningful question. They may testify against you:

• the magnitude of the skin reaction increases;
• the pulse slows down, followed by a compensatory increase in the heart rate;
• holding the breath and slowing down its rhythm, followed by a compensatory increase in the rhythm and depth of breathing;
• changes in the time of inspiration / expiration, pause on inspiration and pause on expiration;
• increased muscle tremor

In order to disorient the interviewee and break down their protective barriers, conditions and wording may change. The same question can be asked many times. Questions on the same topic can be formulated in different ways. You may be asked to answer “yes” to all questions, even if you have previously answered “no” to them, to find out what your reactions will be if you answer yes. Or vice versa - give only negative answers. There is also a "tacit answer" - the tested person is asked only to think about the answer to the question, but not to say it out loud.

The survey uses “filler questions” on neutral topics that, in theory, should not cause excitement (“Is today Monday?”, “Are you sitting in a chair?”). Experts suggest including in the test as many questions as possible, to which a deliberately truthful answer is provided. After them, it will be more difficult for a person to lie, and the corresponding physiological manifestations will become more noticeable. There are also trap questions regarding the details of what happened (for example, theft). They are not known to the innocent, but they will cause a strong reaction from the person involved in the crime.

Quite often the question will list keywords and facts. “What did you get from the safe? Mobile phone? Gun? A pack of condoms? A bunch of keys? " “How long has it been since you last used drugs? A week? Month? Year? Five years?". “Do you like to drink alone? In company? In the morning? Evenings? Day and night? " “What bribe did you get? Hundred? Two hundred? Three hundred? Five hundred thousand?". As you get closer to the correct answer, there is an increase in signs of anxiety, and then relaxation as you move away from it. Although it may not be noticeable on the outside, meaningful questions are made more difficult to distract the test-taker. The unknown is presented to the test taker as known: "Did you hide the package that you stole there?" A person, by inertia, can “get involved”, answer “yes” or “no”. And any unambiguous answer to such questions already contains an indirect recognition.

There are also control questions that should excite even innocent people (“Have you ever taken something that didn't belong to you?”). Everyone has committed such acts at least once in their lives, so it is assumed that innocent control questions should cause more excitement than questions that are directly related to the essence of the matter. And a negative answer to a security test question indicates a lie of the person being tested.

How to knock down the "calibration" of a polygraph and make it work incorrectly?

The first answer that comes to mind is during the preliminary interview and further in the testing process to give deliberately false, random, unsystematic and "idiotic" answers to all questions without exception. Trying to confuse the tracks, preventing the polygraph from seeing what you might be when you tell the truth. It is clear that such a demonstrative opposition to the polygraph is 100% likely to arouse suspicion of your guilt. Therefore, it is usually chosen by those who have nothing to lose, and all that remains is to have fun and have fun. These can be ideological opponents of polygraphs or criminals caught red-handed who go into "complete unconsciousness." It is no longer necessary to prove their involvement in the crime.

But figuring out the details (“Who are your accomplices and where are the stolen diamonds hidden?”) Will be difficult, since you cannot build a basic calibration scale against which physiological responses are compared. Such provocative demarches look spectacular. More often than not, however, testers want testers not to suspect anything.

How to trick a lie detector unnoticed?

There are three main ways to counter a polygraph. You can easily find their detailed description on the Internet. Remember that all methods require prior training and careful practice. Any attempt to cheat a polygraph without preparation is likely to end in failure for you.

The first way to trick a lie detector is to try to reduce the sensitivity of your own sensor analyzers. To do this, the day before, it will be enough to drink a certain amount of alcohol.

The next day, the person becomes weakly sensitive, his reactions, conventionally speaking, are "inhibited" and he will not be able to objectively react to the stimuli presented. A lie detector will not be able to draw unambiguous conclusions. Specially selected medications are another tool. These can be drugs for hypertension that lower blood pressure and at the same time block the production of adrenaline (beta-blockers). Using them, you should know and understand well the reaction of your body to "chemistry".

So, for persons with low blood pressure, adrenergic blockers are strictly contraindicated. You also need to be able to calculate the time of action of pharmacological agents. For everything to look natural, the concentration of the drug in the blood should reach its maximum 40-50 minutes after the start of the polygraph test. In this case, as the effects appear, one can refer to the accumulating fatigue and poor health, if suddenly the operator suspects an attempt to deceive the polygraph.

If the tested person took psychotropic substances for the first time, he will be in a new mental state for him and "from habit" may begin to behave inappropriately, which will be instantly noticed. There are also standard questions for testing (“Have you used drugs / alcohol / narcotic drugs today?”) And if you lie during testing that you did not drink or did not use, this can be recorded by a polygraph. Although you can swallow something like an aspirin before starting the procedure and then answer “yes” with a clear conscience. In this case, your honest response "overlaps" and masks the emotional response to the other substance. The task of such "camouflage" is greatly facilitated for people with chronic diseases who have to constantly take medications. However, for serious cases, the "chemical-pharmacological" method is inapplicable.

For example, if the results of a lie detector test are planned to be used as evidence in court, then a blood test for the presence of various drugs is mandatory. Chemical methods also include the treatment of the surface of the skin with various substances so that the electrical conductivity becomes constant for some time. Then the sensors attached to your fingers will not record the change in reaction to significant questions.

You will have a chance to cheat the lie detector. The most basic remedy is rubbing with regular rubbing alcohol, which constricts the sweat glands. The galvanic skin reaction is "leveled" by various medical and cosmetic products that greatly reduce perspiration: talcum powder and ointments for sweating, foot deodorants, etc. Conditions for their successful application:

• the applied product should be invisible, colorless and odorless;
• its action should be long, since a polygraph test takes several hours;
• the drug must be stable and persist after hand washing (this is the usual procedure before testing);

A good result is given by salicylic-zinc ointment, which is sold in pharmacies. It should be applied on well-heated hands in boiling water so that it is deeply absorbed into the skin. It should be remembered that the polygraph captures not only GSR. Even if the skin is treated, breathing will have to be controlled on its own, and non-chemical methods are also helpful. For example - lack of sleep for several days. Due to constant lack of sleep, a person falls into a state close to a trance, between sleep and wakefulness - his physiological reaction to all questions will be equally insignificant. Severe fatigue (after a hard sports training), exhaustion (due to prolonged fasting) also dull physiological reactions to the questions presented, “smoothing” the lie detector indicators. The polygrams will turn out to be "smooth", of little use for decoding. Moreover, it will not be possible to assert with certainty that this is a conscious opposition or that a person simply has such a physiological constitution (in the jargon of polygraphs - "a body unsuitable for research").

When reducing the sensitivity of sensor analyzers, it is important not to overdo it. Do not drive yourself to a very deep "pass out". Almost all polygraphs measure the electrical resistance of the skin (galvanic skin response). It is directly related to the work of the brain. The more relaxed a person is, the higher the level of skin resistance. If the device records the limit values of resistance, there will be suspicions about the reliability of the results. In addition, the polygraph examiner analyzes the magnitude of reactions to test questions that are not known to the test taker. If the reaction to them does not differ from the "general background" - the polygraph operator can stop the test, or postpone it to another time. However, sometimes even such a delay plays into the hands of the test taker.

Another way to cheat a polygraph is the suppression of all emotions so that no stimulus elicits a meaningful response. There are two ways to control your state that violate habitual reactions: a) general deconcentration; b) attention management (concentration on some object). The basic principle is that a person tries to answer all questions automatically, without paying serious attention to them. He should focus on the drawing of the wall in front of him, or on some other neutral object. You can concentrate on a part of the body, the rhythm of your breathing, or a memory from your life experience. Ideally, you should generally forget about the existence of a polygraph next to you and exclude the perception of the content of the questions asked. In this state, you hear sounds, words confirming that you are being asked a question, but its content, social significance does not reach you. This method requires the ability to self-regulate, to master it requires lengthy training, but its effectiveness is also quite high. It is important that your inner detachment is not noticed by the interviewer. External signs of a trance that can be detected by him:

• monotonous and unnatural voice without emotional coloring;
• the face resembles a stone statue;
• the gaze is directed to one point;
• the answer is given even before the tester has time to ask the question.

If the operator notices all this, he will try to bring you out of this state.

For example, in the following way, described in textbooks for polygraph examiners: If during the testing process you have a suspicion, try to immediately change the question and put it in such a way that the subject was forced to say "yes" if before that he answered "no". For example, asking a question like this: "Is your name …?" call his name. If the suspect has entered a state of detachment from the content of the questions, he will automatically answer "no". Then, in a mild form, you must express your bewilderment: "How is it, Semyon Semyonovich, have you already changed your name?" or "You have never been called that, is this data incorrect in the questionnaire?" These questions will take him out of the state he entered, and for some time make him perceive the content of your questions. Usually, after a pause, a neutral question is given, followed by a “significant” one.

The third approach says: "What is important is not the lack of reaction as such (which is quite easily detected by control questions and can cause suspicion), but the ability to give the desired reaction." Your reaction should look natural. Fake emotional responses to insignificant stimuli are effective. If you want to provoke a reaction to the right question, try to simply multiply in your mind a few multi-digit numbers or think of something that causes rage or sexual emotion. when you are asked "do you prefer women." And if the problem is the opposite, i.e. you have to pretend to be a homosexual, which you are not, then you need to multiply when you hear the question "Do you prefer to have sex with persons of the same sex", etc.

Alternatively, when you are asked about women, at this moment you imagine or remember sex scenes with men (or vice versa). Thus, the sexual reaction to pictures from your imagination is "superimposed" on the question being asked and it seems that it was the question that caused such a reaction. With the right impressionability, willpower, and practiced skill, this method works. The result can also be achieved by starting to read poetry. To myself, of course. Something long, like Eugene Onegin. Worrying about the main character and answering questions as if between times.

There are many different ways to create fake reactions. The most famous of them is "mechanical", invisible to an expert, tension of some muscle groups. Usually, they press their toes to the floor, bring their eyes to the nose, or press their tongue against the hard palate.

Pain also elicits physiological responses similar to psychological stress. Some, in an attempt to trick the polygraph, put a button in their boot under their thumb and press it with every negative (or positive) answer. The body begins to respond to the expectation of pain, and not to lies or truth. Therefore, the readings of the polygraph will be the same in the case of a truthful answer and vice versa.

The difficulty lies in hiding these movements from the interrogator, since such attempts to deceive the lie detector are now known even to amateur polygraph examiners.

The test person is filmed on video cameras, which record in close-up any movements and changes in the expression "muzzle of the face". Therefore, this business should be dealt with very carefully. Remember: any suspicious or ambiguous behavior will certainly be interpreted NOT in your favor. If you do not alternate between methods, but press the button all the time for each answer "no" ("did not participate …", "did not see …", "did not take part …", "Did not steal …") - then the polygraph operator will see a pattern in the manifestation of the same type of reaction and suspect something was wrong. In addition, sensors can be attached to your calf muscles to record finger movements. The notorious "nail in the shoe" should be long and sharp enough to cause pain even when pressed lightly, and your movements should be barely noticeable, with minimal involvement of other muscles in the body. Then there will be a chance that motion sensors will not notice a counter signal against the background of a general tremor of the body (caused by heartbeats, breathing, etc.) It is believed that the language is the most difficult in detecting mechanical counteractions to a polygraph. After answering the question "yes" or "no", the tongue can be imperceptibly pressed against the teeth or "wrapped" in the direction of the larynx, or pressed against the palate with a force that causes a painful sensation. However, this method of deceiving a lie detector can also be detected using special sensors installed in the chin or larynx area. You should also remember about breathing - you need to "work" with your tongue without disturbing the rhythm and depth of breathing, because it will instantly be recorded by a polygraph.

A common disadvantage of all mechanical methods - they are difficult to hide and take time to complete, which means they cause a delay in reaction. If the reaction manifests itself a few seconds after the answer to the question, the polygraph examiner will notice that the button or tongue is “turned on” to create a false signal. The graph will show the delay in the physiological response to the response, its magnitude and duration. Through training, reaction time should be minimized. As an alternative to a needle in your pants, you can recommend techniques from the arsenal of NLP - learn to set a "psychological anchor" (for tension and relaxation), using it at the right time. After all, it is the inner, mental devices that are most difficult to expose. If you use them at the right moments, then it is quite possible to deceive the polygraph and lead the expert to erroneous conclusions. Remember, even the absence of a reliable result can sometimes be good for you.

An example for understanding the principle of working with tension / relaxation can be gleaned from fiction:

“We are conducting an intensive search for this spy. Since you, gentlemen, were in the immediate vicinity of the scene, I intend to speak with you one at a time to find out what you may know. I can also find …

Which one of you is this missing spy?

This last arrow only caused a shocked silence. Now that he had brought us all into a depressed state suitable for cross-examination, the gray man began to call the officers one by one. I was doubly grateful for my foresight, which prudently dropped my head on the ground in full view of everyone. It was no coincidence that I was called third. On what grounds? General physique resemblance to the spy Paz Ratunkov? Bandage? There must have been some basis for suspicion. I dragged forward, barely moving my legs, like others before me. I saluted, and he gestured to a chair next to the desk.

“Why don’t you hold this while we talk?” - he said judiciously, handing me the silver egg of the lie detector.

The real Vaska would not have recognized him, so I did not recognize him either. I just looked at him with mild interest - as if I didn’t know that he was transmitting vital information to the lie detector in front of him, and squeezed it in my hands. My thoughts were not so calm. I got caught! He opened me! He knows who I am and plays with me.”He looked deep into my bloodshot eyes and I noticed that his mouth twisted slightly in disgust.

"Did you have that night, Lieutenant?" - he asked me, looking at a sheet of paper and at the testimony of a lie detector. - Yes, sir, you know … I drank a few glasses with the guys. This is what I said out loud. And to myself, I thought this: now they will shoot me to death, right in the heart! I imagined this vital organ splashing my living blood into the mud.

- I see you were recently demoted … Where are your fuses, Paz Ratunkov?

"I'm tired … how I long to be in bed" - I thought. - Fuses? - I blinked my red gazes and, raising my hand to scratch my head, touched the bandage and thought that it’s better not. His eyes dug into mine, gray eyes, almost the same color as his uniform, and for a moment I caught strength and anger behind his calm demeanor. - And your head wound, where did you get it? Our spy was hit on the side of the head.

“I fell, sir, someone must have pushed me out of the van. The soldiers have bandaged, ask them …

- I already asked. We got drunk, fell down, disgraced the officer corps. Get out and clean, you disgust me! Next!”I got up unsteadily, not looking into the piercing gimbals of those cold eyes, and started walking as if I had forgotten about the device in my hands, and then went back and dropped it on the table, but he bent over his documents, ignoring me. I saw the faint scar under the sparse hair on the bald top of his head and left. It takes skill, practice and training to fool a lie detector. I had all this. This can only be done under certain circumstances, and the present was ideal. Sudden interrogation, at night, without testing the subject's normal response. Thus, I had to express a beautiful peak on his recorder. I was afraid: him, something else, anything. But when he asked questions about the capture, designed to expose the spy, I relaxed, because I was waiting for them, and the device showed it. The question was meaningless to everyone except the spy. If he saw this soon, the interrogation was over, he still had a lot of work to do. (Harry Garrison, Revenge of the Steel Rat)

Reception with psychological relaxation has its pitfalls. Polygraph examiners are well aware that anxiety, fears, fears are experienced by every "normal" person in an uncomfortable testing situation for him. Therefore, relaxation should not fall below some general background of anxiety. In a person who has a good command of self-regulation, relaxation in response to the presentation of a significant question leads to a sharp turn on of inhibitory processes. The activity of the registered physiological manifestations is significantly reduced. As a result, the response may turn out to be paradoxically low - less response to any neutral question. Such an unusual result will attract attention. If you relax too much, you run the risk of arousing suspicion. For English learners, I recommend visiting the site of staunch fighters against the polygraph Antipolygraph.org. The credo of this site is very appealing to me. In a free translation into Russian, it sounds approximately like this: “Their right is to try to find out all the ins and outs about us, our right is to send them all to hell …

This is what democracy is about”. This site presents an interesting work "The Lie Behind the Lie Detector". In it, opponents of detectors offer their own methods of dealing with "unscientific methods of giving readings designed for idiots and working only in a non-legal country." skin, brain activity, involuntary movements of the arms and legs. When the device is connected to the body, the first step is to pay attention to even breathing. Its frequency can range from 15 to 30 breaths-exhalations per minute (this is approximately 2-4 seconds). Rapid or slow breathing indicates that the person is lying. In addition, it is known that after a "dangerous" question comes a "sigh of relief", therefore, the breathing rhythm should be monitored until it is completely "disconnected" from the wires that are entangled in you. Breathing is directly related to the pulse, heart rate, which is also recorded by the sensors. On inhalation, the pulse accelerates; on exhalation, it slows down. This is well known to Indian yogis who use a particular type of breathing to meditate and slow down the heart. A long exhalation with a quick inhalation can "hold" the pulse when answering questions, not allowing it to become very frequent.

If, before each answer to a question, a short forced breath is taken, then the reactions to all questions will be equally heightened, without sharp jumps. Of course, such an inhalation / exhalation should look natural, be as imperceptible and soundless as possible - which is achieved only through training. If you are accused of doing this on purpose, you can always answer that this is a natural and habitual way for you to breathe. Or simply the result of general nervousness and fear of the polygraph.

In order to deceive the blood pressure sensors, enthusiasts advise, in between the questions of the polygraph examiner, to squeeze the muscles of the anal sphincter and bite the tip of the tongue. Instead of a button in a boot to induce pain, women and men are advised to place "prickly objects" in more intimate places where inspectors usually do not look. You need to squeeze the muscles so that the legs and buttocks do not move, since in modern models of detectors, sensors are connected to the seats, indicating the slightest fidgeting in the chair and swaying ankles. Remember: testing continues as long as the sensors are connected and the conversation lasts. Don't let yourself be fooled.

It happens that the operator puts the sensors on the interviewee and says that he will not turn on the polygraph yet so that you get used to the sensors. And he begins to discuss topics of questions with you. In fact, the detector is in operation and records all your indicators, as well as the moment you go to direct testing. If at the moment of transition the respondent changes the nature of breathing, begins to move, strain various parts of the body, etc. - this may indicate his attempt to deceive the polygraph. The same trick can be done after completing the survey. The operator says the testing is over, but the sensors are not disconnected. In fact, the polygraph continues to work. Finally, I present the original method of dealing with the polygraph sent by our reader. After a little thought, I decided to write a few words about the polygraph … -so …

The fact is that you can deceive a polygraph in the ways that you propose … But for this you need to be a very prepared person. The committee was preparing people for this mmm … well, for a very long time. After the failure of the Stasi agents, if sclerosis does not change me in 60 or 61. I mean methods of replacing questions or (even more so !!!) suppressing emotions. The button method is good, but … In modern testing, sensors are placed under the chair legs. And any movement will be instantly detected and interpreted not in your favor. As well as muscle contraction.

Pressing the tongue to the palate, biting the tongue is quickly determined by its appearance by any, even not very experienced, expert who, during testing, will not look at the tape at all - why, it is still recorded automatically, well, or on the monitor screen, but will look at you in face, revealing additional, NOT psychophysiological reactions, especially eye movement. Coming with a hangover is good. It's also good to come JUST after drinking some booze. You can and NOT alcohol. You can have 7-10 cups of coffee. You can also use other drugs, such as tranquilizers. But again, with SERIOUS testing, you will definitely be given a blood and / or urine test. What all your tricks will calculate. Which again will be interpreted NOT in your favor. Not to mention, testing can simply be postponed. In addition, all this affects the heart rate. And it is IMMEDIATELY measured when tested on a polygraph. And an increased number of heartbeats per minute can also be interpreted AGAINST you.

And absolutely all these methods are inapplicable if you are being tested FROM THE CAMERA. But the method that I will allow myself to offer you in many respects from all these shortcomings is free, tested (don't ask where!) And showed good results. With this method, you also need to drink. But only water. And in large quantities. Everyone knows about how much he needs to drink to go to the toilet … well, I really wanted to. How to drink for a long time … You can try to calculate so that on preliminary, "sighting" questions you would not like very much. And this is about the first 10-30 minutes.

But, even if they did not calculate, all the same, you can force yourself not to think about what you want to go to the toilet, to relax as much as possible on the "sighting" questions … Well, in general, everyone has their own ways of dealing with themselves in such cases. But then … He will concentrate as much as possible on his bladder, which swells, swells, which will burst now, think only about what unbearably wants to go to the toilet, there is no more strength to endure, there is no more strength to think about anything but what you want PI-PI !!! Techniques similar to those listed above can be used not only when testing with a lie detector, but also during any interview or interrogation with bias: with an investigator, psychologist or personnel service specialist when hiring. After all, an experienced psychologist-expert will also very carefully monitor your reaction to his questions, in order to find out if you are telling the truth. Well, now that's it! Good luck!