» How to cheat a lie detector (polygraph)

How to fool a polygraph? Countermeasures

Today, the myth about the super-efficiency of the polygraph is widespread in society. Unfortunate oversights are attributed to the insufficient qualifications of individual specialists, but the very reliability of the technology is hardly questioned. On the pages of various publications, one can often read "authoritative data" that the reliability of polygraph tests is 99 percent, or even all 100.

Cartoon from antipoligraph.org

This myth is strongly supported by both the polygraph examiners themselves and other interested structures. Firstly, for advertising purposes, in order to create commercial demand for such services. They are not cheap and bring a good income to specialized firms. Secondly, to put psychological pressure on the test-takers, depriving them of the will to resist and increasing the effectiveness of the tests. This approach, figuratively speaking, helps to ensure victory even before the battle begins.

Thirdly, there are deeper, socio-psychological reasons. Even in ancient times, 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 about the power of the polygraph, which is cultivated today, is no exception. "Chiefs", 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). Not without reason, in many fantastic dystopias, the polygraph and polygraph examiners are integral part totalitarian system, an instrument of social control and oppression of the masses by the ruling elite.

With the same manipulative purpose, the myth is being spread today that only criminals are afraid of polygraph tests, because "an honest person has nothing to hide." A refusal to test or an attempt to oppose the conduct of a polygraph procedure is already a priori proof of your unreliability. This is done in advance to create feelings of fear and guilt in you for your unwillingness to pass the test and turn your soul inside out. Although disgust for the polygraph and refusal to test does not at all indicate that you are a complete villain. Under the laws of most countries, a test on such devices is not direct evidence of guilt or innocence.

Each person has their own inner world, which he seeks to protect from foreign interference. And to allow in which he is not obliged to anyone. Each of us has personal motives, interests and secret desires that we do not want and are not obliged to communicate to outsiders. In the Anglo-American legal system, there is even a special category of privacy, meaning the right to secrecy and privacy, the intimate sphere of a person. Polygraph testing is a direct invasion of your intimate territory.

In some cases, such an intrusion is justified. For example, when investigating serious criminal offenses (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 is sometimes the only chance to prove your innocence. But often, coercion to test can be called nothing more than an insult to a person, a gross interference in private life and psychological violence against a person. Such can be a general check of personnel for loyalty at the whim of a big boss who wants to know the whole ins and outs about the life of his subordinates; suspicions of adultery on the part of a jealous spouse; and other things that are now widely represented in the price lists of commercial printing firms.

Polygraph examiners at the request of the customer (or even simply because of their own unhealthy curiosity) often go to 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 checking already working personnel (the so-called screening). These kinds 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, because of the threat of immediate dismissal), but you also do not want to give out the secrets and nuances of your private life, then an attempt to deceive the polygraph may be your only way out.

Each polygraph examiner, before starting testing, without fail tries to inspire the “victim” with the idea of ​​the futility of counteracting 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 it will not be possible to deceive it. 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. Let's not blame the specialists for this professional trick - this is part of their work, prescribed in the instructions. Let's talk about whether it is actually possible to deceive a lie detector?

Who can cheat a polygraph

Science and technology do not stand still, but the real efficiency of the polygraph today is still far from the declared indicators. This is evidenced by a large number of mistakes and high-profile scandals, when the results of a test on the detector literally broke the fate of innocent people. Even in the United States, where the tradition of active use of the polygraph dates back many decades, vast experience has been accumulated, and the level of training and qualifications of the personnel is not like our home-grown specialists, the reliability of estimates today is estimated by unbiased experts at best at 70%. And this is the most optimistic data. Laboratory and field studies examining the accuracy of polygraph tests have shown that they are subject to a significant number of errors. Experiments were also carried out that proved the possibility of learning to successfully counter the polygraph. They testify that bypassing the lie detector, although difficult, is quite real.

The lie detector is quite easy to deceive social psychopaths. They do not have an adequate perception of social norms, ethics and public morality (what is colloquially called conscience). Accordingly, questions about the violation of these norms do not cause a physiological alarm reaction. Cases are known when sexual maniacs and serial killers passed the test successfully because they were confident that there was no evidence against them and were not worried about what had been done.

For a similar reason, there are restrictions on polygraph testing of minors and very elderly people in "senile insanity" - the former are still, and the latter are no longer able to understand the meaning and social significance of the questions.

Pathological liars also easily cope with this task, because if a person sincerely believes in his lie, 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 between illusion and reality.

Another group - high professional actors, who are fluent in their craft (the Stanislavsky system, etc.), able to identify themselves with a fictional character and merge into one with the image of their hero, up to physiological manifestations: “laughter and tears to order, whatever you like.” It is also necessary to mention the employees of special services who 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 more or less successfully deceive the polygraph.

For other people, this requires considerable effort, and sometimes just luck. Individual geniuses with such a gift from birth do not count, 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 pre-training, and the time for preparation will be very limited. But this does not deprive you of the chances of success.

The first step is to overcome the fear and "reverence" for the polygraph, which you were instilled in advance with a manipulative purpose. And also get rid of the feelings of guilt implanted in you. They block your will to resist. And what helps you is calm self-confidence and a mindset to win, not to lose. Remember that the lie detector is not omnipotent. He cannot read your thoughts and thus learn something about you. It only logs the state at the time of testing. Or rather, a 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 bypassed, hammered into his “brains” so that he cannot give an accurate answer.

What you need to know about the work of the lie detector

The basic principle of the polygraph is as follows: physiological reactions are stronger, the more important and meaningful the question is for you. As a rule, a person who is not involved in a case that interests the interrogators reacts approximately the same way to all questions: significant for the case and not significant. And for those who are involved, significant questions cause uncontrollable tension.

Usually, before a direct test on a lie detector, all the questions that will be asked are discussed with the person being tested. The subject of the test is agreed in advance to avoid a vague reaction to an unexpected question. If a person is asked head-on, without preparation, something like “Did you sleep 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 this. Or he will be very surprised - and the polygraph shows approximately the same reaction to lies and surprise.

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. Expel the real picture from consciousness and create a “legend” that is beneficial for you: a bright, emotionally colored image that will crowd out the real one. With developed imagination and self-hypnosis skills, this can help you outsmart the polygraph. The key here is to force yourself to believe in this alternate reality, not just imagine it in every detail. And the main difficulty is “not to think about the white rhino”, to forget for a while about how everything really happened. Otherwise, the real picture in your mind will be superimposed on the imaginary one. Two mutually exclusive images will simultaneously cause mental tension 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 a polygraph as evidence of your lie.

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

Your reaction to deliberate lies is also being studied. The polygraph examiner calls several names, including yours. You must lie, that is, say that the name spoken is not yours. Thus, it is checked how you react to a lie and how the detector fixes it. For a similar purpose, you may be asked to write down a number from several proposed ones, choose a playing card, put some figure in your pocket, etc. Then the polygraph operator "guesses" the subject, analyzing your reactions.

A funny detail: in many instructions for polygraph operators, when "guessing" is advised not to be limited to the analysis of psychophysiological reactions, but to be reliable, resort to cheating techniques - labeled cards, hidden video cameras ... Such a petty scam is considered acceptable. After all, among other things, the preparatory stage should break the will of the tested person to resist, convince him of the futility of trying to deceive the polygraph. Therefore, during the preliminary demonstration, they strive to completely eliminate the possibility of a “puncture”.

The main test can take several hours. Questions are read out, you are invited to listen carefully and honestly answer “yes” or “no”. Each question is followed by a pause (15-20 seconds) during which the psycho-physiological reaction to it is recorded. The polygraph records when your “heart skipped a beat”, where your breath held, after which question a “sigh of relief” followed, and where your hands trembled and your knees vibrated. Here are some signs of emotional tension in response to the presentation of a meaningful question. They may not be in your favor:

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

In order to disorient the interviewee and break down his protective barriers, conditions and wording can 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 previously answered “no” to them - to find out what will be the reactions to yes answers. Or vice versa - give only negative answers. There is also a "silent answer" - the test-taker is asked only to think about the answer to the question, but not to say it out loud.

During the survey, “filler questions” are used on neutral topics that, in theory, should not cause excitement (“Today is Monday?”, “Are you sitting on a chair?”). Experts suggest including more such questions in the test, to which a knowingly 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 those involved in the crime. Often the question lists keywords and facts. “What did you take 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? For days on end?" “What kind of bribe did you receive? One hundred? Two hundred? Three hundred? Five hundred thousand?". As you approach the correct answer, there is an increase in signs of anxiety, and then relaxation as you move away from it. Although outwardly it may not be noticeable to a person.

To divert the attention of the test-taker, significant questions complicate. The unknown is presented to the test-taker as known: “Did you hide the package that you stole there?”. A person, by inertia, can “be led”, answer “yes” or “no”. And any unequivocal answer to such questions already contains an indirect recognition.

There are also security questions that should excite even the innocent ("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 the innocent should be more excited about control questions than questions that are directly related to the essence of the case. A negative response to the control security question testifies to the lie of the person being tested.

Ways to cheat a polygraph

How to bring down the "calibration" of the polygraph and make it work incorrectly? The first answer that comes to mind is to give deliberately false, random, unsystematic and “idiotic” answers to all questions without exception during the preliminary interview and further during the testing process. Go out of your way to mix up the tracks, preventing the polygraph from seeing what you can 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, but can only have fun and enjoy. These can be ideological opponents of polygraphs or criminals caught red-handed who go into "complete unconsciousness." There is no need 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, because it is impossible to build a basic calibration scale against which physiological responses are compared.

Such provocative demarches look impressive. More often than not, however, test-takers want the testers not to suspect anything. How to deceive a lie detector imperceptibly?

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

The first way to fool the lie detector- try to reduce the sensitivity of your own sensory analyzers. To do this, it will be enough to drink a certain amount of alcohol the day before. The next day, a person becomes weakly sensitive, his reactions are conditionally “inhibited” and he will not be able to objectively respond to the stimuli presented. The lie detector will not be able to draw unambiguous conclusions.

Specially selected medications are another remedy. These can be drugs for hypertension, which lower blood pressure and at the same time block the production of adrenaline (beta-blockers). Using them, you should know and understand your body's reaction to "chemistry" well. So, for people with low blood pressure, taking adrenoblockers is strictly contraindicated. You also need to be able to calculate the time of action of pharmacological agents. To make everything 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 accumulating fatigue and poor health, if the operator suddenly suspects an attempt to deceive the polygraph.

If the test subject has taken psychotropic substances for the first time, he will be in a new mental state for him and “out of habit” may begin to behave inappropriately, which will be instantly noticed. There are also standard questions for testing (“Did you use drugs / alcohol / drugs today?”) And if you lie during testing that you didn’t drink or use it, 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 "overlays" and masks your emotional reaction to the other substance. The task of such “masking” is greatly facilitated for people with chronic diseases who are forced to constantly take medication.

However, for serious cases, the "chemo-pharmacological" method is not applicable. For example, if the results of a polygraph examination 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 a change in response to meaningful questions. You will have a chance to outwit the lie detector. The most elementary remedy is rubbing with ordinary medical alcohol, which constricts the sweat glands. The galvanic skin reaction is “evened out” by various medical and cosmetic products that greatly reduce sweating: talcs and ointments from sweating, deodorants for the feet, etc. Conditions for their successful application:

• the applied product should be invisible, colorless and odorless;
• its action should be long, since a polygraph test lasts several hours;
• the preparation must be stable and preserved after washing the hands (this is a common procedure before starting the test);

A good result is given by salicylic-zinc ointment, which is sold in pharmacies. It should be applied to hands well warmed up in boiling water so that it is deeply absorbed into the skin. It should be remembered that the polygraph fixes not only GSR. Even if the skin is treated, breathing will have to be controlled independently.

Non-chemical methods also give results. 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 workout), exhaustion (due to prolonged fasting) also dull physiological responses to questions, "smoothing" the lie detector. Polygrams will turn out to be “smooth”, unsuitable 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 sensory analyzers, it is important not to overdo it. Don't push yourself into a very deep blackout. Almost all polygraphs measure the electrical resistance of the skin (galvanic skin response). It is directly related to the functioning of the brain. The more relaxed the person, the higher the level of skin resistance. If the device fixes the limiting indicators of resistance, there will be suspicions about the reliability of the results. In addition, the polygraph examiner analyzes the magnitude of reactions to control questions that are not known to the test person. If the reaction to them does not differ from the "general background" - the polygraph operator can stop the test, or reschedule it for another time. However, sometimes even such a delay plays into the hands of the test.

Another way to cheat a polygraph- this is the suppression of all emotions so that no stimulus causes a significant response. There are two ways to manage your state that violate habitual reactions: a) general deconcentration; b) attention control (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 focus on some part of the body, the rhythm of your breath, or a memory from your life experience. Ideally, you generally need to forget about the existence of a polygraph near you and exclude the perception of the content of the questions being 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, it takes long training to master it, but its effectiveness is also quite high.

It is important that your inner detachment is not noticed by the interviewer. External signs 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 before the tester even has time to ask the question.

If the operator notices all this, he will try to get you out of this state. For example, in the following way, described in textbooks for polygraph examiners:

If during testing you have a suspicion, try to immediately change the question and put it in such a way that the subject is forced to say “yes” if he answered “no” before. For example, asking a question like this: “What 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 should express your bewilderment: “How is it, Semyon Semenovich, 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 has entered and for some time will make him perceive the content of your questions. Usually, after a pause, a neutral question is given, followed by a "meaningful" one.

Third Approach states: “What is important is not the absence of a reaction as such (which is quite easily detected by control questions and can arouse suspicion), but the ability to give the right reaction.” Your reaction should look natural. Effective are feigned emotional reactions to insignificant stimuli. If you want to elicit a reaction to the right question, try simply mentally multiplying a few multi-digit numbers or thinking of something that evokes rage or sexual emotion.

So, if you don't want to be convicted of homosexuality, multiplying the numbers in your head is necessary when you are asked "do you prefer women." And if there is an inverse problem, i.e. if you have to pretend to be homosexual, which you are not, then you need to multiply when you hear the question "Do you prefer to have sex with people of the same sex", etc. Alternatively, when you are asked about women, at that moment you imagine or recall sexual scenes with men (or vice versa). Thus, the sexual reaction to the 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 due impressionability, willpower and a well-developed skill, this method works.

The result can also be achieved if you start reading poetry. About myself, of course. Something long, like "Eugene Onegin." Worrying about the protagonist and answering questions as if in between times.

To create fake reactions there are many different ways. The most famous of them is “mechanical”, the tension of some muscle groups imperceptible to an expert. Usually they press the toes to the floor, reduce the eyes to the nose, or press the tongue to the hard palate.

Pain also elicits physiological responses that are characteristic of psychological stress. Some, in an attempt to fool the polygraph, put a button in the shoe under thumb and click on it with each negative (or positive) answer. The body begins to respond to the expectation of pain, and not to lies or truth. Therefore, the polygraph readings 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 known today even to amateur polygraph examiners. The test subject is filmed on video cameras, which capture close-ups of any movements and changes in the expression of the “muzzle of the face”. Therefore, this should be done very carefully. Remember: any suspicious or ambiguous behavior will necessarily be interpreted NOT in your favor.

If you do not alternate methods, but keep pressing the button with each answer “no” (“did not participate ...”, “did not see ...”, “did not participate ...”, “did not steal ...”) - then the polygraph operator will see a pattern in the manifestation of the same type of reaction and suspect something is wrong. In addition, sensors can be attached to your calf muscles that will record finger movements. The proverbial “nail in the shoe” should be long and sharp enough to cause pain even with light pressure, and your movements should be subtle, with minimal involvement of other muscles in the body. Then there will be a chance that the motion sensors will not notice the counter signal against the background of the general tremor of the body (caused by heart contractions, breathing, etc.).

It is believed that the most difficult in detecting mechanical resistance to the polygraph is the language. After answering the question "yes" or "no", the tongue can imperceptibly be pressed against the teeth or "wrapped" towards the larynx, or pressed against the palate with a force that causes pain. However, this way to deceive the lie detector can be determined using special sensors installed in the chin or larynx. You should also remember about breathing - you need to “work” with your tongue without disturbing the rhythm and depth of breathing, because it will be instantly recorded by a polygraph.

A common disadvantage of all mechanical methods is that they are difficult to hide and take time to complete, which means they cause a delay in the reaction. If the reaction occurs a few seconds after the question is answered, then the polygraph examiner will notice the “turning on” of the button or tongue 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 kept to a minimum.

As an alternative to a needle in your pants, you can recommend techniques from the NLP arsenal - learn to put a "psychological anchor" (for tension and relaxation), using it at the right time. After all, it is the internal, mental methods that are most difficult to expose. If you use them at the right time, 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 benefit you.

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

We're conducting an intensive search for this spy. Since you gentlemen were in close proximity to the scene, I intend to speak with you one by one to find out what you might know. I can also discover... Which one of you is the missing spy?

This last arrow elicited only shocked silence. Now that he had brought us all into a state of depression suitable for cross-examination, the gray man began to call the officers one at a time. I was doubly grateful for my foresight, which had the foresight to drop my head on the ground in full view of everyone.

I was called third not by chance. On what basis? A general similarity in physique with the spy Paz Ratunkov? Bandage? Some basis for suspicion must have existed. I trudged forward, barely moving my feet like the others before me. I saluted and he pointed to a chair next to the desk.

Why don't you hold this while we talk? - he said judiciously, passing me a silver lie detector egg.

The real Vaska wouldn't recognize him, so I didn't recognize him either. I just looked at him with slight interest - as if I did not know that he was transmitting vital information to the lie detector in front of him, and squeezed it in my palms. My thoughts were not so calm.

I got caught! He opened me up! 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 still have that night, lieutenant? he asked me, looking at the sheet of paper and at the polygraph readings.

Yes, sir, you know... Had a few drinks with the guys. That 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 throwing my living blood into the mud.

I see you have recently been demoted... Where are your fuses, Pas Ratunkov?

"I'm tired... how I wish I was in bed," I thought.

Explosives? - I blinked my red peepers and, raising my hand to scratch my head, touched the bandage and thought that it was better not to. His eyes bored into mine, gray eyes almost the same color as his uniform, and for a moment I caught strength and anger behind his calm manner.

And your head wound, where did you get it? Our spy was hit on the side of the head.

I fell, sir, I must have been pushed from the van. The soldiers bandaged, ask them...

Already asked. They got drunk, fell, disgraced the officer corps. Get out and clean up, you disgust me! Next!

I unsteadily got to my feet, not looking into the piercing gimlets of those cold eyes, and walked as if I had forgotten about the device in my hands, and then came back and dropped it on the table, but he bent over his documents, ignoring me. I saw a faint scar under the sparse hair on the top of his bald 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 current ones were ideal. Sudden interrogation, at night, without testing for the subject's normal response. So I had to express a beautiful peak on his recorder. I was afraid: of him, of something else, of anything. But when he asked capture questions designed to expose a spy, I relaxed because I was waiting for them, and the device showed it. The question was meaningless to anyone but the spy. If he soon saw this, the interrogation was over, he still had a lot of work to do. ( Harry Harrison, Revenge of the steel rat)

Reception with psychological relaxation has its pitfalls. Polygraph examiners are well aware that every “normal” person experiences worries, fears, fears in an uncomfortable testing situation for him. Therefore, relaxation should not fall below some general background of anxiety. In a person who is well-versed in self-regulation, relaxation in response to the presentation of a significant question leads to a sharp activation of inhibitory processes. The activity of recorded physiological manifestations is significantly reduced. As a result, the reaction can turn out to be paradoxically low - less than the answer to any neutral question. Such an unusual result will attract attention. If you relax too much, you risk arousing suspicion.

Connoisseurs of English are advised to visit the site of staunch polygraph fighters Antipolygraph.org. The credo of this site is very appealing to many. In a free translation into Russian, it sounds something 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 democracy." This site presents a curious work "The Lie Behind the Lie Detector". In it, opponents of the detectors offer their own methods of dealing with "unscientific ways of testifying, designed for idiots and working only in a non-legal country."

These recommendations apply to the classic lie detector, which captures pressure fluctuations, respiratory rate, blinking, heart muscle contractions, skin electrical activity, brain activity, involuntary movements of the arms and legs.

When the device is connected to the body, the first thing to do is to pay attention to even breathing. Its frequency can range from 15 to 30 breaths 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, a “sigh of relief” follows, so you should control the rhythm of breathing until you completely “disconnect” from the wires with which you are entangled.

Breathing is directly related to the pulse, heart rate, which is also recorded by sensors. When you inhale, your pulse speeds up; when you exhale, it slows down. This is well known to Indian yogis who use a certain type of breath to meditate and slow down the heart. With a long exhalation with a quick inhalation, you can “hold” the pulse when answering questions, preventing it from becoming much more frequent. If, however, before each answer to a question, a short forced breath is taken, then the reactions to all questions will be equally increased, without sharp jumps. Of course, such an inhalation / exhalation should look natural, be as inconspicuous and silent as possible - which is achieved only through training. If you are accused of doing it on purpose, you can always answer that this is a natural and familiar way for you to breathe. Or just the result of general nervousness and fear of the polygraph.

To fool the sensors blood pressure Enthusiasts advise in between questions from a polygraph examiner to squeeze the muscles of the anal sphincter and bite the tip of the tongue. Instead of the notorious "button in the shoe" to cause pain, women and men are advised to put "thorny objects" in more intimate parts 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 rocking the 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 sensors on the respondent and says that he will not turn on the polygraph for now, so that you get used to the sensors. And he starts to discuss the topics of questions with you. In fact, the detector is in working mode and captures all your indicators, as well as the moment of transition 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 the poll is completed. The operator says that testing is over, but the sensors are not disconnected. In fact, the polygraph continues to work.

Finally, we present the original method of dealing with a polygraph, sent by our reader.

After a little thought, I decided to write a few words about the polygraph... If you'll excuse me... I don't think that in connection with my problem I will have to pass such a test... But still...

The point is that you can cheat a polygraph using the methods you suggest... But for this you need to be a very prepared person. The committee has been preparing people for this, mmm...well, for a very long time. After the failure of the Stasi agents, if sclerosis does not fail me in the 60th or 61st year. I mean the methods of replacing questions or (even more so!!!) suppressing emotions. The button method is good, but... In modern testing, sensors are placed under the legs of the chair. And any movement will be instantly detected and will be interpreted not in your favor. As well as muscle contraction. Pressing the tongue against the palate, biting the tongue is quickly determined by appearance by any, even not very experienced expert, who during testing will not look at the tape at all - why, it is recorded automatically anyway, well, or at the monitor screen, but will look at your face, revealing additional, NOT psycho-physiological reactions, especially eye movement . Coming from a hangover is good. It's also good to come JUST after drinking some alcohol. Maybe NOT alcohol. You can coffee cups 7-10. You can and other drugs, such as tranquilizers. But then again, with SERIOUS testing, you will definitely get a blood and / or urine test. What all your tricks will calculate. Which again will be interpreted NOT in your favor. Not to mention that testing can simply be postponed. In addition, all this affects the heart rate. And it is ALWAYS measured during polygraph testing. 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 is largely free from all these shortcomings, tested (do not ask where!) And showed good results. With this method, you also need to drink. But only water. And in large quantities. Everyone knows approximately how much he needs to drink to go to the toilet ... well, VERY wanted. How long to drink ... You can try to calculate in such a way that on preliminary, “sighting” questions you don’t really want to. And this is about the first 10-30 minutes. But, even if you didn’t calculate, anyway, you can force yourself not to think about what you want to go to the toilet, relax as much as possible ... 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 is swelling, swelling, which is about to burst, thinking only about the unbearable desire to go to the toilet, no more strength to endure, no more strength to think about anything but What do you want PI-PI!!!

Techniques such as those listed above can be used not only during a lie detector test, but also during any interview or interrogation with prejudice: with an investigator, psychologist or personnel service specialist when applying for a job. After all, an experienced psychologist-expert will also very closely monitor your reaction to his questions to find out if you are telling the truth.

Well, now that's all! Good luck!

The polygraph (lie detector) is a hardware-software complex that makes it possible to interrogate the subject in real time and simultaneously record changes in his physiological parameters. Based on the analysis of the information received, conclusions can be drawn about whether the subject is telling a lie. The reliability of such data depends on the type of personality and can range from 70-98%.

Got something to hide

How to cheat a lie detector? This question is usually asked by people who want to hide certain information. As long as this device exists, so many people are trying to find ways to outwit it. Let's consider the most common of them.

Alcohol to the rescue

In an effort to deceive the lie detector, one can try to minimize the variations in the analyzed physiological parameters. A small amount of any alcoholic drink will help with this. You should drink on the eve of the test. As a result, a significant decrease in sensitivity, inhibition and distortion of reactions. Due to this, it will be difficult to draw unambiguous conclusions about the information obtained using a polygraph.

Let's go to the pharmacy

How to cheat a lie detector? Some will help medications. In this case, it is very important to take into account the fact that the body's reaction to unknown agents can be unpredictable. For example, some psychotropic substances in overdose provoke inappropriate behavior, which, of course, is immediately noticed by others.

Doing without "chemistry"

Is it possible to fool a polygraph without taking alcohol or drugs? If you do not want to act on the body with tranquilizers, try not to sleep for two days. Temporary exclusion of this natural physiological process leads to the development of a trance-like state. In this case, the response to all questions asked will remain equally insignificant. However, it is important to take into account the fact that an experienced polygraph examiner will clearly notice your condition.

The specialist analyzes the magnitude of reactions to special control questions, the purpose of which the subject does not know. If the information received causes doubts in the polygraph examiner, he will stop the survey and reschedule it for another day. However, such a delay is sometimes very beneficial to the subject.

Emotions - in a fist

Let's consider a different approach. How to deceive a lie detector without changing your usual way of life? To this end, you should learn to suppress your own emotions. In this case, no stimulus will cause a reaction. The main recommendation is to answer the questions automatically, without attaching serious importance to them. To do this, you should concentrate, for example, on the picture of the wall in front of your eyes, or on any other object. The key is to keep it neutral. As an option - immerse yourself in an event that happened in the past and live it again. To achieve a positive result, it is important to develop the ability to concentrate in the course of constant long-term training.

Desired instead of reality

In an effort to achieve non-reaction as such, consider important point: a specialist can detect deception using special control questions. It is better to learn not to hold back and wishful thinking. Passing a polygraph will give desired result if you show feigned reactions to minor stimuli. So, when answering the right question, think of something that arouses rage, or try to mentally multiply two three-digit numbers. Another option is to cause pain. It triggers physiological responses as in psychological stress. To do this, there are various tricks, like pressing the tongue to the hard palate or toes to the floor. However, even inexperienced polygraph examiners know all these tricks and are able to reveal the deception. In addition, several video cameras are often directed at the test subject, which record any changes in facial expression and involuntary movements in close-up.

Let's go to the bottom

Another option is to use the so-called psychological anchor. Experienced in this regard, people can relax or tense at the right time. Deception is always difficult to uncover, because mental devices are not easy to identify. If you throw such a saving “anchor” at the right time, it is likely that you will be able to answer the questions asked on the polygraph in the way you need.

Competent opinion

According to most experts, the lie detector is impossible to deceive. They note that this device reads information received from the body. These are motor and voice activity, heart rate and breathing, electrical impulses of the skin, the process of capillary filling with blood. All of the above processes are controlled by consciousness, but not by the subconscious. The latter acts as a repository of memories of what happened.

According to polygraph examiners, you can think about anything, but the lie detector will communicate with your body, which will not deceive it. An attempt to lie will instantly be reflected on the screen.

At the slightest smell of alcohol, the test will be rescheduled. And what about taking all kinds of psychotropic drugs? The questions on the polygraph also concern this. If you lie that you did not affect the body in any way, the survey will also be postponed.

In an effort to evoke pain to simulate a reaction, some put a button in their shoe. However, it will not be difficult for any experienced operator to identify a suspicious pattern. If he reveals your trick, he will ask you to remove your shoes.

Polygraph examiners themselves note that such tricks only make them laugh. Needless to say that all possible tricks have long been known to them? However, foreign intelligence officers who carry out their missions abroad are trained in how to fool the lie detector.

Manufacturer's assurance

There are companies in Russia that produce polygraphs and perform tests on these devices. One of them is "Polygraph Test". The official website of the company claims that all attempts to deceive the lie detector are in vain. With almost one hundred percent probability, this device will reveal the desire to distort information. In addition, the polygraph is equipped with additional accessories that allow you to record all the tricks of the interviewed person.

Alternative point of view

Some believe that the assurances of the high efficiency of the lie detector are a kind of advertising device and an integral part psychological preparation test subjects. So, any polygraph examiner before the start of the survey inspires a person that it is impossible to deceive a "smart" device. In a casual, friendly tone, he reports that the lie detector will reveal all attempts to hide the truth. You should not blame a specialist for conducting such a psychological game, because this is part of his job, which is prescribed in the job description.

In addition, a kind of throwing dust in the eyes has deeper socio-psychological reasons. Many centuries ago, it was known that the reverence and fear of the crowd before something mysterious is one of the factors in retaining power. At present, little has changed.

From the very beginning, it is important to try to overcome the fear of such an "all-knowing" device as a polygraph (lie detector). The suggestion that it is 100% effective should not affect you. Remember that this device does not know anything about you personally and is unable to read your thoughts. It only registers the state at the time of the check. More precisely, those physiological reactions that develop when answering a particular question. Based on the received data, the computer provides an estimated estimate, which is then analyzed by a specialist.

Can a polygraph be fooled? Yes, just like any other car. Even the notorious lie detector can get confused when fixing the reactions of a pathological liar. Everything is explained simply: if a person is really sure that he is telling the truth, then no device will fix the opposite.

Another group of those who can cope with a polygraph are professional actors who are fluent in the Stanislavsky system and have the ability to 100% get used to the image of a certain hero. This, of course, requires extensive training.

Social psychopaths can also deceive a "smart" device, since they are simply unable to adequately perceive social norms. Accordingly, questions about actions that go beyond the law and morality will not cause the expected reaction. For the same reason, a lie detector test is not recommended for the elderly and minors.

Although science does not stand still, the actual effectiveness of the lie detector is still far from the declared one. This is confirmed by a large number of mistakes, as a result of which people were sent to places of deprivation of liberty or even sentenced to death. As practical and laboratory studies show, the accuracy of the information provided by the polygraph is at the level of seventy percent, no more. In addition, it has been proven that teaching a person to successfully resist a polygraph is quite realistic, although rather difficult.

controversial issue

Is the process of testing an individual on a lie detector morally and ethically acceptable? After all, each of us has a personal world, the invasion of which causes a natural desire to defend ourselves. Our personal motives, secret desires and interests do not need to be known to outsiders. Let us turn to the Anglo-American legal system. It has a separate category called privacy. It means the right to privacy and the inadmissibility of intrusion into the intimate sphere of the individual.

Of course, in some situations, the use of a polygraph is more than justified, for example, when investigating serious crimes such as terrorist attacks, murders, rapes, etc. If a person is falsely accused of something, then a lie detector test sometimes becomes the only way prove the innocence of the suspect.

It happens that the use of a polygraph is nothing more than an insult to a person, psychological violence and a gross violation of his personal space. For example, the now popular employee due diligence initiated by the boss, etc.

At the request of customers, some polygraph examiners agree to go in direct violation of professional standards and elementary ethical norms. Such dishonest specialists are engaged in literally turning the subjects inside out. They ask questions about everything from political views to intimate feelings. Especially often this can be observed when hiring and scheduled checks of employees (the so-called screening).

Personal questions can make up the bulk of the questionnaire. The only way to keep strangers out of your personal space is to try to fool the lie detector, because refusing such a humiliating test can lead to dismissal.

Conclusion

The polygraph in forensics is one of the main tools for investigating serious crimes. Thanks to this device, a certain psychological pressure can be exerted on the criminal. However, to the question of whether it is possible to deceive a lie detector, there is no definite answer yet.

Incredible Facts

Would you like to change your vision of the world or experience hallucinations? People tend to associate these phenomena with the use of drugs such as LSD. However, there are ways to expand your boundaries of perception without having to resort to illegal substances. All you need is to understand how our brain works.

Our mind is not a mirror of what is happening around. Much of what we see in the outside world comes from within and is a by-product of how the brain processes sensations. Behind last years scientists have found several ways that reveal the deceptiveness of our senses, and here are some of them.

1. Ganzfeld procedure

At first glance, this may seem like a bad prank. The Ganzfeld procedure is a soft sensory isolation technique that was first proposed in experimental psychology in the 1930s. For this experiment, you need to tune the radio to interference, lie down on the sofa and, using adhesive plaster, attach half of the balls from table tennis. Within a minute, the person begins to experience hallucinations. Some people see horses running in the clouds, others hear the voice of a dead relative.

The point is that our the mind is dependent on sensations and when there are very few of them, our brain begins to invent its own.

2. Pain reduction

If you are suddenly slightly injured, look at the damaged part with upside down binoculars. In this case, the pain should decrease.

Scientists from the University of Oxford have demonstrated in an experiment that looking at an injured hand through the far end of binoculars visually reduces the size of the hand, as well as pain and swelling.

This suggests that even basic sensations such as pain depend on our vision.

3. Illusion of Pinocchio

For this experiment, you need two chairs and a blindfold. The person with the bandage sits in the back seat, looking in the direction of the person in front. Then the one who is blindfolded reaches out his hand and places it on the nose of the one who sits in front.

At the same time, with the other hand, he touches his nose and starts lightly stroking both noses. After about a minute, over 50 percent of people report that their nose is getting longer.. This is called the Pinocchio effect or proprioception.

4. Deception of thinking

Raise your right leg a few inches off the floor and start moving it in a clockwise direction. While you're doing this, use your index finger right hand to draw the number 6 in the air. Your leg will begin to turn counterclockwise and there is nothing you can do about it.

The left side of the brain, which controls the right side of the body, is responsible for rhythm and timing. She cannot handle the work of two opposing movements at the same time and combines them into one movement.

5. Hearing deception

This trick can be done with three people, one of whom will be the test subject, and the other two will be observers. You will also need headphones attached to two plastic tubes on both sides. Ask the subject to sit on a chair at an equal distance between the two observers. Each observer takes turns speaking into the receiver from the appropriate side. The listener in this case correctly determines the direction of the sound.

If you exchange pipes and start talking, then the listener will get confused and point in the opposite direction from the sound.

Auditory localization is the ability of a person to determine the direction of a sound source. The human auditory system is endowed with handicapped determine the distance of the sound source, and is based on the intersonic time difference. When you change tubes, the perception of neurons on the opposite side of the brain is activated and the person cannot determine the source of the sound.

6. Rubber hand illusion

More than ten years ago, psychologists discovered an illusion that allows you to convince a person that rubber hand is his own. For this experiment, you need a rubber hand or an inflated rubber glove, a piece of cardboard and two brushes. Place the rubber hand on the table in front of you, and hide your hand behind the cardboard. Have someone stroke the real hand and the rubber hand at the same time using the same brush strokes.

In a few minutes you it will feel like an artificial hand has become your flesh. If you ask another person to hit a rubber hand, the person will feel uneasy and hurt because the brain is convinced that the rubber hand is real.

7. The sound that is heard by those who are under 20

This sound is sinusoid with a frequency of 18,000 Hertz heard by those who are not yet 20 years old. It is used by some teenagers as a ringtone for mobile phone so that other people cannot hear if the phone is ringing.

As a person gets older, he loses the ability to hear sounds of higher tones. and therefore only young people under 20 are able to catch it.

8. Purkinje effect

Jan Purkinje, the founder of modern neuroscience, discovered an interesting hallucination as a child. He closed his eyes, turned his head towards the sun and began to quickly move his hand back and forth in front of his closed eyes.

After a few minutes, Purkinje noticed the multi-colored shapes that were getting more and more intricate.

Subsequently, scientists created special glasses on which light lit up at a certain frequency. This stimulation creates a short circuit in the visual cortex of the brain, and the cells begin to "light up" in an unpredictable way, which leads to the appearance of fictitious images.

9. Deceiving the perception of light

Look at the center point (plus sign) of the black and white image for at least 30 seconds, then look away at the wall and you will see a bright spot. Blink a few times. What do you see?

Look at the red parrot's eye while slowly counting to 20, and then quickly look at one spot in the empty cage. You should have a hazy image of a blue-green bird in a cage before your eyes. The same can be done with a green cardinal and an indistinct silhouette of a purple bird will appear in the cage.

When we look at an image for some time and then replace it with a white background, an afterimage appears. This is due to the fact that the photoreceptors (rods and cones) of the eyes get tired, an imbalance of information occurs and an afterimage appears.

10. Illusion of a rotating silhouette

Look at the spinning silhouette of the girl. Do you see it spinning clockwise or counterclockwise? As a general rule, if you see a silhouette spin in one direction, say counter-clockwise, it's hard for you to see it in the opposite direction.

Actually, this the 2D image does not rotate in any direction, but shifts back and forth. But our brain perceives it as a three-dimensional image and interprets it accordingly.

If you look around the image, focusing on a shadow or another part, you can force your visual system to realign itself in a different direction.

As children, we were taught not to lie. Never and no one. However, life, as often happens, crosses out school lessons and stubbornly pokes us into the fact that you cannot live without lies. And the tireless British researchers of everything in the world also add: it turns out that any adult person tells a lie about 88 thousand times in his life!

The list of the most common deceptions includes, of course, everyone's favorite "Good to see you", "No money, I'm broke myself now" and "Thank you, I really really like it." That is, they lie to everyone, to everyone and always. But some do it well, making life easier for themselves and pleasing others, while others do not do it very well, bringing only pain and suffering to everyone around.

So, how can you learn to cheat easily, beautifully and safely? In this case, as in any other, there are secrets and unwritten laws.

Small and big lies require the same attention

This is one of the main rules that the future master of lies must learn. Each of your deceit, regardless of its meaning, you will have to remember forever and build your further behavior based on this. However, it seems to some that it is good enough to remember only the most important deceptions, and lies on trifles do not deserve any attention. This is where inexperienced liars usually burn. Having piled up a whole mountain of lies, they then forget what, to whom and when they said.

Therefore, try to memorize well every, even the smallest, stroke. And since human memory is not unlimited and you definitely won’t be able to remember everything, the main rule follows from this:

Lie as little as possible. This is the only way to achieve authenticity.

Use distraction and switching

A real master of deceit, like a Spanish matador, draws his sword only at the decisive moment and strikes with just one blow. The rest of the time, he skillfully diverts the attention of the victim with the help of skillful movements with a red cloak. The art of lying uses similar techniques, and sometimes skillfully switching the interlocutor's attention to another object or changing the topic of the conversation altogether eliminates the need for you to lie. Think over in advance the line of your behavior in such a way that you do not have to tell a lie at all. Just do not overdo it, because inept possession of a muleta can cost the matador his life!

Practice

In any case, practice is needed, and in such an important matter as deceit, you definitely cannot do without it. But since practicing on living people is not very humane, we will train on ourselves. Stand in front of a mirror and repeat your lie until it looks completely natural. Ideally, you should convince yourself of the veracity of your words.

The ideal lie is the one that you were able to believe yourself.

Never make excuses or confess

If you are suspected of lying, then the worst thing you can do is to start writing more and more lies to justify yourself. If the building staggers, then it is necessary to escape from it, and not urgently complete the construction of new floors. Therefore, respond to all accusations with proud, offended silence or moving on to another topic.

As for "voluntary surrender," this is tantamount to a direct shot in the temple. Often there are situations when the truth is equally harmful to both sides and the side accusing you, just like you, despite all the harassment, would not want to hear it. Never give up, even when your back is against the wall. Stand your ground against logic, evidence and common sense.

Do not lie to your loved ones and those who love you

You can think over your line of behavior many moves ahead. You can practice brilliant acting skills in front of a mirror and develop the most believable intonations. You will provide yourself with alibis, witnesses, a second line of defense and escape routes.

And they still know the truth. This is not amenable to scientific explanation, because we do not believe in all these “feels with the heart” and “dreamed in a dream.” Let's put it differently: a special non-verbal psycho-physiological contact is established between some people, thanks to which they unconsciously feel the slightest changes in each other's state. So it's best not to even try. It still won't work.