Can you fool a polygraph?

Ever since polygraphs became popular, some people have taken it upon themselves to try to fool them. Despite the fact that throughout history there have been people who claim that a polygraph can be fooled, the truth is that this has not been proven and doing so today is practically impossible.

Polygraphs have evolved over time, to the point that they are increasingly accurate and reliable. In this way, the chances of trying to circumvent this device are practically nil.

So, in the event that you have to face one and want to try to outwit it at all costs, you should know that it is very unlikely that you will succeed.

Why can’t you outwit the polygraph?

Have you heard the saying that “the body does not lie”? Well, this is very true and the polygraph uses this as a basis to detect whether you are lying or not. You see, the polygraph is responsible for detecting physiological variations in the human body. This includes blood pressure, pulse, sweating, among others.

So, even if you try to fool the polygraph, the truth is that mastering your body in such a way that you can avoid these changes is very complex. And it is that both the device and the interrogation are designed to prevent you from lying.

When there is a change, it is recorded immediately and it is the duty of the person who reads it to interpret it. Although there are people who assure that they have been able to circumvent it, the truth is that it may be due more to a misinterpretation of the person than to a polygraph error.

Myths about cheating the polygraph

Over time, a large number of myths have appeared that talk about “techniques” to cheat the polygraph. The truth is that none of them have been proven, without neglecting the fact that there are scientific answers as to why this does not work.

Next, we are going to talk to you very briefly about some of the most common myths related to the polygraph today.

Use of sedatives before the test

This is one of the most classic myths and it is that, according to logic, by attending the test “relaxed”, it is not possible to obtain an accurate physiological response. This is completely false, not only because there are still slight changes that the polygraph detects, there is another factor to take into account and that is the experience of the evaluator.

If you attend an evaluation sedated or drowsy, he will notice, so the test will not be taken in that state.

The use of pain

Another thing that many people say works is resorting to pain. This means that many bite their tongue to generate pain during the interview. Others even talk about placing a sharp object inside the shoe.

This is not recommended at all, not only because inflicting pain on yourself doesn’t work, but because the test can take longer without a concise result.

Practice relaxation and meditation

Very similar to the first case we talked about, in this case, it is more difficult to achieve, since reaching such a state of relaxation that you can confuse a polygraph is very difficult. And this is mainly because the pace of the interviews does not allow it.

No matter how much you practice or how much you document yourself on the subject, the truth is that it is very unlikely that you will be able to outwit the polygraph. So, it is recommended that you do not try it, because you will fail.