I recently took a pre-employment poly test and failed. I had nothing to hide, but a friend of mine convinced me that telling the truth was not enough.  He said to protect myself I should learn to beat the test.  I can’t believe I actually believed what he said.  I read TLBTLD and even paid for Doug William’s lousy e-book.   

I practiced the techniques and tried the CMs during the test.  Sure enough, the polygrapher detected the CMs.  After the second round, he even came up to me and said that he thinks I am trying to manipulate the test results.  He asked that I stop.  I did not listen because after reading TLBTLD and What Doug had to say, I figured he was bluffing me.  Well turns out I was wrong.  If any of you are wondering there were no sensor pads on the chair I sat on, but somehow he knew. 

I failed the test, not because I lied, and not because I had something to hide.  My background is completely clean. I failed because I was dumb enough to actually believe that to pass I had to beat the test.  I guess this is what you call a lesson learned the hard way.   

If I were you, I would not use the CMs taught here or by Doug Williams.   

It is amazing how every time someone has something negative to say about CMs on this website he/she is automatically assumed to be a polygrapher.  You people are more paranoid that the polygraphers you accuse.  I am not a polygrapher polyfool.  I am another victim just like you.  The only difference between us is that I contributed to my failure by relying on bad information.   

I did not admit to CMs because after reading the TLBTLD and Doug Williams' manual I knew better than to admit to using CMs.   

When I first ran into this website and Williams' manual, I felt relieved that all was going to be well.  I felt that the information on TLBTLD and the info on Williams' manual were my savior.  Ironically, what I thought was my savior led to my failure.

I read both manuals very carefully, and practiced the CMs over and over again for about a month.  I even bought a damn tape recorder and recorded what I thought to be appropriate Relevant and Control questions and played it back for myself while perfecting the Countermeasures I used.  But, it did not matter because they still caught me.   

There was no more I could do to prepare for my exam, except to go buy a polygraph machine and see how my CM results would come out.  The information present on TLBTLD and the info on Williams' manual are inadequate.  Adhering to these CM techniques does not mean you will pass the test. 

Bottom line is this, I did everything the two manuals said, and I did not pass.   

I am sure everyone would agree that the purpose of this website is to inform the public about the lack of validity in polygraphy.  I do not disagree with the notion that polygraphy is imperfect, but I also believe that the information put forth in TLBTLD and the information put forth on Doug's manual is also imperfect and/or incomplete.   

For this reason I do not believe that anyone should rely on CM techniques advocated on this website or others, just as they should not believe in the validity of polygraphs.

Polyreject,

Sorry to hear of your experience.  Employing countermeasures is a very personal decision.  A decision that one must be completely comfortable with.  I'm am curious about your level of confidence prior to your "test."  Where you still unsure or very confident in your abilities to employ CMs?

I have never purchased Mr. Williams' manual and have no plans to do so.  It seems to me that his information could not differ from what is already available and free of charge.

Quote:


Without extra equipment (seat pads, motion sensors, etc.), I will venture to say that you were bluffed.  I say that, not to be argumentative, but because I don't believe unseen CMs are readily apparent by visual analysis alone.  There of course is the possibility that your reactions to controls were so strong that his/her suspicions were raised and thus...the bluff.

I am interested to know the details of your exam, if you are willing.  If so you can instant message me or email me at hall@antipolygraph.org.

Also, yes, some here are a bit leary of someone with statements such as yours.  Reason being that a few polygraphers have posted information similar to yours and used multiple screen names to agree with themselves.  The administrator is very good at detecting such deceptions.  Please do not be offended.

Polyreject,

  I guess polygraphers assume people are just as
gullible, outside the interrogation room.  I classify
polygraphers, along with investment brokers and
T.V. evangalists...

I was talking about admitting to something that would DQ him not countermeasures,despite what he says I still believe he made some type of admission or employed the countermeasures to the wrong questions.

By the way Anxietyguy, contrary to what you may think I made no admissions of any kind on any part of the test.  Believe it or not

Polyreject wrote on May 7^th, 2005 at 1:55am:


polyreject,

You must realize that not all people who use cm's pass. Not all non-deceptive people who don't use cm's pass. I have a few questions that might help here:

1. You say you used "everything" in William's book and TLBTLD. Clearly, you meant that you considered everything. TLBTLD provides several types of cm's. Which one(s) did you use. In retrospect, how do you think your poly response to controls differed from normal fear of detection to a lie?

2. If you had chosen not to use cm's, but had read TLBTLD, then you would be what is called an "informed" examinee. Do you think you would have responded more on the controls or less on the controls than you would have if you were unaware of the true purpose of the control questions.

So how would you advise people who have read TLBTLD who don't intend to use cm's (as you wish you had done) when asked the control questions in pre-test? Should they lie [edited for clarity: only on controls], and then lie on the control, or should they tell the examiner that those are controls and they intent to be fully honest and not lie on them? What are your thoughts?

The following is a response to questions asked by George on an email.  I posted it out here so everyone has a chance to read it.  And yes George was ok with this incase you were wondering (by the way, I don't think George thinks I'm a polygrapher so the rest of you can lighten up)

George asked what CM I used

The countermeasures I used were the anal sphincter countermeasure and the breathing countermeasure.  I did not use any tongue biting or any mental countermeasures.

George asked what breathing technique I used

The breathing methods I used were the ones referred to as the suppression and decrease of amplitude and the change in amplitude (both on page 148 of TLBTLD)

George asked what happened during the test

After the first chart the polygrapher seemed to be very pleased with my result, he said “all seems to be going well” but after the second round he came up to me and said “it appears that you are trying to manipulate the test, and I want you to stop.”  I thought he was bluffing.  So I kept on applying the CMs. 

George asked what the polygrapher said after the test:

After the test was over he said “when I see results like this I know someone is trying to beat the test” The polygrapher did not identify to which CM I used, he asked were you moving your feet?  Which I was not.  I don’t remember him saying anything about my breathing.  This was my first and hopefully last polygraph ever.   

George asked about the friend who referred me to read TLBTLD and Williams’ manual

My friend had failed a polygraph with the FBI, he claimed he was truthful.  He recommended me to this site and said to learn and apply the CMs.  He convinced me that being truthful was not enough.