Let me start out by saying that I am so relieved to have found this site. My dismal experience with the FBI polygraph was a mere 7 hours ago. I am so shocked and upset that I haven't had a bite to eat all day and feel physically and emotionally drained. I am a law student at a top 100 law school. On a career services day, they said the FBI had an "honors" internship program. I was thrilled, and thought it sounded great. My first summer after law school would be the FBI! I submitted my application, and out of about 80 applicants, I was one of 15 to be called back for an interview. Eventually, I was selected as the candidate from the field office to attend the program. Again, I was very happy, and had complete faith and respect for the FBI. Well, today I had my scheduled polygraph test. My friends had joked with me earlier saying, "Every answer is going to be a lie because you are so nervous." This is the truth, I get nervous very easily, but I had faith that I would get through the polygraph with no problem as I've never done anything. I don't smoke, don't drink, and have never even seen drugs. Special Agent A, as I will call him, introduced himself to me in a kind of unfriendly way. I don't know how to pinpoint it, but I was even more nervous at that point. He led me to the polygraph room which had a two-way mirror, the polygraph chair, a regular chair, and his desk with the equipment. He told me what the polygraph was for - to make sure liars, cheaters, and theives are not admitted into the FBI. I shook my head in understanding - I, of course, was none of those things. He hooked me up and I was feeling my heart beat accelerate. He then did a "practice exam" which consisted of me writing the number 4 on a piece of paper, he then wrote the numbers 1,2,3,5,6. He then told me to lie about me writing the number four. The equipment was started, and the blood pressure sleeve tightened around my arm - making me yet more uncomfortable. I answered all the questions and he told me that he could conclude I was lying about writing down the number 4. I smiled and said, "ok," as I thought that was pretty nifty that the machine was so sensitive. I went through the first part of the exam ok (dealing with terrorist organizations), and I proceeded to the second phase - this is where things took a turn for the worse. He asked me several times, "Have you violated the FBI's guidelines regarding illegal substances?" I said No each time, as it is the complete God's honest truth. I am 22 and have never seen, smelled, or done drugs. I was raised Catholic, and it is very deeply ingrained in me never to do anything like that. Not only that, but severe asthma runs in my family, and I would never risk putting my health in jeopardy. After the second phase, he told me he would be back, and left the room for a while. It had to have been 10 mins or so. He then came back in and unhooked me. He made me sit directly across from him, and he told me, "you failed the polygraph." According to the polygraph, I had used drugs. I was crushed, and immediately started to get emotional. I said, "I've never done anything, that is the truth." He then started saying, "you're lying, just admit it and then we can move on, you're only applying for an internship position, we make allowances for young college students, just admit it." I had tears in my eyes and said, "I'm not going to admit to doing something that I have not done." He said, "I can tell by the way you're acting that you're lying to me." He asked me if I ever "smelled" marijuana. I said, no, never (which again is the truth - I have lived a kind of sheltered life, and none of my friends ever did anything either). He raised his eyebrows and made a face, "Now I know you're lying," he said with his voice rising, "no college student goes through life without smelling marijuana." I said that I didn't know what else to tell him, I never smelled, smoked, drank, or did anything. I was a straight A student in high school and college, having graduated near the top of my class from a mid-atlantic university, and am now in law school on a scholarship. I am, if anything, deathly afraid of drugs as I know they are such a bad thing. One of my employers committed suicide a few years ago after an addiction to pain killers. I never knew what possessed people to even try drugs in the first place. Anyway, he kept on pressing me for an explanation - one which I could not give. He said, "What about taking things to make you stay awake for studying?" Again, I was shocked. I never pull all-nighters in school, and I have never ever taken anything to keep me awake. I always try to have my work done ahead of time. The interrogation lasted for a while, how long exactly I am not sure - probably an hour. I told him, "I'll take a drug test right now and prove that I don't do drugs." He replied, "No, you're not taking the drug test, the test is over. You're going to throw away your internship because you can't be honest." He then led me out of the building. I called my mother, hysterical crying about what had just happened. I have very strong principles and values and have always prided myself in the fact that I uphold those values. I had never been accused like I was today, and he really made me feel as if I was a criminal. I am told my letter from HQ will come in 2-4 weeks. I will appeal, but I will never take this internship. I can't believe that the FBI relies on this machine. After working my whole life to avoid drugs, smoking, drinking, it was all for nothing. I know now that the FBI is certainly not for me, I will just get a regular summer internship at a law firm. But for anyone about to take the FBI polygraph, be careful, it has been one of the worst experiences of my life. I know the truth though, and so does my family, and I suppose in the end, that's all that matters.
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