I have a poly coming in a week. I am curious as my past has some minor drug usage, i have stolen in my life as a young adult and never had any major arrests outside of being 18. 

My question is.. If I am nervous how can i pass a poly? I have read and re-read several times your pdf regarding the truth behind the lie and I do not feel any more comfort about doing this.. is my nervousness going to make the guilty finger point at me even though I am completely innocent?

My friend just says go in and tell the truth regarding everything... but doing so will disqualify me as a candidate for clearance correct?

I am an upstanding citizen just made some dumb choices as a lad.. will this affect my future?

Please feel free to NOT sugar coat anything..

I have no intention of lying.. its pre 18 stuff we are talking about here.. does that qualify?

Is this polygraph for a job, or is it a criminal polygraph?

Yes, tell the truth, but remember:

1.  The polygraph machine does NOT measure truth or lies.

2.  People can and DO tell the truth yet fail.

3.  If you are telling the truth, yet the examiner is still trying to tell you the machine is indicating you are lying or hiding something, realize that is just an interrogation tactic polygraph interrogators use to "fish" for information.  Again, the machine measures only F3 (fight, flight or freeze) responses from your nervous system, not if you are lying or hiding something.  They already KNOW THIS, but may try to tell you otherwise!

4.  Refocus on the relevant questions.  Have you answered the "yes" or "no" questions truthfully?   Is there anything really "bothering you" about those questions other than the fact the examiner may be claiming you are lying despite telling the truth?  That alone can cause a respnse when that particular question(s) are asked.

5.  They will explain in painstaking detail what the relevant questions mean.  Either you have or haven't engaged in the behaviors asked.  Tell the truth and just stick to your answers.  Don't let them put ideas in your head, or "bluff" you.

6.  Stop worrying.  Other than what I've said above, you really have no control over the process.

Let us know all about your test.

Good Luck,

TC

The advice I give above, 1 thru 5, are not countermeasures.

Countermeasures (biting tongue, puckering spincter, doing hard math problems in your head...etc.) are employed when answering "control" questions during the test, to increase your physical responses, so they are greater than responses when you answer "relevant" questions.  So, first off, you need to know if the test even contains control questions.  Not all polygraph formats do.

Do yourself a favor and read the "lie behind the lie detector"  http://antipolygraph.org/lie-behind-the-lie-detector.pdf before you take the test.

At this point, I would not concern myself with countermeasures and whether to employ them.  You might be psyching yourself out, and end up employing them at the wrong time and in an incorrect manner.

Just truthfully answer whatever drug use (etc) questions you are asked.  Stick to whatever the truth is, nothing more, nothing less.
You may not even react to the questions and sail right through.  

Just remember the machine can not detect true or lies, though they may try to tell you it does and that it is indicating that you are lying or bothered about something.  This is not true and IF they do that, they are just "fishing".  Let them do whatever they do, just don't admit to anything more than is true.  IOW, if you know you are telling the truth, and are NOT "bothered" by a question do not let them talk you into thinking you are, so you end up saying something they can later distort and blow out of proportion to fail you!

Be polite, try to develop a good rapport with the examiner.  Do not be confrontational, or debate the accuracy of the polygraph with them, or  point out that you've been to this site and have researched and discovered that the polygraph is bogus!  You might as well tell them their grandma is a whore!  Polygraph operators hate this site and if you admit to coming here and agreeing with us that will be two strikes against you.  

The idea is to be polite, cooperative and respectful, but secretly know what the polygraph is really all about (an interrogation disguised as a test), and sit there with a straight face when (and if) they tell you a bunch of lies about the test, or what the machine is divining about your most inner thoughts.  It's funny when you think about it! 

Good Luck

Ghon
Just tell him he and his machine is full of shit

I feel a lot better reading the last two paragraphs. And yeah, I knew what you meant about not contesting, I was tired and wrote that wrong, I meant to say 'mentioned to not debate the accuracy.' 

But then you told me about how you got up in frustration and ripped off the connectors from the polygraph machine. That's not debating the results/accuracy?