Hey everyone, My name is Dan and I live in israel, I'm 27 years old and up until very recently I have never taken a polygraph test in my life, and that should say a lot because I have served in a unit that required top-secret clearence.

A few days ago, I have taken my first polygraph test, it was the last thing I needed to do in order to get into a company.

I was very nervous as I walked into the room where the test was held, it was a small office with a computer and strange chair with iron loops (which you then wear as rings on your fingers) and a strap. The tester was a very nice person, she went over the questions I was about it be asked so we could agree on them - two questions bothered me at first - "Have you ever taken drugs" No, I've said (it was a lie, I have had my fair share of drugs). The other question was "Have you ever stolen something from your workplace" - No, I've replied. (I worked in dominos pizza and I've stolen things all the time). I was very nervous that she was going to ask me those two questions - and then it hit me., There was a question I thought was harmless "Are you going to lie in this test?" - damn, now I am. - So at the end those 3 questions frightened me the most, because if the machine detects my lie, i'm done, game over.

We begun the test and immediately I was very nervous, she did a card trick, she had 5 cards in her hand, I had to pick one, return it without her seeing and then she would go over all available cards and I have to say "No" (aka lie) to all the cards she was asking me, even the one I did pick. 
She nailed it, it was five of hearts - thats when I begun to get really stressful, the machine is legit i've said to myself, i'm done for.

She begun asking me simple questions, my name, my age...
And then it came "Are you going to lie in this test" Bam, I felt a light squeeze just around my sternum as I've replied "No".
She asked me a few questions which I answered truthfully,
no squeeze. Then it hit me again "Have you ever tried drugs?" Bam - again  a light squeeze as I said "No", 
and same thing with the question about stealing, a squeeze when I lied - nothing when I told the truth. I was shocked, I thought to myself "Damn, Never thought those machines were that good". 

I was about to leave but I did ask her how it was just before, she said she have to analyze it and then i'd hear from the company. I had a mixed feeling of shock and nervousness, I was pretty sure the testers know right away if you passed or not and this bothered me, she probably didnt tell me so she wont have to deal with me there I thought.

3 days have passed without a call, and I was really pissed at it, they already told me at the interview that if I either stolen something in my older workplace or done drugs I'm automatically disqualified, I thought this is why they didnt call.

Finally my cellphone rang earlier today, a man from the company I wanted to join, I could almost tell by his voice that he was about to deliver me some bad news.

"You passed the polygraph test, welcome aboard."

I was smiling and I almost couldn't hear what he was saying, I was shocked, How didn't it detect my lies?

So I took my polygraph test, I lied atleast three times... and it didnt go well - for them.

What do you guys make of all this? The card trick proved the machine to be legit but on the other hand I've told several lies and didn't get caught - your thoughts?

Ex Member wrote on Mar 9^th, 2014 at 9:09pm:


Well, I was most nervous during the card trick, Each different card I felt a different kind of nervous I recall - she still guessed my card.

That doesn't change the fact though I lied and passed the test which is baffling

Ex Member wrote on Mar 24^th, 2014 at 5:21am:


Hey! actually you do have a point, infact, I remember all the cards were Hearts, 3-5-7-9-10 of hearts and my card was 5 of hearts. could this just be a trick discouraging me from lying?