The increasingly popular polygraph procedure today allows us to understand the most difficult situations. Adultery, industrial espionage, deception and fraud, as well as many other situations lead people to a dead end. Thanks to the polygraph, revealing the truth will no longer be a problem.
Some people try to fool the polygraph or pretend that they cannot remember this or that information. However, in life there are cases when for some reason a person really cannot remember the chronology of events or suppresses painful memories. Is the polygraph able to awaken them and become an effective psychological tool?
What does a polygraph show?
The operating principle of such equipment is quite simple and clear. Due to the sensors attached to the subject, physiological reactions and changes in them are read during the answers to various pre-prepared questions. The lie detector records the heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and sweating. During periods of excitement and stress, physiological reactions “jump” due to fear and internal struggle. And even if a person tries to hide some information, but in fact remembers everything, the equipment counts it.
The main work of revealing the truth falls on the polygraph examiner. This is an expert who not only conducts the study, monitoring its progress, but also carries out a comprehensive analysis of the person’s reactions. It is this specialist who draws up the conclusion that the client receives.
Repressed or forgotten memories
Such memories are considered in detail in psychology. Here we are talking about the phenomenon when traumatic or other events are forgotten by a person. This happens due to the protective reaction of the brain. There are a number of reasons for this situation:
- Chronic stress. When a person is under stress for a long time and constantly, it inevitably affects the brain. At the same time, the level of stress required for such a situation is individual for each person. Sometimes even a lack of attention or care leads to a chronic stress state, in which the brain represses various memories.
- Perfectionism and idealization. For many, maintaining positive thinking and a positive image of the past and present are key aspects of a harmonious life. This is why the brain automatically “deletes” negative memories from childhood and other moments in life, forcing us to remember only the good.
- Traumatic events. Any acts of violence (both physical and emotional), painful events (for example, the loss of a loved one or an accident) cause experiences that a person is sometimes unable to bear. As a result, the brain tries to protect itself and blocks memories.
- Family conflicts. Most often, such situations concern children who have experienced their parents’ divorce or live in constant conflicts. As a result, even in adulthood, memories can remain blocked deep inside.
In this case, a person may not remember anything or recall only fragments of events. In such situations, the return of memories requires colossal work with psychologists. This requires looking inside yourself and working on the subconscious level. However, in some cases, it is still possible to return what was forgotten, which is associated with the emotional trace that inevitably remains in our brain.
Will the detector work?
When a person really does not remember anything, the polygraph will not work, because the person does not really understand what happened. This is because the person will not experience anxiety and internal conflict. Accordingly, the body will not react to relevant questions. After all, the detector’s work is based only on the information that the person is aware of, even when he wants to hide it.
However, cases are different. And sometimes, even if there is at least a hint of memories, an indirect reaction is possible. This happens when the information is familiar on a subconscious level or causes inexplicable tension. For an experienced polygraph examiner, such reactions will be enough to make at least preliminary conclusions. With such a reaction, we can say that it makes sense to conduct further work with a psychologist who can help return lost memories through long-term step-by-step work.
Strictly speaking, the polygraph is not a psychological instrument. It works only with physiological reactions to further determine the truth or falsity of the information perceived by a person. Working through forgotten or blocked memories is the task of psychotherapy.
Order a polygraph test To find out the truth in such cases it only makes sense when there is a suspicion of deliberate concealment of information or when fragments of memories do exist.