EP 159 Inside the Polygraph Room: What the Body Reveals When Words Lie with Alan Saquella

Polygraph tests are often misunderstood — portrayed as simple “lie detectors” with jerking needles and dramatic reveals. In this episode, polygraph examiner and investigator Alan Sequella takes listeners inside the polygraph room to explain what really happens when someone is questioned under pressure. Alan breaks down the science behind polygraph testing, explaining why it doesn’t detect lies, but rather measures physiological responses driven by the autonomic nervous system — the body’s fight-or-flight response. Together, we explore how stress, fear, deception, and even half-truths manifest in the body, and what skilled examiners look for beyond the machine itself.