There is a difference of opinion among criminologists as the relative merits of the truth serum test over the lie detector test. The former relies upon producing a state of near unconsciousness in the subject by injection of controlled dosages of sodium amytal.

"The British run torture centers in Cyprus where they beat their prisoners, inject them with truth serums, extract their teeth and fingernails," cried Athens' Voice of the Fatherland radio.

He does note, however, that other aids such as truth sera and lie detectors will never be entirely successful since persons speak only what they believe to be the truth, and the truth they speak may not square with objective reality. Under these circumstances truth sera and lie detectors are not dependable.

This assumption underlies the repeated comparison of hypnosis to scientific tests designed to measure the truthfulness of the subject, such as polygraphs and truth sera.

Cassidy opened her mouth to say she was fine but an internal voice stopped her. You’re not supposed to do that anymore. Feeling as if she’d drunk truth serum, she said, “I had an anxiety attack driving over and I’m a little shaky.”

Mr. Heirens spent days in police custody and was given truth serum and a spinal tap before confessing to the Degnan killing and the earlier slayings of two women.

This did not mean that truth sera could not be used as diagnostic aids in distinguishing between falsehood and truth, but the nature of the evidence changed in psychiatric contexts, and so did the kinds of falsehood it could ferret out.

I was tipsy enough that when Dubey asked me what had been the craziness I’d alluded to in my message, I blurted the whole story of Vijay as if we’d drunk truth serum.

Mirrors and windows are deceiving; they may look clean head-on, but when you move to another part of the room they can look like a hot mess. […] By checking at these four angles, you account for any funny lighting and can see, for real, any streaks or areas left uncleaned. It’s like your mirror has drunk truth serum!

Truth serum

Meaning

Noun

Synonyms