Yow, the (bad) memories this brings back! Back when VCRs were called VTRs, weighed 40 pounds and cost >$1000, I failed two polygraph tests regarding thefts of video equipment that were repeatedly occurring where I worked. I wasn't charged with anything, although I did have detectives banging on my door at 1:00am asking me if there was maybe something I wanted to get off my chest? Can we just look around a little bit?

I had not commited the thefts. However, it hadn't escaped my notice that those VTRs cost more than two months' living expenses, and my thoughts had lingered once or twice on how easy it would be to get the equipment out of the building. I was a bit of a punk, and looked it.

During the interrogation, I felt so guilty about having considered the very thefts that eventually occurred, and was so claustrophobic -- there's a bellows-thingy around your chest and a blood-pressue cuff and other restraints reminiscent of the electric chair -- and the guy stood between me and the door for good measure! -- and I was so nervous about emitting a damning response that when the questions moved on from "what is your name" to "did you steal", I could actually hear those blasted pens going scribble-scribble. Biofeedback of the worst kind! From then on I chanted "Om Mane Padme Hum" in my head with such intensity that I could barely hear the guy, and I guess that worked to flatten my responses -- the polygraph results were deemed "Inconclusive". Not good enough for my employer....