narcoanalysis
Sedative-assisted questioning technique
Narcoanalysis is interrogation or psychotherapy conducted while the subject is under the influence of a sedative drug, typically a barbiturate like sodium pentothal.
The technique was thought to lower psychological defenses and encourage truthful responses—hence the popular term "truth serum." Its reliability is widely disputed, and results are generally inadmissible in court.
The suspect underwent narcoanalysis but revealed nothing useful.
Treatment through guided conversation
- hypnosisInduced trance state
- abreactionEmotional release via recall
- catharsisPurification through emotional expression
- repressionUnconscious blocking of thoughts
unconscious · subconscious · trauma · dissociation · psychoanalytic · suggestibility · therapeutic · neurosis
Seeking answers through inquiry
- suspectBelieve to be likely
- confessionAdmission of wrongdoing
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
- investigationFormal examination of facts
coercion · testimony · admission · forensic · polygraph · interrogator · debriefing · criminal
Pressured compliance through threats
- consentVoluntary agreement given
- reliabilityConsistent, predictable performance
- admissibilityQuality of being permitted
- controversyProlonged public disagreement
pseudoscience · suggestibility · legal · unconstitutional · violation · torture · involuntary · self-incrimination
Sedative drug class
- thiopentalIntravenous anesthetic agent
- sedativeDrug promoting calm
- intravenousInto the vein
- anesthesiaInduced loss of feeling
benzodiazepine · hypnotic · dosage · injection · drug-induced · pharmaceutical · administration · consciousness
psychotherapy
Treatment through guided conversation
- hypnosisInduced trance state
- abreactionEmotional release via recall
- catharsisPurification through emotional expression
repression · unconscious · subconscious · trauma · dissociation · psychoanalytic · suggestibility · therapeutic · neurosis · amnesia
questioning
Seeking answers through inquiry
- suspectBelieve to be likely
- confessionAdmission of wrongdoing
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
investigation · coercion · testimony · admission · forensic · polygraph · interrogator · debriefing · criminal · scopolamine
coercion
Pressured compliance through threats
- consentVoluntary agreement given
- reliabilityConsistent, predictable performance
- admissibilityQuality of being permitted
controversy · pseudoscience · suggestibility · legal · unconstitutional · violation · torture · involuntary · self-incrimination · banned
barbiturate
Sedative drug class
- thiopentalIntravenous anesthetic agent
- sedativeDrug promoting calm
- intravenousInto the vein
anesthesia · benzodiazepine · hypnotic · dosage · injection · drug-induced · pharmaceutical · administration · consciousness · semiconscious
narcoanalysisdocumentary evidence
Written proof of facts
forensic evidence · physical evidence · witness testimony · eyewitness testimony · circumstantial evidence
analysis, narcotic, narcotics, psychoanalysis, narcolepsy, narcosis, narcotize, narcotized, narcotism