How to Spot a Liar in Four Easy Steps

by Michael Lovitch

I have been doing some interesting reading, and I thought I would share with you some interesting information on how to spot a liar.

This should be a useful tool over this holiday weekend.

Busting the relatives is always a fun deal. Was uncle Harvey really a war hero? Did daddy really enjoy going to your brother’s piano recitals?

First, let’s dispel some myths.

How many of you believe that if someone crosses their arms or has a closed posture that this means they are lying?

What about excess blinking?

What about excessive touching of the face?

What about increased blood flow to the face?

Or incongruities between body language and speech content?

Is someone lying to you when they can’t look you in eye?

What about the NLP fans who believe that someone is lying if they look to the right?

These are just a sample of “indicators” I was able to come up with just by browsing the net.

Well, I am sorry to say that they are all misguided (in other words they are flat wrong).

So, is it impossible to tell if someone is lying to you?

According to the research, it really is impossible if you are focusing on visual cues.

Looking for visual cues, it turns out, is absolutely the most unreliable way to spot a liar.

This was demonstrated by research done across the globe by a psychologist from TCU, Dr. Charles Bond. Turns out that it was the myths above that actually prevented subjects from spotting a lie.*

However, there is hope. It turns out the best way to spot a lie is to use your ears.

It is all about what a person says and how they say it.**

In fact, it has been demonstrated by Richard Wiseman Ph.D. (a pretty famous researcher and author of a book you simply have to read “Quirkology”) that people without deception training are much better at detecting deception when listening to a tape recording of a liar than when watching a video.

So even without training, your unconscious mind is able to do a half way decent job of detecting a lie if you don’t focus on visual cues.

However, with training, your odds are going to go way up.

Here are the four easy ways to spot a lie:***

1. Liars tend to say less. The more someone says, the more likely it is that some of those words are going to haunt them. Lies will have far less detail (in other words, they will be more general).

2. Liars also tend to distance themselves from their lies. They will include fewer references to themselves and won’t use a lot of words indicating feelings. The use of the word, “I” will be less prevalent.

3. Liars never forget. For some reason liars forget that most people forget things so they will never admit they don’t remember a certain aspect of their story. Somehow the lie creates a super human memory - which of course they are inventing.

4. A person will also have more pauses and hesitation when they are lying. It takes energy and thought to lie, this leads to little “thinking” pauses.

A disclaimer, BE CAREFUL! Nothing is perfect, these just make it far more likely that you can spot a lie. So please - no family feuds over this stuff!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday… Really.

Sources:
*The Global Deception Research Team, “A World of Lies,”Journal of of Cross-Cultural Psychology 37, no.1 (2006):60-74
**DePaulo, Bella M. and Wendy L. Morris (2004), “Discerning lies from truth: behavioral cues to deception and the indirect pathway of intuition,” in The Detection of Deception in Forensic Contexts, Pär Anders Granhag and Leif A. Strömwall, eds. New York: Cambridge University Press, 15-40.
***Wiseman, R. (2007). Quirkology. London, UK: Pan Macmillan, 58-60.

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You Will Never Look at Pain the Same Way Again

by Michael Lovitch

A new study, published in the November 2008 issue of the Journal, “Current Biology”* just blew my mind.

Researchers found that just by changing the way subjects looked at an achy limb, they could affect the degree of pain experienced AND the swelling of the limb.

This is pretty crazy stuff, but is just more evidence of the mind/body connection.

Here is the study in more detail:

Researchers found subjects who all experienced chronic pain in one of their arms. They then had them all do 10 hand movements that would trigger pain in the aggravated arm. The movements were such that the subject could watch their own hand movements.

They had the subjects do these movements under four different conditions:

1. With No visual Manipulation (control 1)
2. While looking through lenses that did not affect the size of their arm (control 2)
3. While looking through lenses that magnified the size of their arm
4. While looking through lenses that minimized the size of their arm

All of the subjects experienced some pain and swelling under all conditions, but the differences were significant under the different conditions, and truly amazing..

The lenses caused the subjects to see the arm as bigger experience more pain and swelling than the control groups, while the lenses that caused the subjects to see the arm as smaller causes less pain AND less swelling than the control groups.

Researchers still can’t tell us why exactly this is happening but some guesses have to do with something called the, “top-down” effect of body image on body tissues. Meaning that the experience of pain is bi-directional (works both ways) between the actual cause of the pain and the perception of the pain causing stimulus.

Another related theory from one of the study’s authors, Dr. Mosley, is that protective responses—including the experience of pain—are activated according to the brain’s implicit perception of danger level. “If it looks bigger, it looks sorer and more swollen,” Moseley said. “Therefore, the brain acts to protect it.”

Either way, I find the whole experiment fascinating. It is just one more piece of evidence of the brain’s role in how we experience pain.

More Information on the Brain’s Role in How We Experience Pain

If you are interested in knowing more about the brain’s role in how pain is experienced, we have downloadable recordings of Dr. Maggie Phillips (a world renowned expert on mind/body healing) going into great detail on the subject.

http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/downloads/?E398Q

This is free and consists of 5 mini lectures explaining how pain works and a mini session called, “Using Mental Focus to Shift Pain” that acutally guides you through a semi-hypnotic session where you actually shift the experience of pain using your mind.

The lectures are kind of cerebral (boring to some people) but I personally think they are interesting! And if you or a loved one is experiencing pain and/or taking dangerous medications, then it is more than worth listening to.

If you enjoy the lectures and are experiencing physical pain, Dr. Phillips created a four CD audio program where you can use hypnosis and other body/mind modalities to reduce and sometimes eliminate chronic pain.

http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/hypnosis/pain_management.php

Important: Please listen to the free interviews before making this decision. It is not a miracle solution and if you don’t find the interviews interesting, you probably will not have the patience to use the program to great effect.

If you do have the patience to actually do the sessions and learn about how pain works (this is part of the process) then it will improve the quality of your life pretty dramatically.

While we are on the subject of pain, my good friend Jesse Cannone recently wrote an article on how back pain actually shrinks the brain!

Instead of co-opting his article, I think it is only fair that I send you to his site to read it. He has a really good back pain product that deals with the physical causes of back pain and is a great guy to know.

How Pain Shrinks The Brain

Well, here is to a great December! Please comment about this article and any of the links in it. I am interested in this subject. Please refrain from overt product pitches, but I would be interested to know of any interesting solutions for pain management, whether they are nutritional or physical exercises.

Regards,

Michael Lovitch


* source: Visual distortion of a limb modulates the pain and swelling evoked by movement G. Lorimer Moseley, Timothy J. Parsons, Charles Spence Current Biology - 25 November 2008 (Vol. 18, Issue 22, pp. R1047-R1048)

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Brain Juice!

by Michael Lovitch

Hello,

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know I am a big-time “brain performance” guy. This is probably why I got into the hypnosis publishing area, as I’m always looking for ways to achieve peak performance. In my opinion, the brain is the key.

I’ve written about neurofeedback, brain entrainment, brain software, and neuro-plasticity, but I’ve never written about supplements that improve your brain’s performance.

There is a reason, and it’s this:
Until recently, I just have not been able to find a formula that is both affordable and effective.

Until about four months ago, I made my own “brain cocktail” by going to the bulk manufacturers and ordering each ingredient in powder form in large quantities. This makes my cocktail affordable, but it tastes terrible, is very inconvenient, and can cause some stomach issues.

What’s in my “brain cocktail”?

1. Acetyl-L-Carnitine: This amino acid crosses the blood-brain barrier and has been proven to have all kinds of benefits to the brain. It is also used in Europe to treat depression, and to help repair the damage caused by alchoholism. Unfortunaely, most supplements with this ingredient have the dosage significantly too low. You need about 2 grams a day to get the real benefits. This is a pretty expensive ingredient if not bought in bulk, and it tastes extremely bitter in powder form.

2. Phosphatidylserine: This form of lecithin has a lot of clinical research showing its effectiveness. It serves two functions: it’s both a cortisol reducer (the stress hormone that causes all kinds of negative effects), and it helps to strengthen memory. The form on which most of the research has been done is called Leci PS, and you need about 400mg a day at 20% to get the results below:

  • Increase vigilance and attention,
  • Increase mental acuity,
  • Intensify your concentration,
  • Relieve depression and improve mood, and
  • Inhibit exercise and stress-induced increases in cortisol.

Leci PS is very expensive, and tastes pretty bad!

3. Finally, I take L-alpha-glyceryl Phosphatidyl choline, also called Alpha-GPC. This is a relatively new compound that’s hard to find. The main benefits of Alpha-GPC are:

  • Improve memory and learning ability 1
  • Counteract brain aging by increasing cholinergic receptor sites 2
  • Increase nerve growth factor receptors in the brain 3
  • Slow down undesirable structural changes in the brain 4
  • Increase growth hormone secretion in both the young and the old 5
  • Increase the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine 6
  • Improve memory and cognitive performance in patients with Alzheimer’s dementia 1

So yes, for some time now I have been “gutting” these compounds in powder form. It’s been worth it, but I will admit that I would sometimes skip a day (or three) because it was inconvenient, and it tastes so-o-o-o bad!

Why not buy these as individual pills?

Pills would have been more convenient, and less vile-tasting, but they can be costly. I did some shopping online to figure the cost of these ingredients in pill form.

For the Leci PS, you are looking at $60 for 400 mg a day at 30 days. Acetyl-L-Carnitine has gone down a lot in the last year. If you look around, you can get the 2 grams a day in pill form for about $10 a month. (It used to be very pricey.) For L-alpha-glyceryl Phosphatidyl choline in pill form, I was able to find a decent supplier where you could get 1,000mg a day for about $40 a month.

So if you were to try to get these three ingredients in pill form at the right dosage, we are looking at over $100 a month, and you do have to wonder about the sources.

So why did I stop mixing this power cocktail about four months ago?

At that time, I was introduced to Dr. Dave Woynarowski, a well-known anti-aging doctor. He was previously Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Dave has a thriving anti-aging practice, and through this practice he has developed some origninal supplements.

Knowing I was a “brain guy,” Dave challenged me to try his “Instant Brain Power” formula (not the most creative name in the world) for a month, and to see if I noticed any results.

I immediately looked at the ingredients. Turns out I was already taking three of the ingredients (as described above) in powder form, so of course I was interested.

Dave was generous and sent me a 3-month supply.

The results are in - especially in terms of mental endurance

I did definitely notice a difference in performance.

My memory is already good, but what I noticed most was an increased mental endurance, even exceeding the effects of the three main ingredients which I was talking before. Dr. Dave’s formula also contains Vinpocetin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, and mixed Natural Tocotreinols (vitamin E analogues), which might account for the increased effectiveness of his formula over my cocktail.

How you can get it

Dave normally charges $85.95 for a month’s supply.

This seems pricey, but if you think about how much mental clarity is worth, I think $3 a day is a steal. Plus this product has a lot of brain protection value, which is priceless.

I know a lot of people who make supplements, and I know the traditional profit margins they build into their business. Let’s just say that Dr. Dave’s margin is not even approaching that of most supplement companies. Because of this, most of his marketing is word-of-mouth. He doesn’t have the margin for heavy advertising.

Anyway, I know the price seems high, so I did ask Dr. Dave for a discount for our readers. The most he could give and still make a small profit is $10, so for a limited time you can get a month’s supply for $75.95.

We at The Hypnosis Network don’t get a cent. It’s just a really good product at a really good price.

So if you are into peak brain performance, this is a no-brainer!

http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/recommends/instant_brain_power

Regards,
Michael Lovitch

References:

1. Parnetti L, Abate G, Bartorelli L, Cucinotta D, Cuzzupoli M, Maggioni, M, Villardita C, Senin U. Multicentre study of l-alpha-glyceryl-phosphorylcholine vs ST200 among patients with probable senile dementia of Alzheimer’s type. Drugs Aging 1993 Mar-Apr;3(2):159-64.

2. Amenta F, Liu A, Zeng YC, Zaccheo D. Muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the hippocampus of aged rats: influence of choline alphoscerate treatment. Mech Ageing Dev 1994 Oct 1;76(1):49-64.
Abstract

3. Vega JA, Cavallotti C, del Valle ME, Mancini M, Amenta F. Nerve growth factor receptor immunoreactivity in the cerebellar cortex of aged rats: effect of choline alfoscerate treatment. Mech Ageing Dev 1993 Jun;69(1-2):119-27.

4. Amenta F, Ferrante F, Vega JA, Zaccheo D. Long term choline alfoscerate treatment counters age-dependent microanatomical changes in rat brain. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 1994 Sep;18(5):915-24.

5. Ceda GP, Ceresini G, Denti L, Marzani G, Piovani E, Banchini A, Tarditi E, Valenti G. alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine administration increases the GH responses to GHRH of young and elderly subjects. Horm Metab Res 1992 Mar;24(3):119-21.

6. Trabucchi M, Govoni S, Battaini F. Changes in the interaction between CNS cholinergic and dopaminergic neurons induced by L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine, a cholinomimetic drug. Farmaco [Sci]. 1986;41(4):325-34.

Here’s the link again:

http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/recommends/instant_brain_power

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