Do 'truth serums' exist?

The famed chemical sodium pentothal, which is commonly known as truth serum, has been a mainstay of spy flicks for decades. In real life, scientists have tested it on spies, psychiatric patients, pregnant women, and suspected criminals. They all talked, but did they say something meaningful? read more

In any case, there's no such thing as a truth serum. If there were, and it worked, and it was safe, I feel certain it would be sold on the market to government agencies and utilized during interrogation. read more

"Truth serum" is a colloquial name for any of a range of psychoactive drugs used in an effort to obtain information from subjects who are unable or unwilling to provide it otherwise. These include ethanol, scopolamine, 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate, midazolam, flunitrazepam, sodium thiopental, and amobarbital, among others. read more

The term "truth serum" refers to a number of mind-altering drugs that make you incapable of lying, or so the theory goes. Yes, such mind-altering drugs exist, but their effect does not completely inhibit a subject's ability to lie. Some truth serums, like sodium thiopental, slow the speed at which your body sends messages from your spinal chord to your brain. read more