Interrogation Techniques

The Comfy Chair

   This is one interrogation technique not used against No.6 in order to obtain the required information - why did he resign?

   So how does the comfy chair work? Well basically you sit the subject down in a low comfy or easy chair with a light in his eyes. Your seat at the desk has its back to the window. Why the low comfy chair? Well if you have been to speaker’s corner in Hyde Park, you will have noticed that the speakers stand on a soap box that is to get the people to take notice of him. And the same can be said of a parson who speaks from the pulpit, people look up and take notice, and the light? Briefly one of the tricks is for inducing the state of hypnosis is for the operator to stand in front of his seated subject and revolve or swing a small bright object in front of his eyes. Some have used revolving mirrors. The French murderer Sarret used to appear to play absent mindedly with a gold half hunter watch. Its case brightly polished on both sides, and he swung it on its chain, and as his victims stared at it, they became dazzled, and came under his influence. the next best thing is to tire the subject's eyes by making him face bright light.

   Ah, I can tell you are about to ask a question. If the idea is to wear down the subject resistance by tiring him or her, why sit him in a comfy chair? Well there's the "treat em rough" method. Make the subject stand for several hours at a time. And so then eager to end the ordeal the subject comes clean so to end the ordeal. You may recall the Earl of Essex after he had been involved in armed insurrection against Queen Elizabeth the First. No? Well the Earl of Essex was forced to stand upright for hour upon hour. After several hours he was allowed to lean against a table. After even more hours he nearly collapsed and was allowed to kneel. That went on for eleven hours. He was noble so he couldn't be tortured.

  The "treat em smooth" method is where the comfy chair is employed on the principle that a relaxed subject is more ready to talk than one who is physically tense.

Ah come in No.6, do take a chair.... nice and relaxed are you? So tell me, why did you resign?

No.6: It was a matter of conscience. I resigned for peace of mind. Because too many people know too much.

   Blimey, the comfy chair technique works. Now we know!

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