Aldrich Ames, the infamous spy for the Soviet Union, passed his lie detector tests by following his Soviet bosses' advice: "simply relax." More specific ways that a subject may alter results include taking sedatives to minimize anxiety, applying antiperspirant to counteract sweating, and even self-inflicting pain after each question so that the response remains constant. For tests that measure oxygen flow to the brain, simply holding your breath after each question can skew results.