“Truth serums” an appalling idea for interrogation

This interview, as part of the court’s efforts to determine whether or not Holmes was legally insane at the time of the mass shooting, will use a “truth serum,” such as sodium pentothal. (An article in Slate defines a “narcoanalytic interview” as an interview between a psychiatrist and a patient–in this case, Holmes–during which the patient is given a drug such as sodium amobarbital. The patient is then questioned about the event by the psychiatrist after showing one or more symptoms of the drug’s effects.)Read More