When people deliberately try to conceal their emotions (or unconciously repress their emotions), a very brief–1/15 to 1/25 of a second– facial expression often occurs, invisible to nearly everyone who has not trained with METT: the micro-expression training tool. Training with METT enables you to better spot lies, put people at ease and be liked by others, and be more successful in sales.

Research with Schizophrenics has shown that those who have used METT are better able to recognize how others are feeling.

Despite efforts to conceal any sign of emotion that is felt, leakage may occur in very small hard to recognize fragmants of expression. These tiny changes also can occur when an emotion is just beginning, often before the person knows they are about to act emotionally. METT can train people to “see” these important signals.

Because people differ in their visual acuity, not everyone can reach the same level of proficiency.

Micro expressions tell you that the emotion is concealed. But they do NOT tell you how or why it was concealed. They may be the result of a conscious, deliberate choice in which the person knows how he/she is feeling but does not want anyone else to know. Or, as a result of repression, in which the person does not know how he/she is feeling and has been blocked from their consciousness. You will need to determine if the concealment is deliberate or unconscious, as they look the same. Your knowledge of the situation in which they occur should help you figure this out, or you may need to ask questions to find out.

For more information on how to use this training, read the chapter on cautions in Ekman’s book TELLING LIES, Norton, 2002, third edition, and chapters 5,6,7,8,and 9 in Ekman’s book EMOTIONS REVEALED, Owl Books, 2007 second edition.