THE TRUTH SHOWS ON THE FACE
ADN Emotions© is the first AI training platform dedicated to micro-expression detection.
ADN EMOTIONS© IN A FEW WORDS
ADN EMOTIONS© is an intelligent training tool dedicated to micro-expression detection, developed by Marwan Mery. A micro-expression is an emotional leak, briefly appearing on the face—often between 1/25th and 1/5th of a second—before the person has time to control it. Our technology trains you to recognize, interpret, and use them with discernment. Why does detecting them profoundly transform your power in human interactions?
Understand Your Interlocutor’s Emotional State
Develop Your Empathetic Capacity
Detect Lies
ADN EMOTIONS©, A UNIVERSAL TOOL
Scientific research has identified seven universal emotional expressions: joy, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust, and contempt. They are considered universal because their facial expressions are recognized across cultures, regardless of origin or language.
Micro-expressions correspond to the brief, involuntary activation of these fundamental emotions. ADN EMOTIONS© was designed to reflect this universality.
The tool includes faces from all over the world—Northern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, Polynesia, South America, the Middle East...—and covers a wide range of ages, from 20 to 70, to faithfully reflect the diversity of societies.
You develop the ability to read emotions, regardless of a person’s cultural background.
ADN EMOTIONS©, A MODERN SCIENTIFIC TOOL
ADN EMOTIONS© is a next-generation scientific tool. It is based on academic research dedicated to micro-expressions and universal emotions.
This work has identified reliable patterns of expression observable across cultures. Artificial intelligence is integrated to optimize training, analyze your performance, and adapt your progress.
Based on science. Powered by AI.
THE TOOL
How Training Works
Each session includes 20 AI-animated faces, shown in random order.
For each, a micro-expression briefly appears. Your objective is to identify the emotion by clicking the corresponding answer. At the end of the session, you receive a score out of 20, allowing you to measure your accuracy and progress.
Four Training Levels
Your subscription gives you access to four training levels, tailored to your progress:
- BEGINNER: appears at 1/5th of a second, with strongly marked expressions.
- ADVANCED: appears at 1/10th of a second, with moderately marked expressions.
- EXPERT: appears at 1/15th of a second, with very subtle expressions.
- RANDOM: appears for variable durations between 1/5th and 1/15th
The faster the speed, the sharper your detection skills become.
SCIENCE
The modern understanding of emotions and micro-expressions is based largely on the work of American psychologist Paul Ekman. Starting in the 1960s, his cross-cultural research deeply transformed the study of facial expressions. To test emotional universality, Ekman notably traveled to Papua New Guinea to meet with isolated populations rarely exposed to Western influences. Results showed that certain facial expressions—associated with joy, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust, and contempt—were recognized consistently, regardless of culture or language.
This research also demonstrated the existence of micro-expressions: extremely brief emotional activations, often between 1/25th and 1/5th of a second, which appear when a genuine emotion momentarily escapes conscious control. These fleeting manifestations are a valuable indicator of a person’s true emotional state, especially in situations of tension, stakes, or concealment. Since then, emotion psychology, social cognition, and affective neuroscience have confirmed the central role of these signals in regulating human interactions. ADN EMOTIONS© continues this scientific tradition by offering structured training in detecting and interpreting these micro-emotional signals.
The 7 Universal Emotional Expressions
ADN EMOTIONS© was born from Marwan Mery’s operational expertise and is based on the scientific foundations of the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), the international standard system based on the analysis of the face’s action units (AU).
Scientific References
Paul Ekman (1972). Universal and Cultural Differences in Facial Expressions of Emotion. In J. Cole (Ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation.
Paul Ekman & Friesen, W. V. (1971). Constants across cultures in the face and emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 17(2), 124–129.
Ekman, P., Sorenson, E. R., & Friesen, W. V. (1969). Pan-cultural elements in facial displays of emotion. Science, 164(3875), 86–88.
Paul Ekman & Friesen, W. V. (1969). Nonverbal leakage and clues to deception. Psychiatry. Matsumoto, D., & Hwang, H. C. (2011). Evidence for training the ability to readmicroexpressions of emotion. Motivation and Emotion, 35(2), 181–191.
Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. V. (1978). Facial Action Coding System: A Technique for the Measurement of Facial Movement.
MARWAN MERY
Marwan Mery is an internationally renowned negotiator, specializing in lie detection.
On a daily basis, he advises companies, government organizations, and NGOs to resolve complex situations involving critical cases (kidnapping and ransom, extortion, suicidal situations…), high-stakes business negotiations, social conflicts, diplomatic relations, or therapeutic interviews with patients refusing treatment.
He consults for the United Nations and teaches complex negotiation at Harvard University. He is the author of around ten best-selling books. He also leads ADN Group, an agency of negotiators consisting of about thirty experts in France and abroad.
Marwan is a former officer® specializing in influence and crisis negotiation for COS, the command of French special forces.
His appearances on LEGEND and in other media have reached several million views.
RESOURCES
The understanding of emotions, micro-expressions, and lie detection is based on solid scientific research and a wealth of specialized literature. Here you’ll find a selection of reference books—both scientific and practical—to deepen your understanding of emotional mechanisms and behavioral dynamics.
You can also find Marwan Mery on LEGEND, where he discusses lie detection in negotiation contexts.
TRAINING
Reading a micro-expression is a skill.
But understanding what it reveals in a real interaction requires structured learning. A micro-expression only makes sense when placed in its context: posture, verbal consistency, emotional dynamics, relational stakes.
Lie detection never relies on a single signal but on the analysis of incongruences, tensions, and behavioral changes. ADN has developed a Masterclass dedicated to behavioral reading and lie detection.
It is led by Marwan Mery and takes place at ADN’s headquarters in the heart of Paris, or directly within companies wishing to organize a tailored session. For information and registration, contact our team.
ADN specializes in complex negotiation and related topics: influence, crisis management, stress management, lie detection, and leadership. Based in Paris, we provide services worldwide for businesses and government organizations.