r***@gmail.com
2013-08-09 05:02:22 UTC
http://archive.ashspace.org/ash.xanthia.com/suspension.html
The author of that guide gave some good information, and he mentioned using a metal ring, but didn't provide a diagram. Since the author is presumably dead and can't be contacted, this is my understanding of how the ring was supposed to be set up:
http://postimg.org/image/xcoq5f0ab/
Figure 1
Setting it up this way would remove or at least disperse pressure on the trachea, but would still require padding. Unfortunately, the only ring I was able to find was about 1½ inch diameter, slightly smaller than my windpipe, and didn't do anything to improve the experience.
Notes for all trials:
In all these tests I used the “knot” shown in figure 2. This one tightens very easily, but will release the constriction if tension on the rope is lost.
In each test I positioned the rope as high on my neck as possible. I believe this is the least painful.
Since cutting off blood flow to the point of blacking out runs a risk of brain damage, I released the constriction before that point. The methods that worked for me left me severely disoriented, unable to stand up, hands shaking violently, tingling, and gasping for breath for a few moments before recovering. In other words, they would certainly lead to unconsciousness if the pressure was held for a few more seconds.
If you're going to do trials yourself at home, be aware that besides the danger of brain damage, this puts pressure on the vagus nerve, which can cause cardiac arrhythmia and possibly arrest.
Trial one: Full suspension with mountain climbing rope, half-inch thickness
Throw noose over ceiling beam, position it around neck. Stand on a chair holding the other end of the rope and pull up slack as you step off. If you pass out, you will let go of the rope and fall to the floor, releasing tension and allowing yourself to recover.
Results:
My first test used just the rope, with no padding or fancy knots or anything. It was certainly uncomfortable and I let go pretty quick, but it wasn't as painful as I expected. If the rope was positioned lower on my neck, if it wasn't as thick, or if I weighed a lot more than I do, this might have hurt more. This would work in a pinch, but there are better ways.
Using a t-shirt around the neck for padding increases comfort, but might diffuse the pressure and make it less effective.
Trial two: Variations on the above
Knots - A suggestion on another thread was to tie a pair of knots in the rope positioned on each side of the windpipe. This would hypothetically increase pressure on the carotids while reducing it on the trachea. This could be used in conjunction with the metal ring, since you'd be tying these knots on the ring anyway. It sounded like a good idea, however, in my experience it didn't make much difference. The knots dug into my neck, and it was difficult to get them positioned correctly.
Tire iron – Another suggestion was to use some kind of v-shaped piece of metal to simulate the “sleeper hold” used in pro wrestling. Having been on the receiving end of one of those, I can say it works very well and would actually be a pretty pleasant way to go. Hanging by a cross tire iron, not so much. You're essentially being held up by your jaw bone, not your neck, and that sucks even if you have padding. Besides that, the ninety degree angle isn't enough to free up the windpipe. Maybe a more acute angle would work better?
Pvc pipe – This one was my own idea. Get a pvc pipe from your local hardware store, two inches in diameter, and saw off a piece 1½ to two inches long, then saw it in half lengthwise. Position this between your neck and the rope as shown below (use padding). The effect of this is amazing. I nearly passed out in just a few short seconds, and was able to breathe easily the whole time. Tried it again with the same result. Make sure the positioning is correct so that the rope won't slide off the pipe. It would probably hold better if you cut a groove in the plastic to hold it in place, or something to that effect. (Note: my neck was starting to hurt by this point, so I did this one partial suspension).
http://postimg.org/image/lgnqgf7sj/
Figure 2
A: Edge of pvc blocks blood flow
B: Airflow isn't impeded
C: Groove to hold rope in place
D: Simple loop
With hyperventilation: This is a great trick. The difference can't be understated. Just bend at the waist and take 15 fast, deep breaths before stepping off the chair. You'll go out much faster than you would otherwise and won't feel the need to breathe as much. Tried this with full suspension on the thick rope and partial suspension (leaning forward from a kneeling position) on a thinner piece of parachute cord, about 3 mm diameter. The effect was similar in both.
Trial three: Zip tie
I used one of the heavy-duty half inch thick cable ties from home depot. For my trial runs, I used the point of a very sharp knife to remove the tab in the locking device so that it would slide both ways. If you didn't do that, there's no way it would come undone once you cranked down on it. I've heard some nasty things about this method and was admittedly a little apprehensive. The result? Fast, painless, easy as pie. Even pulling down as hard as I could, I was only able to hinder my breathing a little bit. Someone much stronger than me might be able to crush their windpipe if they really tried, so if you're a beefy male you might want to test run this one yourself to get a feel for it. You've probably heard somewhere that it takes less pressure to compress the carotid arteries than the windpipe; the figure I read was 11 pounds and 33 pounds, respectively. So you're aiming for something in between the two.
Zip tie + pvc pipe – For reasons that I'm unsure of, this doesn't work at all. I could breathe just fine, but after fifteen seconds I was glancing around the room wondering why nothing was happening. The only thing I noticed was a feeling of pressure building in my head, possibly from compressing the jugulars. I thought maybe my positioning was off, but second try didn't yield any better results.
The day after all this, I had a light rope burn on the side of my neck, which turned into a bruise by evening. It wasn't obvious at all. I didn't bother covering it, and even the people who are aware of my suicidal tendencies didn't notice.
One more note: If for whatever reason you don't have a horizontal bar to hang from, a vertical pole can work with the help of either a prusik knot or a clove hitch. Both will prevent the rope from sliding up and down, and are helpful knots to know in general.
http://www.animatedknots.com/prusik/
http://www.animatedknots.com/cloveend/
In conclusion, there are three methods that I would recommend to achieve unconsciousness in under ten seconds with minimal pain:
Simple cable tie around the neck. This was the least uncomfortable of all my trials, and it can be done anywhere, you don't even need something to hang from.
Partial suspension + pvc pipe. Still less painful than ripping off a band-aid. Runs the risk of the rope slipping off the pipe (mitigated by cutting a groove to hold it in position).
Hyperventilation, followed by pretty much any form of constriction that prevents carotid blood flow.
So... I really feel like I'm missing something here. It seems like if ctb was this easy, this group would be empty. Everyone's going crazy trying to order Nembutal from halfway across the world, and I'm just sitting here with a method that is ridiculously accessible, essentially painless, very fast, reliable, takes about as much willpower as getting out of bed in the morning, and even leaves your corpse pretty much intact. Would someone please tell me what the downside of this is?