Method FSH feedback much appreciated

[ifihadnever]

Hi,

Im looking for some advice/ pointer/ opinions / feedback on my FSH set up please. I do have a few questions and a bit of an essay so apologies in advance.

So, after a long time search this house for high enough anchor points, I looked up one day and saw I have a loft….cant believe i didnt think of that before……

The beam in the picture is obviously vertical and not rounded which I appreciate isnt ideal but its what ive got. Ive tugged on it, pushed and pulled it, its solid and believe it will hold my weight. The beams are connected with metal at the top. Due to the amount of insulation and that part of the loft not being boarded I cant 100% see exactly how its connected at the base but like I say, ive tugged and tugged and nothing moves.

I tied an anchor hitch knot to the post using this video: https://youtu.be/Q6syMmp_q38?si=gcfjnbrqCvQH1yoc is this an appropriate and acceptable knot?

Ive posted a picture of the knot & stopper. Ive pulled it, seems secure. It difficult as I mentioned there isnt boarding so im tieing the knot whilst watching a you tube video with one foot in the air and one on a step ladder trying to balance. So, firstly, would this knot be suitable? I cant get on with a bowline knot for the life of me but can do a snuggle hitch. Or can look at other knots if feel more appropriate?

As you can see i have a long rope….I do have a stopper so hoping this isnt a problem and doesnt make a difference?

The knot around my neck - self tightening from on of JeiBels videos https://youtu.be/MRPBaGzVZwo

Does it look ok? Ive added a stopper.

When set up the self tightening knot it very near the loft hatch initially because I need to put my head in and want to ensure I have enough height, obviously once my head is placed in the knot and around my neck it drops below the hatch point

Height of loft hatch is 8ft. Im 5'6" so a much better point and my last point in terms of height.

My stool is 75cm. I have tried my best not to have too much 'slack' between the anchor point and my neck knot because obviously there will be more of a 'jerk' if you like when i step of the stool (im not worried about the anchor points but that will be more painful on my neck and we all want to reduce pain as much as possible). Because my anchor is not directly above me its difficult the get the exact rope lengths right. So far ive done my best but will relook at it.

Talking of reducing pain, ive researched the best place for FSH hanging is having the rope under the jawline, high up and ensure the knot is at the back of the neck. Obviously, I hope the lose consciousness as quickly as possible - is the rope positioning described the best I can do there and what will be will be?

Next is coming off the stool - i do have some questions here and think where my anxiety is coming in. A lot of videos have smooth flooring so can slide the stool or the kick it away easily. I have carpet so cant slide the stool. The stool isnt heavy but isnt light. I suffer with muscle weakness and feel realistically im only likely to kick over the stool but I still feel that would be ok and not in reach and even if it was in reach on tip toes I dont believe id be capable of getting myself out of the situation. I will watch more videos on this but my question is really 'how' to kick to stool away, theres an informative answer but theres also a mentality part and the latter you may not be able to help with.

One thing i have noticed is people adjust the rope to the back of the neck then some hold onto the rope when they kick the chair away. I get this as kicking a chair / stool away in a lot of cases is a difficult act, I feel i might also hold onto the rope above me? It wouldnt help me in anyway but im just slightly worried as the rope currently does have a bit of slack (I think it always will) so not 100% taut so I will have to step down a bit and kick / or knock over the chair. As I mentioned this may be my own mental block im having….any suggestions regarding this would be much appreciated. I feel it might be natural to want to hold onto something and this is why they hold the rope above?

I have a good strong rope so not worried about that. Both knots have stoppers. Am I missing anything rope related that could cause it to fail? I have read about burning the rope ends? I would probably just end up burning the whole thing but I was unsure the point in this - am I ok to leave the rope ends as they are?

What are people's thoughts/ feedback.

Ive read as much as I can on this. Obviously my set up isn't ideal, but workable? I just want to ensure its safe (dont want to end up in a worse state than i already am). There's doesnt seem too much method in how quickly someone loses consciousness if the position the rope correctly? Unless im missing something?

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and provide any information (sorry it was so long….Just want to ensure ive covered all bases). I appreciate ive asked a lot of questions but obviously a decision not to take lightly.

 

[Terrible_Life]

I'd recommend do this:
Tie a loop that don't tighten itself make that loop maybe 30cm above the ground and stay on it then swing around and then if there was no damage no concerning sound nothing then you can be sure that this will hold.
I'd like to know what knots are these ? The knot for the noose looks interesting never saw that one before I think.
I also plan to ctb in an equal place and wood beams are very stable anchor points. I just wonder about one thing why isn't there a giant horizontal wood beam on the roof I thought that most roofs are build like that .

 

[ifihadnever]

I'd recommend do this:
Tie a loop that don't tighten itself make that loop maybe 30cm above the ground and stay on it then swing around and then if there was no damage no concerning sound nothing then you can be sure that this will hold.
I'd like to know what knots are these ? The knot for the noose looks interesting never saw that one before I think.
I also plan to ctb in an equal place and wood beams are very stable anchor points. I just wonder about one thing why isn't there a giant horizontal wood beam on the roof I thought that most roofs are build like that .

Thank you for your response. The anchor points is at the base of the loft so the only way to pull on it is from below the loft hatch which doesnt give me access to see what's going on. But ive tugged on it from the loft and it doesnt shift, creek or anything. I think its well built and stable. I dont weight much and do think it will hold, its just more difficult positioning.

The knots - well this is where im not expert and waiting for someone who knows more about knots than me to reply. So the anchor point one is an anchor hitch - I put the YouTube video in....so hoping someone with more knowledge than me will tell me if it's appropriate. Ive spent all day trying to learn it so I hope so!

The slipknot/ noose was from a video Jesibel posted. She pinned a few and I copied the top one with the white rope. I dont want to get the terminology wrong. Im not 100% its an arbor knot. Again, waiting for a 'knot expert' to reply. I thought my 'noose' knot was quite standard now im worried it might not be...I have another picture of it lying flat. It slides easily and self tightening. I will have another look at it tomorrow. Last thing I want is that to fail!

There is a wood beam across the roof from memory - how i reach it is a other matter. I rent so no idea how boarded the loft is or isn't and as you can see its thick with insulation. ive lifted it....some looks like it might be boarded underneath, others more like a panel - dont fancy explaining to my landlord why I fell through her loft. But yes a horizonal beam would be easier but sometimes we have what we have. As long as its safe that's the main thing.

Do you mind me asking what knots you are planning to use? I might have a look at them also.

Thank you again for taking the time to reply.

 

[Deer_Dairy]

This wood piece is definnitely too thin for hanging. I do not know what is your weight, but when I see this... I really will not believe it will hold.
Try to step in the loop and swing few times to be sure...

 

[ifihadnever]

This wood piece is definnitely too thin for hanging. I do not know what is your weight, but when I see this... I really will not believe it will hold.
Try to step in the loop and swing few times to be sure...

Ah ok, thank you for your input. Ive looked at the picture and the wood does look thin in the picture but its actually quite thick, does the attached screenshot offer anymore insight? I will measure the beam tomorrow maybe that will help. Ive attached a picture of the overall beams i took earlier - the one im using has the rope pulled around it as I was just pulling it.
It's definitely one of the 'thicker' beams. But I will relook at this tomorrow.

I weight about 8.2 stone so quite light.

Thank you for your input. As said, I will go and have another look at the beam tomorrow.

 

[Deer_Dairy]

Ah ok, thank you for your input. Ive looked at the picture and the wood does look thin in the picture but its actually quite thick, does the attached screenshot offer anymore insight? I will measure the beam tomorrow maybe that will help. Ive attached a picture of the overall beams i took earlier - the one im using has the rope pulled around it as I was just pulling it.
It's definitely one of the 'thicker' beams. But I will relook at this tomorrow.

I weight about 8.2 stone so quite light.

Thank you for your input. As said, I will go and have another look at the beam tomorrow.

Ok, on this photo it looks thicker. But still, I would try beforehand, if there is a possibility it would not hold. I can't tell since it depends on more factors and this is not the "massive one" that I am used to from my house.

 

[ifihadnever]

Ok, on this photo it looks thicker. But still, I would try beforehand, if there is a possibility it would not hold. I can't tell since it depends on more factors and this is not the "massive one" that I am used to from my house.

I very much appreciate your input. I will investigate more tomorrow and try lift the padding more to see how exactly the beams are attached which will offer me more insight. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

 

[ifihadnever]

Can I bump this post up for @JesiBel @AreWeWinning and @Gustav Hartmann for feedback in particular. Appreciate its an essay which is rather off putting (sorry about that). Thought it better to ask all questions in one go.

The thickness of the beam looks thinner than it is in the pictures - ive attached another picture of the otherall area. The wooden beam is held in my metal bolts top and bottom. The beam seems very stable.

My other concerns were if my knots were correct and overall set up. Wont repeat myself from my original essay post but wondered what your guys thoughts were?

Thank you for your feedback and info!! (Sorry for the half hour its going to take you to read my original ramble)!

 

[Terrible_Life]

Thank you for your response. The anchor points is at the base of the loft so the only way to pull on it is from below the loft hatch which doesnt give me access to see what's going on. But ive tugged on it from the loft and it doesnt shift, creek or anything. I think its well built and stable. I dont weight much and do think it will hold, its just more difficult positioning.

The knots - well this is where im not expert and waiting for someone who knows more about knots than me to reply. So the anchor point one is an anchor hitch - I put the YouTube video in....so hoping someone with more knowledge than me will tell me if it's appropriate. Ive spent all day trying to learn it so I hope so!

The slipknot/ noose was from a video Jesibel posted. She pinned a few and I copied the top one with the white rope. I dont want to get the terminology wrong. Im not 100% its an arbor knot. Again, waiting for a 'knot expert' to reply. I thought my 'noose' knot was quite standard now im worried it might not be...I have another picture of it lying flat. It slides easily and self tightening. I will have another look at it tomorrow. Last thing I want is that to fail!

There is a wood beam across the roof from memory - how i reach it is a other matter. I rent so no idea how boarded the loft is or isn't and as you can see its thick with insulation. ive lifted it....some looks like it might be boarded underneath, others more like a panel - dont fancy explaining to my landlord why I fell through her loft. But yes a horizonal beam would be easier but sometimes we have what we have. As long as its safe that's the main thing.

Do you mind me asking what knots you are planning to use? I might have a look at them also.

Thank you again for taking the time to reply.

I'm glad I found this post and replied so more people could see the post and help you. When I saw the post there was no reply so I was kinda irritated given the fact how important your post is compared to some bullshit posts here which get lots of attention but anyway let's come back to the main topic.

I will use bowline knot with extra stopper knot for the anchor point and a poachers knot also with stopper for my noose.

I recommend learn the knots so well actually that you know exactly what you're doing then on your ctb day.

I'd like to know how strong is your si from 1-10? How do you think would you react if you'd be on the ladder right now with the noose on your neck ? I ask because I didn't think carefully about all these questions I thought my horrible mental pain will be enough to just do it then I had my attempt and I got afraid like never before in my life .

 

[ifihadnever]

I'm glad I found this post and replied so more people could see the post and help you. When I saw the post there was no reply so I was kinda irritated given the fact how important your post is compared to some bullshit posts here which get lots of attention but anyway let's come back to the main topic.

I will use bowline knot with extra stopper knot for the anchor point and a poachers knot also with stopper for my noose.

I recommend learn the knots so well actually that you know exactly what you're doing then on your ctb day.

I'd like to know how strong is your si from 1-10? How do you think would you react if you'd be on the ladder right now with the noose on your neck ? I ask because I didn't think carefully about all these questions I thought my horrible mental pain will be enough to just do it then I had my attempt and I got afraid like never before in my life .

Thank you! I did bump it up earlier & tag some people who are pretty knowledgeable in FSH. Im hoping I get some replies ! As this really isn't the method you want to go wrong. So, hoping they might have some feedback when they come online.

Unfortunately, I cant learn knots - I have declining cognitive impairment from a injury a while back. I could do a knot 100 times and still not remember how I did it so have to watch a video every time....so frustrating. Part the reason why I need to CBT sooner rather than later whilst I still have a couple of brain cells left.

I see a lot of people suggest bowline, I cant get it for the life of me. Im hoping the knot ive chosen is ok - but ill wait to see what others say. I havent tried a poachers knot but will look into it if mine isnt suitable.

Well at the minute im ignoring SI and focusing on if my set up will work on a practical level (well actually im waiting for others to help and see if they think its do-able and ive picked the right knots). Because if I havent got the knots rights then that's another day of me messing around trying to sort out a new knot. So, im first focusing on if my set up works....

Then as for the SI. Very difficult, my body lives in survival mode as it is, which you think might be easier in this instance but am aware it will work againist me. I wont be able to 'plan' a day as would cause too much of a build up. I live on my own so once I know my set up is ok I can leave it and try on a moment that feels 'better'. But will I be calm...no...im very aware I wont. Im an anxious person and my nervous system is ruined. So, I wont be walking of the stool in a calm manner. Its a needs must situation....can i step off it....i can all but try. I do think knowing my set up is ok will take away some anxiety, of course there are no guarantees life. But I am aware of my SI. And it will be there.....

For today I hope I get some help with my set up.

After that I can only mentally prepare myself so much....I do know how awful and frustrating SI is. Im putting it aside for the minute....but it will be there....taking ones life is no easy task as it sounds like you are aware.....

 

[AreWeWinning]

The beam

The beam in the picture is obviously vertical and not rounded which I appreciate isnt ideal but its what ive got. Ive tugged on it, pushed and pulled it, its solid and believe it will hold my weight. The beams are connected with metal at the top. Due to the amount of insulation and that part of the loft not being boarded I cant 100% see exactly how its connected at the base but like I say, ive tugged and tugged and nothing moves.

Based on your descriptions and the other pictures you've posted, the beam looks good to me. It's hard to imagine it would break. The beam itself has more thickness in the direction of the pull, so it should be quite strong.

The way the beams are attached to the structure could be a weak point in theory, but most likely it is fine too.

If you have tested it and nothing moves, I think it should be safe to use.

The Anchor Hitch

I tied an anchor hitch knot to the post using this video: https://youtu.be/Q6syMmp_q38?si=gcfjnbrqCvQH1yoc is this an appropriate and acceptable knot?

Ive posted a picture of the knot & stopper. Ive pulled it, seems secure. It difficult as I mentioned there isnt boarding so im tieing the knot whilst watching a you tube video with one foot in the air and one on a step ladder trying to balance. So, firstly, would this knot be suitable? I cant get on with a bowline knot for the life of me but can do a snuggle hitch. Or can look at other knots if feel more appropriate?

The Anchor Hitch with a stopper knot is perfectly fine. It's a strong and secure knot.

By looking at your attached photo, it looks like you've tied the Anchor Hitch correctly.

You don't need to climb up there each time you want to practice the knot. When practicing knots, the problem is often just the orientation in which the knot will be tied. You can practice the knot on a table leg or a broomstick. The trick is to do it in the exact same orientation as on your actual setup.

There is no need to learn another knot. You can if you want to, but the Anchor Hitch is fine.

If you want to make the Anchor Hitch more secure, you can add additional half hitches. In the video, when it says "you put your second half hitch over the standing line" at 0:48, you can repeat that step a third or even a fourth time before you add your stopper knot. This isn't necessary though. A standard Anchor Hitch with a stopper knot is already strong and secure.

Rope length

As you can see i have a long rope….I do have a stopper so hoping this isnt a problem and doesnt make a difference?

No, a long rope doesn't make any difference from a functional point of view. The only difference is that it's more inconvenient to work with. Still, it's better to have a long rope than one that's too short, imo.

The Arbor Knot (which is a Noose Knot + a stopper knot)

The knot around my neck - self tightening from on of JeiBels videos https://youtu.be/MRPBaGzVZwo

Does it look ok? Ive added a stopper.

Yes, it looks ok to me. I can't see anything wrong with it. The stopper knot is close to the main knot, where it should be. It's also a good thing that you've tested it and it tightens correctly.

Height

When set up the self tightening knot it very near the loft hatch initially because I need to put my head in and want to ensure I have enough height, obviously once my head is placed in the knot and around my neck it drops below the hatch point

Height of loft hatch is 8ft. Im 5'6" so a much better point and my last point in terms of height.

My stool is 75cm. I have tried my best not to have too much 'slack' between the anchor point and my neck knot because obviously there will be more of a 'jerk' if you like when i step of the stool (im not worried about the anchor points but that will be more painful on my neck and we all want to reduce pain as much as possible). Because my anchor is not directly above me its difficult the get the exact rope lengths right. So far ive done my best but will relook at it.

This all sounds good. You want as little slack in the rope as possible when the noose is around your neck. Some slack is unavoidable, but if you have a high enough stool, this is not a problem – your legs still won't touch the floor when you step off. It seems like your stool is high enough. 75 cm should cover the slack or any stretch in the rope and the knots.

Regarding stepping off, I imagine I'll bend my knees and lower myself until there is some tension in the rope, then I'll kick my stool away. Even if there's some slack in the rope, you can get rid of that slack by gently lowering yourself before you kick your stool over. 75 cm is high enough, and your feet are unlikely to reach the ground in the end, even if your noose isn't at the perfect height to begin with.

Rope position

Talking of reducing pain, ive researched the best place for FSH hanging is having the rope under the jawline, high up and ensure the knot is at the back of the neck. Obviously, I hope the lose consciousness as quickly as possible - is the rope positioning described the best I can do there and what will be will be?

I agree. I think it's best if the rope is at the top of the neck, below the jawline. The noose should be pre-tightened before you step off, and the knot should be at the back of the neck.

If you're not afraid of overcomplicating it, you can check which way the knot shifts as you pull on the rope, and position the knot slightly in the opposite direction (roughly at the 10-11 or 1-2 o'clock position). If you do this, the rope will shift into the centre under full load. Again, this is probably overcomplication, and you don't need to do this.

Stepping off

Next is coming off the stool - i do have some questions here and think where my anxiety is coming in. A lot of videos have smooth flooring so can slide the stool or the kick it away easily. I have carpet so cant slide the stool. The stool isnt heavy but isnt light. I suffer with muscle weakness and feel realistically im only likely to kick over the stool but I still feel that would be ok and not in reach and even if it was in reach on tip toes I dont believe id be capable of getting myself out of the situation. I will watch more videos on this but my question is really 'how' to kick to stool away, theres an informative answer but theres also a mentality part and the latter you may not be able to help with.

One thing i have noticed is people adjust the rope to the back of the neck then some hold onto the rope when they kick the chair away. I get this as kicking a chair / stool away in a lot of cases is a difficult act, I feel i might also hold onto the rope above me? It wouldnt help me in anyway but im just slightly worried as the rope currently does have a bit of slack (I think it always will) so not 100% taut so I will have to step down a bit and kick / or knock over the chair. As I mentioned this may be my own mental block im having….any suggestions regarding this would be much appreciated. I feel it might be natural to want to hold onto something and this is why they hold the rope above?

I plan to just simply kick the stool away. I don't think there are any tricks here. I have a light plastic stool, which I'm sure I can kick away. It's even possible to kick a chair or a small ladder away far enough. I'm not sure about your muscle weakness, but if you're able to climb up to your anchor point, etc., I don't think this will be an issue.

Regarding the mental aspects, I don't really have any good advice. But I agree that these are mostly mental aspects. I'm planning to pre-tighten the noose manually, then gently lower myself until there's some tension in the rope, at which point I just plan to kick my stool away. That's it. There is no reason to complicate it. If you hold on to the rope, that might not matter unless you're very strong and you're able to pull yourself up. That said, I think it's best not to do that if you can help it.

Melting the end of the rope

I have a good strong rope so not worried about that. Both knots have stoppers. Am I missing anything rope related that could cause it to fail? I have read about burning the rope ends? I would probably just end up burning the whole thing but I was unsure the point in this - am I ok to leave the rope ends as they are?

If you have a long rope, melting the ends is not strictly necessary. Even if it frays, it won't be an issue if you have enough rope.

But melting the end of a rope is not difficult. It's not like a piece of paper that catches fire easily and that is hard to extinguish. It takes some time to set a rope on fire, and even if it starts burning, it burns slowly and is easy to put out.

Quick loss of consciousness

Ive read as much as I can on this. Obviously my set up isn't ideal, but workable? I just want to ensure its safe (dont want to end up in a worse state than i already am). There's doesnt seem too much method in how quickly someone loses consciousness if the position the rope correctly? Unless im missing something?

I think your setup is quite good and well-planned. I don't see anything non-ideal about it.

Regarding losing consciousness, I think the only trick is to do it decisively and suddenly. At least that's how I plan to do it.

If you do full suspension, it's unimaginable to me how you could not lose consciousness extremely quickly. I could write a whole post about this. It requires about 2–10 kg of force to block the carotid arteries. Your body weight is at least four to five times that, and all of it will be pressing on your neck. This amount of force is enough to block not just the carotid arteries, but all arteries in the neck, including the vertebral arteries.

Some people say that they've seen hanging videos where the person didn't lose consciousness and kept struggling for minutes. However, based on what I've seen, there are no such videos. When I asked what video it was specifically, I either received no reply or it turned out it was a porn video of a fake hanging.

I'm not saying it's impossible for someone to not lose consciousness quickly in full suspension, but the chance of it is extremely low. Practically speaking, the chance is so low that it is not something to be concerned about.

I think the confusion about hanging videos often comes from the fact that the body convulsions and the involuntary muscle movements during the decerebrate and decorticate rigidity stages can be very misleading to watch. These muscle movements can be eerily similar to the movements of someone who's in pain. Despite this, during these stages (which can last up to about 2 minutes), the person is already unconscious.

This is confirmed by the often-mentioned study, titled Agonal Sequences in 14 Filmed Hangings by Sauvageau et al. (2011). In this study, the researchers determined the loss of consciousness by "a close examination of the victim's face, voluntary movements, and body tonus" (emphasis mine). When we watch hanging videos on various gore sites, the victim's face is often not clearly visible, so it may be hard to convince some people that the individual is unconscious in these videos. However, evidence suggests that they are. Evidence also suggests that consciousness is lost very quickly if there is enough pressure on the neck – and in full suspension, there's definitely more than enough pressure.

 

[OnMyLast Legs]

@AreWeWinning thanks for the write-up. I want to point out that that study puts 8 seconds to unconsciousness on the low end. That's pretty scary. And that's the kind of thing that prevents me from kicking the chair. OTOH, the videos I've seen have people going limp as soon as they weight the rope. And I've seen a few. I failed this morning but maybe I can succeed tonight. It takes such willpower. What I wouldn't give for N.

 

[ifihadnever]

The beam

Based on your descriptions and the other pictures you've posted, the beam looks good to me. It's hard to imagine it would break. The beam itself has more thickness in the direction of the pull, so it should be quite strong.

The way the beams are attached to the structure could be a weak point in theory, but most likely it is fine too.

If you have tested it and nothing moves, I think it should be safe to use.

The Anchor Hitch

The Anchor Hitch with a stopper knot is perfectly fine. It's a strong and secure knot.

By looking at your attached photo, it looks like you've tied the Anchor Hitch correctly.

You don't need to climb up there each time you want to practice the knot. When practicing knots, the problem is often just the orientation in which the knot will be tied. You can practice the knot on a table leg or a broomstick. The trick is to do it in the exact same orientation as on your actual setup.

There is no need to learn another knot. You can if you want to, but the Anchor Hitch is fine.

If you want to make the Anchor Hitch more secure, you can add additional half hitches. In the video, when it says "you put your second half hitch over the standing line" at 0:48, you can repeat that step a third or even a fourth time before you add your stopper knot. This isn't necessary though. A standard Anchor Hitch with a stopper knot is already strong and secure.

Rope length

No, a long rope doesn't make any difference from a functional point of view. The only difference is that it's more inconvenient to work with. Still, it's better to have a long rope than one that's too short, imo.

The Arbor Knot (which is a Noose Knot + a stopper knot)

Yes, it looks ok to me. I can't see anything wrong with it. The stopper knot is close to the main knot, where it should be. It's also a good thing that you've tested it and it tightens correctly.

Height

This all sounds good. You want as little slack in the rope as possible when the noose is around your neck. Some slack is unavoidable, but if you have a high enough stool, this is not a problem – your legs still won't touch the floor when you step off. It seems like your stool is high enough. 75 cm should cover the slack or any stretch in the rope and the knots.

Regarding stepping off, I imagine I'll bend my knees and lower myself until there is some tension in the rope, then I'll kick my stool away. Even if there's some slack in the rope, you can get rid of that slack by gently lowering yourself before you kick your stool over. 75 cm is high enough, and your feet are unlikely to reach the ground in the end, even if your noose isn't at the perfect height to begin with.

Rope position

I agree. I think it's best if the rope is at the top of the neck, below the jawline. The noose should be pre-tightened before you step off, and the knot should be at the back of the neck.

If you're not afraid of overcomplicating it, you can check which way the knot shifts as you pull on the rope, and position the knot slightly in the opposite direction (roughly at the 10-11 or 1-2 o'clock position). If you do this, the rope will shift into the centre under full load. Again, this is probably overcomplication, and you don't need to do this.

Stepping off

I plan to just simply kick the stool away. I don't think there are any tricks here. I have a light plastic stool, which I'm sure I can kick away. It's even possible to kick a chair or a small ladder away far enough. I'm not sure about your muscle weakness, but if you're able to climb up to your anchor point, etc., I don't think this will be an issue.

Regarding the mental aspects, I don't really have any good advice. But I agree that these are mostly mental aspects. I'm planning to pre-tighten the noose manually, then gently lower myself until there's some tension in the rope, at which point I just plan to kick my stool away. That's it. There is no reason to complicate it. If you hold on to the rope, that might not matter unless you're very strong and you're able to pull yourself up. That said, I think it's best not to do that if you can help it.

Melting the end of the rope

If you have a long rope, melting the ends is not strictly necessary. Even if it frays, it won't be an issue if you have enough rope.

But melting the end of a rope is not difficult. It's not like a piece of paper that catches fire easily and that is hard to extinguish. It takes some time to set a rope on fire, and even if it starts burning, it burns slowly and is easy to put out.

Quick loss of consciousness

I think your setup is quite good and well-planned. I don't see anything non-ideal about it.

Regarding losing consciousness, I think the only trick is to do it decisively and suddenly. At least that's how I plan to do it.

If you do full suspension, it's unimaginable to me how you could not lose consciousness extremely quickly. I could write a whole post about this. It requires about 2–10 kg of force to block the carotid arteries. Your body weight is at least four to five times that, and all of it will be pressing on your neck. This amount of force is enough to block not just the carotid arteries, but all arteries in the neck, including the vertebral arteries.

Some people say that they've seen hanging videos where the person didn't lose consciousness and kept struggling for minutes. However, based on what I've seen, there are no such videos. When I asked what video it was specifically, I either received no reply or it turned out it was a porn video of a fake hanging.

I'm not saying it's impossible for someone to not lose consciousness quickly in full suspension, but the chance of it is extremely low. Practically speaking, the chance is so low that it is not something to be concerned about.

I think the confusion about hanging videos often comes from the fact that the body convulsions and the involuntary muscle movements during the decerebrate and decorticate rigidity stages can be very misleading to watch. These muscle movements can be eerily similar to the movements of someone who's in pain. Despite this, during these stages (which can last up to about 2 minutes), the person is already unconscious.

This is confirmed by the often-mentioned study, titled Agonal Sequences in 14 Filmed Hangings by Sauvageau et al. (2011). In this study, the researchers determined the loss of consciousness by "a close examination of the victim's face, voluntary movements, and body tonus" (emphasis mine). When we watch hanging videos on various gore sites, the victim's face is often not clearly visible, so it may be hard to convince some people that the individual is unconscious in these videos. However, evidence suggests that they are. Evidence also suggests that consciousness is lost very quickly if there is enough pressure on the neck – and in full suspension, there's definitely more than enough pressure.

I firstly want to thank you so very much for taking the time to go through my post and give me such an informative reply. It is truely appreciated.

I shall keep the knots and set up as they are then, if you feel those are suitable knots. Given my struggle with knots theres no need for me to over complicate things if these are suffice. Thank you.

Yes, bending your knees a little sounds like a good idea - I think I was having a mental block here because there will be a little slack in the rope, so I will just have to bend my knees slightly- thank you for your help here.

Yes, I keep losing where the videos are posted but the ones ive seen - people lose consciousness pretty quickly. Im not bothered if my body moves about once I'm unconscious (as ill be unconscious). I think JesiBel posted some videos (although i cant find them now) and mentioned even the longest video only took 18 seconds to lose consciousness (apologies if ive got that wrong). Im sure it won't be a great 18 seconds but its still only 18 seconds. I will have to look for those videos again.

So, all in all you feel the set up, knots etc look ok?

This is very helpful and reassuring information. Thank you for such a thoughtful and indepth reply. It has offered me reassurance. Thank you!

 

[AreWeWinning]

@AreWeWinning thanks for the write-up. I want to point out that that study puts 8 seconds to unconsciousness on the low end. That's pretty scary. And that's the kind of thing that prevents me from kicking the chair. OTOH, the videos I've seen have people going limp as soon as they weight the rope. And I've seen a few. I failed this morning but maybe I can succeed tonight. It takes such willpower. What I wouldn't give for N.

I think JesiBel posted some videos (although i cant find them now) and mentioned even the longest video only took 18 seconds to lose consciousness (apologies if ive got that wrong). Im sure it won't be a great 18 seconds but its still only 18 seconds.

To be perfectly precise, in this study:

• one case – loss of consciousness occurred in 18 seconds
• ten cases – it happened in 10 ± 3 seconds, average
• three cases – the time could not be determined

I've watched quite a few hanging videos too, measuring the time, and these values seem about right.

The thought of having to endure pain for several seconds is scary. However, I also believe that the pain doesn't matter. In the grand scheme of things, what difference does it make whether it takes 5, 10, or 15 seconds until you stop feeling the pain? It doesn't matter for me. Compared to the eternal peace that comes after, it's literally nothing. This is my personal opinion.

In my view, the problem is not the pain itself, but the fear of it, and the fear of death.

Let's imagine a hypothetical scenario: we give the average person the chance to win $1million if they endure the level of pain that hanging involves. There would be medical supervision, and for the sake of this hypothetical example, there would be no chance of dying or any permanent injuries. Most people would probably take this opportunity, and would choose to endure the pain to win the money.

The fear of pain, in my view, is just the way our mind tricks us and prevents us from dying. Knowing this doesn't make the fear any less real. Still, I find that this way of thinking might help me when my time comes.

So, all in all you feel the set up, knots etc look ok?

Yes, all in all, it looks OK.

 

[ifihadnever]

To be perfectly precise, in this study:

• one case – loss of consciousness occurred in 18 seconds
• ten cases – it happened in 10 ± 3 seconds, average
• three cases – the time could not be determined

I've watched quite a few hanging videos too, measuring the time, and these values seem about right.

The thought of having to endure pain for several seconds is scary. However, I also believe that the pain doesn't matter. In the grand scheme of things, what difference does it make whether it takes 5, 10, or 15 seconds until you stop feeling the pain? It doesn't matter for me. Compared to the eternal peace that comes after, it's literally nothing. This is my personal opinion.

In my view, the problem is not the pain itself, but the fear of it, and the fear of death.

Let's imagine a hypothetical scenario: we give the average person the chance to win $1million if they endure the level of pain that it involves. There would be medical supervision, and for the sake of this hypothetical example, there would be no chance of dying or any permanent injuries. Most people would probably take this opportunity, and would choose to endure the pain to win the money.

The fear of pain, in my view, is just the way our mind tricks us and prevents us from dying. Knowing this doesn't make the fear any less real. Still, I find that this way of thinking might help me when my time comes.



Yes, all in all, it looks OK.

Put very well....our minds are very powerful....

Thank you again for your help.

 

[OnMyLast Legs]

@AreWeWinning good argument, I'm just afraid I'm not rational enough for it. Ten seconds of choke-out. And I have to voluntarily undergo this. Hoo buddy.