Consciousness is lost after...

[ivanhowe]

I see these decapitation videos where the blood flows from the neck. I wonder if consciousness is lost and if the poor fellow feels thepain. How long does it take for the pain to go away. Men continue to breathe, their legs go up in the air, some cry. Is depriving the brain of blood enough to make it end, or must the head be completely severed? I read that Marie Antoinette's face was slapped after th blade had fallen , and she gave a dirty look. Perhaps a make-up. Any studies, reports, experiments?

 

[Meatpie]

Oh, you will definately feel pain then a warm feeling in the throat as blood gushes out.

It can take up to two minutes to lose consciousness in a slow beheading with knife.

Blood pressue in the head suddenly drops, blood drains out of your brain and you will definately pass out, although as I said it can take up to three minutes but beyond that you are just a relaxed corpse.

 

[ivanhowe]

I know when I was on the operating table and I was losing consciouness, and I though I was going to die, I said-Oh God, please take me. (meaning not the devil) I wonder what a man feels in his heart when he knows that some cruel man is taking his life from him. Does anger fill his mind or does he relinquish his being to a greater power. I think it would be the creulest hoax on mankind if there were no hereafter-and those who capitalized on man's fear of oblivion might suffer a worse fate. But, how would anyone know? Le Rouge et le Noir comes to mind. It's a good way to make a living-frightening a simpleton.

 

[Snerdguy]

It will depend on some variables. For some people, the severing of the spinal cord causes immediate loss of consciousness. In others, the brain goes into a state of shock blocking recognition of the pain as it tries to survive the drop in blood pressure. I noticed that those terrorists who were experienced with beheading cut through throat and muscles first trying to make the suffering last. Then they cut the major arteries and around the spinal column which they saw through last.

I would think that the primary emotion is fear because that is part of the brain's survival mode. We evolved to panic, have an adrenaline rush, then fight or escape. There is no proof that there is or is not something after death. All the heaven and hell stuff is nothing but human imagination. We are just at the beginning of entanglement research that might give us a hint. So, are you a half full glass person or a half empty?

 

[headsman]

Cutting the spinal cord causes paralysis and loss of sensation. If it is cut high, the diaphragm is paralyzed, like Chris Reeve, so you need a machine to breath.

Brain death is complicated. With guillotine cuts there is abrupt loss of brain perfusion. The victim is very light headed/dizzy from lack of oxygen. LOC is almost instantaneous.

Using a knife to take off the head is far different. Most executioners slash the carotid arteries in the anterior neck. They let the blood flow and complete the job once the victim passes out. A victim with an intact circle of willis gets blood from the vertebral arteries in the spine. These guys last a longer time. The may not pass out until after the spine is severed.

The variation of blood supply accounts for wide differences in time to loss of consciousness.

 

[PiercedChest]

I see these decapitation videos where the blood flows from the neck. I wonder if consciousness is lost and if the poor fellow feels thepain. How long does it take for the pain to go away. Men continue to breathe, their legs go up in the air, some cry. Is depriving the brain of blood enough to make it end, or must the head be completely severed? I read that Marie Antoinette's face was slapped after th blade had fallen , and she gave a dirty look. Perhaps a make-up. Any studies, reports, experiments?

I'm amazed seeing videos here on CDG of men shot by a firing squad (I think Jon_b has posted a few great vids). They fall as soon as the bullets strike (within one second). I'd have expected them to sag slowly after a second of 5-10, but apparently the brain shuts down immediately as soon as the blood flow stops. They say the vice-president (of the USA) is only one heartbeat away from becoming president him(her)self, but I never realized that was literally true. I find it very disturbing that our conscious minds will fade into oblivion in such a short time after a bullet (blade, ...) interrups our lifeline of oxygen supply.

 

[KiltedSoldier]

Ref : firing squad, I agree they should last a few seconds longer. Death by firing squad is not like death in battle from being shot - soldiers shot in battle are usually shot at longer range and hit by 1,2,3 rounds at most even with automatic fire it tends to spread unless very close, so they last long enough to cry out and fall before going unconscious and are taken by death. In a firing squad execution the man is perhaps 25m away and hit at the same time by 10 5.56mm or 7.62mm rounds in the chest, causing sudden loss of all blood pressure to the brain, so they go unconscious and sag right away - perhaps even without time for a good death cry. I have been trained in the drill for doing a firing squad but the Brit Army hasn't executed any soldier this way, or spy as far as I know since WW2, maybe some insurgents in colonial wars after WW2. If it were ordered I expect it would be commanded by a Capt (Lt's too young and likely to screw up), and the 10 man firing party to have a lot of Sgts and Cpls in it, not inexperienced Privates. Also there should be no blank round given out randomly like in films - it is ridiculous any soldier can tell the feel of a blank vs a live round. I doubt experienced soldiers would feel bad after being on a firing party, if the order is legal, we do it without remorse., it is our job and duty.

 

[djbear]

There was a priest in Indonesia who claimed two Nigerians executed by firing squad moaned and gasped for breath for up to five minutes. I wonder if that was a special case or if the squad just hit the wrong places?

 

[Snerdguy]

There was a priest in Indonesia who claimed two Nigerians executed by firing squad moaned and gasped for breath for up to five minutes. I wonder if that was a special case or if the squad just hit the wrong places?

The probably shot them through the lungs and liver and deliberately let them bleed to death. I don't think the Nigerians are terribly concerned with being humane.

 

[KiltedSoldier]

Snerd is right Incompetent firing squads are a feature of West African executions - designed to cause a slow painful death
Proper military execution is quick and efficient - suffering is minimal
Firing squads would be ideal for executing criminals, along with long drop hanging -maybe should give them a choice - lethal injection is wrong.

 

[PiercedChest]

Firing squads would be ideal for executing criminals, along with long drop hanging -maybe should give them a choice - lethal injection is wrong.

If I had a choice I'd certainly prefer a firing squad to an injection. Make it a killing, not a medical treatment.

 

[KiltedSoldier]

Exactly execution is a punishment - not euthanasia, hanging and a firing squad are appropriate, it is a pity that more criminal filth are not executed to balance the loss of good men killed in battle.