Did you forget to study for the exam? Are you scheduled to take part in an event but you want to back out? Or maybe you're going to be in a drama that requires you to pass out? Whatever the reason for diverting your attention or getting out of a difficult situation, these tips can help you pretend you're unconscious but look real.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Learn How to Imitate a Real Fainting
Step 1. Know the cause of fainting
Fainting is a condition experienced by many people. The cause may be harmless or life threatening. Since you're planning to fake fainting, it's best to study a harmless cause of fainting. Fainting is caused by decreased blood flow to the brain.
- A harmless fainting can be caused by low blood pressure or a nervous system response that reduces blood flow to the brain. Such a nervous system response may result from a highly traumatic event or cause stress, fear, or pain.
- For teens, faking fainting is the perfect excuse to avoid exams, as harmless real fainting is common with them. For older adults, harmless fainting may occur once or twice a year; a frequency greater than that is often regarded as something dangerous.
Step 2. Learn the symptoms of fainting
People who have fainted may experience several symptoms before losing consciousness, which include feeling hot, nauseated, light-headed or confused, or short of breath. A person may also feel dizzy or weak, or experience ringing in the ears, or a temporary loss of hearing. These symptoms are common in people who experience fainting due to something that is not dangerous.
Step 3. Determine a harmless cause of fainting
Unless you have to pass out on stage, you need a cause for faking a blackout that won't make anyone else call an ambulance, something that will allow you to wake up startled but unharmed. Since low blood pressure and low blood flow to the brain are usually harmless causes of fainting, there are several reasons that could trigger such a faint.
- Not eating breakfast, or waiting too long between meals can cause low blood pressure. Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration and reduced blood flow to the brain.
- If you happen to be outdoors or in a stuffy room, you can tell that you are overheating. You may pretend to have experienced a traumatic or stressful event. If you are easily afraid of insects or loud noises, you can pretend that the fear is causing you to suffocate and then pass out.
- If you ask someone for help in your plans to pass out, ask them to beat or slap you hard until you pass out. This may be a little dramatic and the person helping you could be punished, but it's a good reason to pass out for no apparent reason.
Step 4. Plan your fainting
In order to reduce the impact of fainting while achieving the results you want, you need to plan accordingly. The reason that makes you want to fake fainting will determine the location of the incident. You may be able to control when you pass out. However, you can't completely control how it doesn't hurt your body or cause unwanted things.
- What are you trying to avoid? Ex-marriage? An exam you haven't prepared for? Or maybe you have to sing in front of a crowd but don't feel ready.
- To reduce the unwanted effects of your fake fainting, try to pass out in front of only a few people. Fainting in front of a crowd will get you noticed, so it's possible that someone will notice you're just faking it, or it may make it too attention-grabbing for you to get out of the way quickly.
- Also avoid fainting at important events that might affect others, such as at your friend's wedding, when someone receives an award, or during an exam that you're trying to avoid. Plan to fake passing out before the event you're avoiding starts.
Step 5. Know how to start faking fainting
Are you in a sitting or standing position? What symptoms can you imitate well? Will you fall while pretending to be unconscious? How long will you be unconscious for? Answer these questions first.
- It's important to practice your fake fainting. You shouldn't think you can do it but end up afraid of bumping into something or not being able to pretend you're out of breath without smiling. You should also make sure you fall as safely as possible to reduce the potential for injury.
- Know clearly what you're going to do, so that when you pretend to pass out in front of people, your plans will run smoothly.
Step 6. Plan an escape after fainting
You should be unconscious for at least 20 seconds. When a person falls to the floor or lowers their body so that their head is at the level of their heart, the blood flow is almost entirely returned to the brain, as well as to your consciousness.
- When you pretend to wake up from a loss of consciousness, don't jump in and act like everything's okay. Try to sit for a few minutes, as someone who actually fainted needs time to recover. Understand that this is important.
- Don't pretend to pass out on a highly time-controlled event and try to leave immediately after. Also prepare an explanation that your fainting isn't dangerous, so you should feel fine to get up and leave, and get out of the room as soon as possible.
Method 2 of 2: Fainting in Public
Step 1. Prepare a place where you will pretend to faint
Now that you've got everything set up to make your fainting look real, you can do it. Once you've determined the place, make sure it's in exactly the way you planned it to be.
- Are there enough people, or are the right people already there? Is the event you're trying to avoid still going on? Are the school hallways too crowded?
- Once you see that everything is correct, go to the place where you will pretend to pass out. Actual fainting occurs fairly quickly from the onset of symptoms.
- Make sure there are no dangerous objects that could cause serious injury if you accidentally bump into them while falling. And also make sure that you won't bump into anyone.
Step 2. Talk about the symptoms of fainting
When you are ready, start showing fainting symptoms. You should do this step in just one minute. If you plan to use the excuse of forgetting to eat breakfast, say that you are hungry. If the room you're in is full or cramped, you may begin to complain of feeling too hot. If you are walking, slow down, hold your head for a while, say that you are dizzy. You can blink or squint. Complain that you feel nauseous. Pretend that you're exhausted, and say that you're feeling sluggish. Maintain these symptoms for 1 - 2 minutes.
Step 3. Get ready where you're going to pass out
While showing your symptoms, and without drawing attention to your body movements, move to where it seems safest for you to fall. If you plan to pass out in a sitting position, pretend that you are too weak to get up and sit down. You can tell that you are feeling weird and need a drink or some fresh air.
Ask someone to open a window, for example. If you are in a room without windows and away from drinking water, say that you need to sit down for a while and get up slowly. Then sway your body and drop forward. First, say something like "I want to…" Be sure not to finish your sentence unless the sentence is short
Step 4. Pretend to pass out
Make sure to fall safely. You certainly don't want to hurt your head and body. If you're standing, bend your knees and let your body fall to your knees before lowering your upper body. Be sure to fall quickly as if you were electrocuted by high voltage, or you'll appear to be faking it.
- If you're sitting down, relax and imagine that you actually passed out. Allow yourself to fall off the chair, as there's little chance that you'll be able to stay seated when you actually faint.
- Try to drop on the back of your thighs, not your waist or tailbone. Then drop your upper body quickly. Close your eyes and let all the muscles of your body weaken; just relax.
- Act like there are no bones in your body and fall to the floor quickly. You will look like a real faint.
Step 5. Pretend to be unconscious for a few seconds
Lie down on the floor. Make sure your body is not stiff, and if someone tries to lift your arm and shake it, try to relax your arm, and when you drop your arm back down, let it fall. This test is often done to check for false fainting. An unconscious person cannot control his limbs. Someone should immediately approach to check on you, and distract from whatever event is going on.
Don't pretend to be unconscious for too long, or someone will call the emergency department. Unless this is what you want, don't pretend to be unconscious for more than 20 seconds
Step 6. Open your eyes and take a deep breath
People who have just passed out often wake up without remembering that they just passed out. Let's say you remember feeling hot and it seemed like someone had turned off the lights in the room.
Step 7. Sit down slowly and after a while, stand up, or ask someone to wake you up
After a while, you can try to stand up and start staggering again, so people think you're going to faint again and help you right away. At this point, if people ask you questions, start explaining that your fake fainting isn't dangerous.
Step 8. Hurry up
Rest for about 10 minutes to recover from your fake stupor. When you are ready, ask permission to go home and rest or make an appointment with the doctor. Someone may offer to drive you, accept the offer or explain that you can safely reach your destination on your own.
Tips
- When you open your eyes for the first time, don't start talking right away. Have a confused look on your face for a few seconds, then you can ask what happened. If you open your eyes and start babbling, your fainting will look fake.
- If you can't fall down like you really do, pretend you're unconscious when one or two people are close enough but not too close to know you were faking it.
- Avoid smiling or laughing while pretending to be unconscious, or you'll be caught.
- You may need to practice to make your fainting look real. Look for ways to pass out that won't be too painful or uncomfortable, such as practicing on the carpet or practicing barefoot in bed.
- If you decide to stumble forward, avoid putting your arms in front of you to support your body. Since this is a reflex, you should practice beforehand.
- If you're afraid of falling and hurting yourself, pretend to pass out next to someone you can hold on to. People sometimes notice when their vision is getting dark when they are about to pass out so they reach for something and lower their body. However, when you fall, let go of your grip. Holding onto something, even for a moment, will slow you down and reduce the risk of injury to your body.
- To practice faking fainting safely, do it on a carpet, or better yet, in bed barefoot at first.
- Try pretending to be unconscious near a wall, so that the wall can slightly support your fall.
- When falling in the open, be sure not to hit anything or anyone, as this could result in injury or unexpected injury.
- Often, in fainting, complete control of the body is lost, but that doesn't mean the body loses all control, as in a gradual loss of consciousness, not like a plate being thrown off a shelf onto the floor.
- A great way to stagger before you fall is to cross your legs slightly inward and rest on your knees before falling sideways.
- Consider telling someone about your fake fainting. So they can catch your body when you fall, which can help prevent possible injury.
- Be sure to bend your knees so they hit the floor before your upper body.
- Try not to smile or laugh when you're faking it or people will find out that you're just faking it.
- Also make sure your eyes are closed.
Warning
- If you immediately resume your previous activities, others will be suspicious. Take a break by placing your head between your legs.
- When you fall, make sure you're in a room that's open enough so you don't hit something or someone, or cause injury. Always be careful!
- Don't pretend to be unconscious to avoid being caught by the police. This will only cause bigger problems.
- Don't show that you're out of breath unless you want someone to call an ambulance. If you plan to do so, make sure that your heart rate is faster than the normal range.
- Don't fake fainting too often, or do it too often; people will think you have a serious illness and call an ambulance.
- Don't say "What happened?" right after fainting. This question sounds cliché and often sounds like a sham. However, you can ask what happened a few minutes later, perhaps by adding "Do I look stupid?" or something.
