When the Dutch psychologist Ap Dijksterhauz received a professorship at the University of Amsterdam, he began looking for a home in Amsterdam. At that moment, the housing market was on the rise, and realtors came up with the most convenient way for them to sell apartments. On the appointed day, all potential buyers came to the “bride-in” at the same time, and the first one who agreed to pay the price named by the owners signed the contract on the same day and became the owner of the home. In the face of such fierce competition between buyers, there was no time to think. Dyksterhaus made the decision to buy the house within 10 seconds while inspecting the bathroom. After that, he stayed up all night, wondering if he had made the most expensive mistake of his life. Fortunately, the purchase was successful.

However, the researcher continued to reflect, there is something deeply wrong in accepting such important decisions lightning fast, without hesitation. Against this, the entire experience of previous generations rises up, molded into sayings like “Do not cut on the shoulder” and “Measure seven times, cut once”. Dyksterhaus decided to experimentally test which decisions would be the most successful - those that are made as a result of reflection, or those that are made intuitively, without reflection. The experiment involved three groups of students who had to choose their housing from four proposed options. The description of each apartment consisted of 12 attributes. The best option included 8 positive attributes (for example, low price, big square), and 4 negative ones (for example, a noisy area). The worst option included 4 positive and 8 negative attributes, and two intermediate options included 6 positive and negative attributes each. They were included in the task as "noise", which makes it difficult to process information.

The first group of participants was asked to choose the best option by reflecting on it for five minutes. Participants from the second group had to immediately name the option that they like best. And the third group, after reading the information about the four apartments, received a distraction task. Five minutes later, they had to choose the best accommodation, but they did not have time to think - they were busy solving puzzles. The result of the experiment showed that thinking is still better than giving an answer immediately: among those who thought about the answer, 47% chose the best option, and only 36% of those who had to make a decision right away. But the best result was shown by those who solved puzzles unrelated to the task in any way – among the subjects of the third group, 59% chose the best option.

The researcher explains this result by “unconscious thinking”. At the moment when our consciousness is occupied with extraneous tasks (solving puzzles, maneuvering in traffic jams or washing dishes), we do not stop unconsciously reflecting on the decision that is important to us. After a while, we unexpectedly come to the correct conclusion, although we have not even been consciously evaluating the possible options. The advantages of unconscious thinking over the conscious are explained by the fact that consciousness has a limited volume (only about 7 units of information at a time), while the resources of the unconscious are potentially unlimited. In addition, the quality of a conscious choice can be negatively affected by our interest in the outcome of the decision. When deciding simple tasks this interest helps us by improving attention and reducing the likelihood of accidental errors. But when the task is complex and our future depends on its solution, we begin to worry, we are afraid to make a mistake, and as a result, most often we make it.

Folk wisdom, by the way, recognizes the benefits of "unconscious thinking", arguing that the morning is wiser than the evening, that is, that the unconscious will work out the correct solution while we sleep.

Apocryphal stories about scientific discoveries Archimedes, Newton, and Mendeleev also testify to the power of the unconscious mind, which continues to work when we take a bath, relax in the garden after dinner, or sleep soundly at night. And the British mathematician and philosopher Alfred Whitehead said at all: “The statement that we should cultivate the habit of thinking about what we are doing is often repeated in textbooks and in speeches. famous people and is an absolutely erroneous platitude. The exact opposite is true."

To confirm the benefits of "unconscious thinking," Dyksterhaus and colleagues conducted another series of experiments in which participants had to choose one of forty products in an online store. Goods were conditionally divided into three groups: simple goods, which were described by only four attributes (for example, shampoo or towel), medium-complexity goods, whose descriptions included 8 attributes each (shoes, CDs), and complex goods, whose descriptions consisted of 12 attributes (camera , Furniture for kitchen). Participants had to either reflect on their choice for 4 minutes or solve puzzles for 4 minutes. As expected, in the case simple choice conscious thinking led to a more successful result, and in the case of a difficult choice, unconscious thinking was more effective. For tasks of medium complexity, no difference was found between conscious and unconscious thinking.

It turns out that conscious thinking is only necessary when buying soap and socks, and when buying a car and an apartment, it is much more useful to trust your intuition. But does this mean that reason and logic are not needed at all in life? The authors of the theory of unconscious thinking admit that intuition is powerless in solving those problems where it is required to follow strict rules (for example, mathematical ones). In addition, new studies have recently emerged that have challenged Dyksterhaus's methodology. John Pine and his colleagues at Duke University (USA) note that Dyksterhaus's experiments have two significant limitations. First, the time given to participants for reflection was rigidly set and may have exceeded the time that is usually required to make a decision in a real situation.

This could lead to the well-known effect that folk psychology calls "overdoing it." All school teachers are well aware that too long reflection on a correctly solved problem leads to unreasonable doubts and "correction" of the correct answer to the wrong one. Secondly, the tasks themselves, which were given to participants in the Dijksterhaus experiments, consisted of comparing positive and negative attributes and choosing the option with the maximum number positive and the minimum amount negative attributes. In real situations, each attribute has a different weight. For example, a car may have many positive attributes and only one negative attribute. But if this attribute is an unaffordable price, then all further comparisons are meaningless.

Pine and colleagues conducted another series of similar experiments in which they modified the instructions given to the participants. The first group of participants had to think about the task for a fixed time, the second group had to think for as long as necessary to make a decision, and the third group received a distraction task, as in the Dyksterhaus experiments. The second important change concerned the task itself. Instead of positive and negative attributes having the same weight, participants were asked to choose from the same number of attributes that have not only different consequences (win or loss), but also a different amount of gain or loss. Participants chose one of the four lotteries they would like to play. Each game was described by twelve events that could occur with equal probability as a result of the balls being drawn (for example, winning $2 or $13). That is, the attributes had not only a different sign, but also a different weight. As in the Dyksterhaus experiments, participants who thought for a fixed time performed worse (21% correct answers) than participants in the "unconscious thinking" state (37%). However, participants whose time for reflection was not limited by anything showed the best result (52%). Their thinking time ranged from 8 seconds to 5 minutes. The average time to think was 17 seconds. Moreover, those who made a decision faster than the average time gave 74% correct answers, and those who thought longer, only 30%.

The authors of the experiment explain their results not so much by the advantage of intuition over reason, but by the detrimental effect of too long thinking on the quality of decisions. In addition, intuition works worse than conscious thinking if the value of each attribute is added to the enumeration of attributes. Unconscious thinking easily distinguishes a win from a loss, but it does not see the difference between a $2 win and a $13 win.

Should we rely on intuition and unconscious thinking to make difficult decisions? The question is still open. But one thing is clear: if you really think, then quickly, otherwise you start to doubt and change the right decision to the wrong one. And secondly, if the decision concerns mathematical or legal issues, that is, it involves following strict rules, intuition alone cannot be enough. You need at least a calculator and the Criminal Code.

Dear surgeons. This is not even my question, but this is a cry for help. Please, if you know, then write me an HONEST answer to such a question. And I ask HONEST, because both the attending physician and the surgeon who performed the operation on my mother on January 17, 2012, probably cannot tell me the BITTER TRUTH. And the fact is, on January 17, my poor, sick mother underwent an operation to replace the aortic valve and replaced 3 shunts. Only something went wrong, the operation went on for 14 hours. After that, the doctors said that everything had been replaced, but my mother was allegedly in a coma. And the next morning they began to look for donor blood. .And the same morning they did the second 7 hour operation. Why, they explained to me, but I did not understand anything. And since that time, my mother has been in intensive care. She seems to have blood somewhere in her heart, somehow blood flows. Now, 10 different tubes have been taken out of the mother’s body, and one of them, the one that is constantly taken out from under the heart blood is dripping. For a day, about half a glass. She also doesn’t breathe on her own, but through a tube in her mouth. 3 days ago I took her hand, it was very sweaty, and my poor mother’s body was very swollen. Now I remember how I saw her and didn’t recognize my mother, and now the tears themselves are pouring from the eyes. I called her mom, mom, but she opened her eyes for a second and closed them. Of course, she doesn’t realize what is happening to her. And then why do the doctors say that mom’s brain seems to be in order. And the doctors explain to me that now there is one main problem. That THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO RETURN MOTHER'S CONSCIOUSNESS. And yesterday, the temperature suddenly rose as much as UP TO 40 DEGREES, Mom was immediately surrounded by pieces of ice, and in the morning they brought down that supposedly some kind of infection. Today, the temperature was brought down right up to 35-36. they still don’t understand why. And here’s something else I didn’t say. It’s like my mother had a “carnography” procedure before the main operation, and they also did it with unsuccessful consequences. They did it somehow through the inguinal vein. But then this vein also did not heal well. All the time, blood oozed from it inside the body, and therefore the leg swelled. The doctor who did it explained that in the genus because the blood vessels are already fragile due to age. Mom is 74 years old.
And now the 17th day has already passed after the operation, and the mother has been in intensive care all this time. The attending physician says “stablely serious.” The poor mother has tubes inserted from everywhere. She breathes from the apparatus, but the heart works by itself. The pressure is normal. Doctors say that the brain works, AND HERE IS MY MAIN QUESTION TO YOU. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MOM. Thanks in advance for your honest answer. Sincerely, Nestor....

I am grateful to all the people who take part in my trouble. Here is the state of my mother today. I also want to remind all kind-hearted people and doctors that my mother had an operation already on January 17, 2012. Today, February 2, the attending doctors say that for what Initially, the operation was done, i.e. aortic valve replacement and 3 bypasses were installed in the process. In general, all this is already working normally. The heart is already working by itself. We started feeding mom liquid, through a tube, directly into the stomach. and by 1% herself. She still lacks the strength to breathe completely on her own, or I don’t know what. The tube from under the heart was removed, it is now standing on the suction of blood from the lungs. From the device, the air tears some kind of veins in the lungs, hence the blood. They say that the heart is already working normally. And the doctors also say that my mother has some kind of “brittle” vessels and veins. Tomorrow morning I’ll take chicken broth again. know how to bring mom back to this world. I ask the Lord to return my mother to me, because he knows that she lives all her life as a kind, honest person, and a wonderful mother ......

And not a single communist. Why is there a communist - in general, there is not a single candidate for successors from the left flank. One is right. And the people are silent. Nobody is outraged. True, for the majority of the people this game of successors and in general does not matter, but even those who are interested do not think about the ideological essence of the candidates, but discuss who is better: Ivanov or Medvedev, Sechin or Shuvalov ... And only a very few realize that each of them is Putin 2, Putin 3, Putin 4, and maybe even Yeltsin 2.

So, at first glance, the liberals really have no reason to doubt the strength of their power. But they doubt it! How else can one explain that in the pre-election year, anti-Soviet and anti-communist propaganda increased sharply on television? Moreover, along with the real shortcomings of Soviet power and the criminal acts of individual Soviet leaders, a lot of lies, slander, and idiotic inventions are being spread. Everything is like in 1996.

Why? But precisely because their confidence in their positions is sham. Because they understand: no matter how much the rope twists, there will be an end. The end is the retribution for what has been done to the country. This is retribution. This is a criminal trial.

But why, one wonders, so shamelessly lie? After all, it was in Soviet history a lot of real negativity. And then, that for one negative fact from the seventy-year Soviet history, there are a dozen negative facts of their ten-year Yeltsin history. So they come up with, so they compose a bunch of all sorts of fables, hoping to take, if not the reliability of the facts, then at least their number.

So, both future judges and future defendants are busy collecting documents on the eve of the upcoming trial. But this is not enough! More arguments are needed. After all trial is a contest between the prosecution and the defense. And in such a competition, the one who has not only more serious and reliable documents, but also more convincing arguments wins.

Meanwhile, the criminal clique has already begun in earnest to prepare arguments in its defense. I want to draw your attention to one of these arguments, because this argument is quite serious: of course, it is unlikely to push judges to accept an acquittal, but it may well mitigate the punishment. What is this argument?

The argument is this. Yes, they admit, the reforms failed. Yes, the country is plunged into a catastrophe. Yes... Well, and so on. That is. liberals admit that the results of the reforms are terrible. But, they say, no one could have foreseen such a result. You see, they wanted the best. Their intentions, you see, were very, very noble. But - it happened. Like, don't judge them harshly.

Well, what's it like? I think it's pretty stupid. In any case, such a position can make some people pity. Well, what to do, noble people undertook to introduce democracy, freedom and many other good things in the country. Don't count. And no one warned: they say, you are going the wrong way, comrades!

And here I want to offer future judges our argument, so to speak, a counterargument. And if the court preparers take my argument seriously, orchestrate it with enough examples, then it will be a killer argument.

My argument is this. I contend that all the moaning of the Democrats that they did not foresee such results is a vile lie. I argue that a few years before the start of the reforms, the liberals were warned about all the negative consequences of such reforms.

They have been warned!!!

Warned by whom? First of all, of course, the communists. Here I can clearly hear the loud laughter of readers. Indeed, what was the significance of the warnings of the communists for the liberals when it was precisely with the communists and with communism that the liberals fought?

In addition, the communists built their forecasts in accordance with Marxism. But after all, Marxism was then declared an empty utopia, pseudoscience. Now, all those predictions have come true. The communists insisted that capitalism was not the future, but the country's past. Today, even many Democrats admit that the country has been set back decades, if not a century.

The Communists recalled the views of Marx and Lenin on private property. Lenin directly said that private property divides people, that private property is war. And what do we have? Because of this very private property, for a decade and a half, blood has been flowing throughout the country, and there is no end in sight.

Today, some democrats are beginning to cautiously quote both Marx and Engels and Lenin. But in those pre-reform years, the democrats, of course, could not and did not want to listen to the opinion of the communists. In addition, the Democrats had strong support in this regard in a significant part of the population. Yes, we must admit that by the end of the 1980s, irritation against the communists had already arisen in society.

And there were reasons for this. On the one hand, powerful anti-communist propaganda put pressure on people's minds. On the other hand, the communists themselves did their best to discredit the ideas of communism and Marxist doctrine in general in the eyes of the population.

So let's not be surprised that the Democrats then did not heed the warnings of the Communists. This was entirely within the logic of the political and ideological struggle, and this can hardly be blamed on the democrats.

Go ahead. Okay, did not listen to the opinion of the Communists. But they did not listen to the opinion of Orthodox ideologists either! Which may seem strange: after all, the Democrats, in defiance of the Communists, have all become devout. I’ll make a reservation right away: I personally am an atheist. I don't believe in God. But from the point of view common history humanity, it cannot be denied that all world religions contain large layers of information about history, culture, and art. That each religion carries the essential features of the mentality of the people who have accepted this religion as their spiritual basis.

I note that, speaking of Orthodox people, I do not mean at all priests and priests. The Church with us, and not only with us, is a kind of business. With all the inherent vices of business. No, I mean sincerely believing people. Among them are many highly educated writers and historians.

So they warned that capitalism was incompatible with the foundations of Orthodoxy, warned of the harmful consequences of forced capitalization Russian society. This position was most clearly indicated in the journal Our Contemporary. This magazine was known for its anti-Sovietism, anti-communism, which seemed to appeal to the democrats.

Why did the democrats not heed the opinion of the ideologists of Orthodoxy? Yes, because Orthodoxy for the democrats was just a fancy dress covering their essence. Democrats were not interested in Orthodoxy as such, but in the Church. On the one hand, the role of the church was intended to serve, along with the media, as an instrument for duping the population. On the other hand, believers, whose number always increases during periods of unrest, were a good addition to the democratic electorate.

And yet, at least for appearances, could the Democrats support the position of Our Contemporary? No, they couldn't. Judge for yourself. The magazine introduced the heading "Market: a panacea or a trap?", where he argued that it was a trap. Could Democrats have endured this when the market was father, son, and holy spirit all rolled into one? They did not argue with the magazine, but simply did not notice its position.

Personally, I was interested in Y. Borodai's article with a very eloquent title - "Why Protestant capitalism is not suitable for the Orthodox." (“Our Contemporary” No. 10, 1990) So why? That is why, the author explains, Orthodoxy is based on the ethics of equality, community, compassion.

And capitalism is based on the Calvinist doctrine of the chosenness of a separate category of people. According to Calvin, God predestined some people to eternal life, others to eternal death. According to Calvin, God's chosen ones, for the sake of achieving personal success, everything is allowed, up to crimes. And those who are not admitted to the circle of the elect will not be saved by piety, prayers, or deeds. They are rejected.

So, the ideologists of Orthodoxy warned that the intention to plunge Russia into capitalism would cause a split in society. Did the reformers heed these warnings? Of course not. Orthodox writers were worried about the fate of the country, the fate of the people, while the reformers thought only about their personal fate.

The reformers saw themselves, of course, not in the camp of the outcasts, but in the camp of God's chosen ones. Well, in fact, look at the faces of Yeltsin, Chubais, Gaidar, Nemtsov, Berezovsky, Abramovich and so on. and so on. Don't you see divine halos above their heads? Do not their eyes radiate divine light? True, their god is different, not the same as that of believers. Their god is the golden calf.

So in vain did Orthodox authors frighten future reformers with the horrors of the Calvinist doctrine. It was this doctrine that was to the taste of the reformers. It was in full accordance with this doctrine that they divided society into a handful of God's chosen, who are allowed everything, including the open plunder of the country. And on the rest of the people, on the outcasts, who, according to Calvin, are doomed to eternal death, which the reformers accepted for execution, killing Russians by a million a year.

However, the fact that the reformers ignored the warnings of the ideologues of Orthodoxy cannot be a serious argument in the judgment of History either. After all, Russia is a secular state, and a person's adherence to a particular religious doctrine is still a matter of conscience for each person.

And now I will reveal the main trump card, that is, the main argument against the reformers. An argument against which Democrats are powerless. The fact is that the reformers did not heed the warnings of those people whom they could not, had no right not to heed. These were warnings from their camp, from their associates.

The Democrats have been warned... by the Democrats!

If you remember, one of my articles was called "Not All Democrats Are Equally Mean." In that article, I divided Democrats into different categories, but the main dividing line was between honest and dishonest Democrats. Honest democrats in the sense of theory were complete like-minded people of Yeltsin and his team.

They, too, were sure that socialism, and even more so communism, was a utopia. They, too, became disillusioned with Marxism. They also believed in the saving role of the market, in the need to turn Russia onto the capitalist path of development.

Of course, I do not share the views of this category of democrats, but, nevertheless, I cannot deny them respect. They wanted the best for their country. They sincerely believed that they were right, they wanted to help the authorities to carry out reforms in the most painless way for the people. The main thing is that they did not pursue selfish goals.

There are many well-known names among honest democrats: Shmelev, Lisichkin, Pinsker, Piyasheva, Sakharov, Selyunin... Now newspapers and magazines of the pre-reform period are read with particular interest. If you remember, these were the years of the newspaper and magazine boom. I personally subscribed to a dozen newspapers and the same number of magazines.

Articles by Shmelev “Advances and debts”, Piyasheva “Where are pies more magnificent?” were discussed in society, as once another series of "Seventeen Moments of Spring". And not only in society, but also in the press. No sooner had Tsipko published his anti-Marxist articles in the journal Nauka i Zhizn than O. Latsis (democrat) and R. Kosolapov (communist) immediately caught him in scientific dishonesty.

Shmelev argued with Abalkin, Piyasheva with Shmelev ... In general, the discussions were in full swing, but what were they boiling for? It seemed that people were just reveling in freedom of speech, and whether their word affects real life, no one cares. Indeed, why are there discussions on political and economic topics? To influence the policy of the authorities, to point out to the authorities the fallacy of this or that step. For example, there were discussions about NEP under Lenin.

After all, we often say: Lenin introduced the New Economic Policy. But this is not entirely correct. Read the newspapers of the time. Lenin spoke to different audiences, convinced, argued, answered questions. Listened to objections. Some of them he refuted, some he agreed with. He invited the peasants to his place to get their opinion.

It was as a result of such multilateral discussions that the NEP turned out to be such a well-developed program that politicians and economists are still wondering how it was possible to achieve such success in the economy in a couple of years. And there is nothing to be surprised, because both scientists and advisers, as they say, from the plow, and officials, and people's commissars, and the Presovnarkom itself, all worked for the interests of the country. Everything useful and positive that was worked out in the course of the discussions went into action and therefore gave good results.

But perestroika discussions are not clear why they were conducted. The discussions were on their own, and the activity of the reformers was on its own. The scientists said: one should not rush, reforms should be carried out very carefully. The reformers were in a hurry, as if on fire.

Scientists said: we need to think over the sequence of steps. Indeed, due to confusion in the order alone, unforeseen breakdowns can occur. The reformers sneezed at every turn. They invented the expression "shock therapy", which meant: break everything at once, destroy it, and the market itself, my dear, will put everything in its place.

Well, we decided to abandon socialism and build capitalism. What should have been done? Gather a conference of scientists - supporters of capitalism. And hold this conference for a month, two, three - in a word, until each step of the reform is comprehensively thought out, until all options for possible consequences are considered.

And what was done? Nothing. Scientists - Abalkin, Sukhotin, Latsis, Shmelev, Shatalin, Piyasheva (note: these are all marketers!) Developed methods, ways to overcome difficulties, argued with each other, wrote appeals to the government, Yeltsin, warning about the consequences of an unscientific and hasty approach to reforms. The answer is zero attention.

And now, when all the most alarming and gloomy forecasts have come true, when only the mentally ill can deny the fact of the complete failure of liberal reforms, the Democrats, foreseeing the inevitability of retribution, are urgently hiring lawyers. So they, the lawyers, have to prove that the reformers wanted the best, but it didn’t work out.

Perhaps the most eloquent lawyer is Tsipko. Of course, you have seen him on TV more than once at various political parties and reality shows. He acts as an angry denunciator of the Yeltsin regime, and many take his denunciations at face value.

But this is nothing more than a fancy dress. In fact, his goal is just the opposite: to whitewash the Yeltsin regime, to justify Yeltsin's cutthroat reformers. Here in front of me is Literaturnaya Gazeta No. 21 for 2001. The newspaper opened the column "Ten years that shook ...". I opened it three months before the tenth anniversary of the August 1991 events, so that, therefore, by the round date, everyone had time to speak out.

The rubric opens with Tsipko's article "Blinding and Punishment". As you might guess, this is an allusion to Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment. Only in Dostoevsky the criminal is a specific person, Raskolnikov, and he was also punished.

But Tsipko has no specific criminals. There are some blinded, who committed crimes out of ignorance. True, the punishment, in the image of Tsipko, is quite real, only for some reason it befell not those who committed crimes, but millions of innocent people. Let's see how Tsipko sees the outcome of Yeltsin's rule.

“Our privatization was thieves’, for nothing, and sometimes they simply took away their property from the people for free”

“During the reforms, a significant part of national sovereignty has been lost, the military and economic security countries".

“It is difficult, remaining at odds with conscience, with an elementary moral sense and being of sound mind, not to admit that, at least for today, our anti-communist revolution has taken much more real benefits from the people than it has given.”

"Our anti-Soviet revolution has caused enormous disruption to public life."

“It must be admitted that the communist regime we hated was a more humane system than the one that, with our help, was created on its ruins.”

As the great strategist would say, "he puts it well, dog"!

However, I foresee the question: they say, how do you call Tsipko a defender of the Yeltsin regime, if he criticizes him so mercilessly? I answer. Yes, Tsipko's attacks against the Yeltsin regime look quite sincere, it's something like public repentance.

But this, I assure you, is not repentance, but just a lawyer's trick. The main task of Tsipkov's article was something else, namely: to exonerate the criminals of their personal guilt. To show that their plans were noble, but they failed to realize these plans, as they were unable to foresee all the consequences.

Tsipko's article is replete with such catchphrases and phrases: "as it turned out, it was time to understand, we did not see the obvious, now it is obvious, then it seemed to many why it was not visible, now it has become clear ...". And so on. The words are all genuine, so I, somewhat deviating from the rules for quoting, took all of them in quotation marks in bulk.

In the meantime, this begs the question: if you, democrats, theorists and practitioners of liberalism, could not foresee anything at all, then this means that you are stupid and uneducated people. So why did they take on such a serious matter, which even outstanding figures are not always able to do?

Now the question is: why did Tsipko need to make himself and all the figures of the Yeltsin period, to put it simply, fools? And then, what stupidity is not judged. Of course, the very fact of frivolity with which unprepared people took up the radical reform of the economy great country may be considered a crime. But to prove it in court is difficult, almost impossible.

Tsipko reasoned: it's better to be known as a fool than to be convicted of the most terrible crime - the destruction of one's country. And Tsipko was not the last spoke in the wheel in the matter of destruction. He scribbled one article after another, in which he distorted Marx and Lenin, undermining the roots of the ideology familiar to the people and thereby weakening their will to resist.

Review

Fainting is a sudden temporary loss of consciousness, usually accompanied by a fall.

Doctors often refer to fainting as syncope to distinguish it from other conditions associated with a temporary loss of consciousness, such as a seizure or concussion.

Fainting is very common, up to 40% of people have fainted at least once in their lives. The first fainting usually occurs before the age of 40. If the first episode of loss of consciousness occurred after the age of 40, this may indicate a severe chronic illness. The most common neurogenic syncope is more common in adolescence in girls.

The immediate cause of syncope is a disruption in the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. Its functions are temporarily impaired, and the person loses consciousness. This usually happens in a stuffy room, on an empty stomach, with fright, strong emotional shock, and in some people - at the sight of blood or a sudden change in body position. A person can faint from coughing, sneezing, and even while emptying the bladder.

First aid for fainting should be to prevent a person from falling, to protect him from injury. If someone becomes ill, support him and carefully lay him down, raising his legs up, or sit him down. Get fresh air in by opening the windows and unbuttoning the collar of your clothes. Try not to create a panic in order to avoid a large crowd of people, crush and closeness. With fainting, consciousness usually returns within a few seconds, less often - 1-2 minutes, but some types of fainting require emergency medical attention.

If the person does not regain consciousness within 2 minutes, call ambulance by calling 03 from a landline, 112 or 911 from a mobile phone.

Syncope symptoms

Fainting is usually preceded by sudden weakness and dizziness, and then there is a brief loss of consciousness, usually for a few seconds. This can happen when a person is sitting, standing, or standing up too quickly.

Sometimes loss of consciousness may be preceded by other short-term symptoms:

• yawn;
• sudden clammy sweat;
• nausea;
• frequent deep breathing;
• disorientation in space and time;
• clouding in the eyes or the appearance of spots before the eyes;
• tinnitus.

After the fall, the head and heart are at the same level, so the blood reaches the brain more easily. Consciousness should return in about 20 seconds, less often fainting lasts for 1-2 minutes. A longer absence of consciousness is an alarm signal. In this case, you need to call an ambulance.

After fainting, weakness and confusion may occur within 20 to 30 minutes. The person may also feel tired, sleepy, nauseous, and have stomach discomfort, as well as not remembering what happened just before the fall.

Fainting or stroke?

Loss of consciousness can occur with a stroke - a violation of cerebral circulation. A stroke, unlike fainting, is always a medical emergency and is life threatening. You can suspect a stroke if a person does not wake up for more than 2 minutes or if, after fainting, the victim has the following symptoms:

• the face is skewed to one side, the person cannot smile, his lip has drooped or the eyelid has dropped;
• a person cannot raise one or both arms and keep them upright due to weakness or numbness;
• speech becomes slurred.

Causes of fainting (loss of consciousness)

Loss of consciousness in syncope is associated with a temporary reduction in blood flow to the brain. The causes of this type of circulatory disorder are very diverse.

Violation of the nervous system as a cause of loss of consciousness

Most often, loss of consciousness is associated with a temporary malfunction of the autonomic nervous system. This type of fainting is called neurogenic or vegetative syncope.

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for the unconscious functions of the body, including the heartbeat and the regulation of blood pressure. Various external stimuli, such as fear, the sight of blood, heat, pain, and others, can temporarily disrupt the autonomic nervous system, which leads to a drop in blood pressure and fainting.

The work of the autonomic nervous system is also associated with a slowdown in the work of the heart, which leads to a short-term decrease in blood pressure and impaired blood supply to the brain. This is called vasovagal syncope.

Sometimes overload of the autonomic nervous system occurs during coughing, sneezing or laughing, and loss of consciousness occurs. Such fainting is called situational.

In addition, fainting may be associated with prolonged standing in an upright position. Usually, when a person is standing or sitting, due to attraction, some of the blood drains down and accumulates in the arms and legs. To maintain normal blood circulation, the heart begins to work a little harder, the blood vessels narrow slightly, maintaining sufficient blood pressure in the body.

In some people, this mechanism is disrupted, the blood supply to the heart and brain is temporarily interrupted. In response, the heart begins to beat too fast, and the body produces norepinephrine, the stress hormone. This is called postural tachycardia and can cause symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, sweating, heart palpitations, and fainting.

carotid sinus syndrome

The carotid sinus is a symmetrical region on the lateral surface of the middle part of the neck. This is an important area, rich in sensitive cells - receptors, which is necessary to maintain normal blood pressure, heart function and blood gases. In some people, syncope (fainting) can occur when accidental mechanical impact on the carotid sinus is called carotid sinus syndrome.

Orthostatic hypotension is a cause of syncope in the elderly

The second most common cause of fainting can be a drop in blood pressure when a person gets up abruptly - orthostatic hypotension. This phenomenon is more common in older people, especially after 65 years of age.

An abrupt change in body position from horizontal to vertical leads to the outflow of blood into the lower parts of the body under the influence of gravity, due to which the blood pressure in the central vessels drops. Normally, the nervous system regulates this by increasing the heart rate, constricting the blood vessels, and thus stabilizing the pressure.

In orthostatic hypotension, the regulatory mechanism is disturbed. Therefore, there is no rapid recovery of pressure, and for some period the blood circulation in the brain is disturbed. This is enough for the development of fainting.

Possible causes of orthostatic hypotension:

• dehydration - a condition in which the body's fluid content is reduced and blood pressure drops, making it harder for the heart to stabilize it, which increases the risk of fainting;
• diabetes mellitus - accompanied by frequent urination, which can lead to dehydration, in addition, high level blood sugar damages the nerves responsible for regulating blood pressure;
• drugs - any drugs for hypertension, as well as any antidepressants, can cause orthostatic hypotension;
• neurological diseases - diseases that affect the nervous system (for example, Parkinson's disease) can cause orthostatic hypotension.

Heart disease - the cause of cardiac syncope

Heart disease can also disrupt the blood supply to the brain and lead to temporary loss of consciousness. Such fainting is called cardiac. Its risk increases with age. Other risk factors:

• pain in the heart cell (angina pectoris);
• suffered a heart attack;
• pathology of the structure of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy);
• violations on the electrocardiogram (ECG);
• recurring sudden fainting without warning symptoms.

If you suspect that fainting is caused by heart disease, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Reflex anoxic convulsions

Reflex anoxic seizures are a type of syncope that develops after a brief cardiac arrest due to overload of the vagus nerve. It is one of the 12 cranial nerves that runs down from the head to the neck, chest, and abdomen. Reflex anoxic seizures are more common in young children, especially when the child is upset.

Diagnosis of causes of fainting

Most often, fainting is not dangerous and does not require treatment. But in some cases, after fainting, you should consult a doctor to find out if the loss of consciousness was caused by any disease. See a neurologist if:

• fainting occurred for the first time;
• you regularly lose consciousness;
• injury due to loss of consciousness;
• you have diabetes or heart disease (such as angina pectoris);
• fainting occurred during pregnancy;
• before you fainted, you had chest pain, an irregular, fast or strong heartbeat;
• during the blackout of consciousness, urination or defecation involuntarily occurred;
• you were unconscious for several minutes.

During the diagnosis, the doctor will ask about the circumstances of fainting and recent illnesses, and may also measure blood pressure and listen to the heartbeat with a stethoscope. In addition, additional studies will be required to diagnose the causes of loss of consciousness.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) is prescribed for suspicion that fainting was caused by heart disease. An electrocardiogram (ECG) records heart rhythms and the electrical activity of the heart. Electrodes (small sticky discs) are attached to the arms, legs and chest, which are connected to the ECG machine with wires. Each heartbeat creates an electrical signal. The ECG marks these signals on paper, recording any abnormalities. The procedure is painless and takes about five minutes.

Carotid sinus massage carried out by a doctor in order to exclude carotid sinus syndrome as the cause of fainting. If the massage causes dizziness, heart rhythm disturbances, or other symptoms, the test is considered positive.

Blood tests allow to exclude diseases such as diabetes mellitus and anemia (anemia).

Blood pressure measurement in the supine and standing positions to detect orthostatic hypotension. In orthostatic hypotension, blood pressure drops sharply when a person stands up. If the test results reveal a medical condition, such as heart disease or orthostatic hypotension, your doctor may prescribe treatment.

First aid for fainting

There are certain precautions to be taken when someone is near fainting. It is necessary to lay the person in such a way as to increase blood flow to the head. To do this, just put something under your legs, bend them at the knees or lift them up. If there is nowhere to lie down, you need to sit down and lower your head between your knees. Such actions, as a rule, help to avoid fainting.

If a person does not regain consciousness within 1-2 minutes, you need to do the following:

• put it on its side, resting on one leg and one arm;
• tilt your head back and raise your chin to open
  Airways;
• continuously monitor breathing and pulse.

Then you should call an ambulance by calling 03 from a landline, 112 or 911 from a mobile phone and stay with the person until the doctors arrive.

Treatment after fainting

Most fainting spells do not require treatment, but it is important that your doctor rule out possible medical conditions that may have caused the loss of consciousness. If the latter are found during the examination, you will need treatment. For example, if diabetes is detected through diet, exercise and medications can lower blood sugar levels. Treatment of cardiovascular diseases associated with fluctuations in blood pressure, arrhythmia, or atherosclerosis also minimizes the likelihood of recurrent syncope.

If the syncope is neurogenic or situational, then you need to avoid the causes that usually lead to loss of consciousness: stuffy and hot rooms, excitement, fear. Try to spend less time standing on your feet. If you faint at the sight of blood or medical manipulations, tell your doctor or nurse about it, then the procedure will be carried out in a lying position. When it is difficult to determine which situations are causing you to pass out, your doctor may recommend keeping a symptom diary to record all the circumstances of your fainting.

To prevent syncope caused by carotid sinus syndrome, pressure on the neck area should be avoided - for example, avoid wearing shirts with high, tight collars. Sometimes, to treat carotid sinus syndrome, a pacemaker, a small electronic device, is placed under the skin to help maintain a regular heart rhythm.

To avoid orthostatic hypotension, try not to abruptly change the position of the body. Before getting out of bed, sit down, stretch, take a few calm deep breaths. In summer, water consumption should be increased. Your doctor may also recommend smaller, smaller meals and increased salt intake. Some medications can lower blood pressure, but you should stop taking prescribed medications only with your doctor's permission.

To stop the pressure drop and prevent fainting, there are special movements:

• crossing legs;
• muscle tension in the lower body;
• clenching the hands into fists;
• arm muscle tension.

You need to learn how to properly perform these movements. In the future, these movements can be performed, noticing the symptoms of impending fainting, such as dizziness.

Sometimes drugs are used to treat fainting. However, drug therapy must be prescribed by a doctor.

In addition, syncope can create a hazardous situation in the workplace. For example, when handling heavy equipment or dangerous mechanisms, when working at height, etc. Issues of working capacity are resolved in each case with the attending physician after the diagnosis is completed.

Which doctor should I contact after fainting?

With the help of the NaPopravku service, you can find a good neurologist who will diagnose possible causes fainting and suggest treatment if necessary.

If your blackouts are accompanied by other symptoms not covered in this article, use the Who Treats This section to help you choose the right specialist.

Localization and translation prepared by Napopravku.ru. NHS Choices provided the original content for free. It is available from www.nhs.uk. NHS Choices has not been reviewed, and takes no responsibility for, the localization or translation of its original content

Copyright notice: “Department of Health original content 2019”

All materials on the site have been checked by doctors. However, even the most reliable article does not allow taking into account all the features of the disease in a particular person. Therefore, the information posted on our website cannot replace a visit to the doctor, but only complements it. Articles are prepared for informational purposes and are advisory in nature.

You live again between commas
And with a smile on his face
Understand them and forgive them
But don't put dots at the end...
(Evgeny Sushkov, Let me go)

"Stereotype??!! No, it is not him! All life was a stereotype, but only up to this point. What if you think about it? After all, everyone follows stereotypes ... One dream for all, one reality, one world. People meet, get married, life according to plan, but is it bad? No it is OK. This is the standard. Although on the other hand, show me a person who does not consider himself unique. Yes, everyone is the same and everyone is unique in their own way. Similarly, the relationship between people is standard, similar. If two people of different sexes are together, then most likely these are the fruits of the idealization of their soul mate for each of them. It seems to be foolish to worship an idol whose god he himself invented, but this is the whole person. There is something in this, because if you figure it out, then a person cannot live without God, if he does not depend on someone else's will, then he will cease to be a person. It is foolish to deny that there are always exceptions to the rule, and that everyone has the right to hope that his case is exceptional. I hope so too. I'm not a stereotype."
An unexpected, screeching horn signal from behind interrupted Anton's thoughts about life. The traffic jam had already moved a little and nervous drivers, annoyed by the forty-minute wait, urged especially thoughtful ones. Povolnov turned on the gear and decided not to test the nerves of Moscow drivers for strength, he drove on. The time was approaching 6 o'clock and traffic jams in this place were quite common. And not only traffic jams, Povolnov’s life flowed quite normally, everything was repeated every day, with minor deviations, but this suited him more completely, since 3 months ago life flowed even more evenly, his heart beat even more stable and everything had to develop according to common plan, if not for her. He met Nastya 3 months ago and considered her a gift of fate.
Three months ago, Anton took his older sister to her boyfriend in the Moscow region. Ekaterina, Povolnov's sister, was 4 years older than him, had long had her own business, which was successfully supported by their influential parents, but still had not been married, although she had been dating her young man for two and a half years. In general, the success hallmark of the entire Povolnov family, Anton was no exception. He was very lucky all his life, at least he himself thought so. Initially, he was lucky to be born with such a successful surname, then he was lucky to get into an elite school, to graduate from the best institute. He had everything a man needs to dream of: the job of an insurance company director at 23, money, power, expensive car and as he believed until recently, his beloved girl, Veronica, who was next to him from the institute's bench.
Not particularly observing the prescriptions of road signs, his car was then moving at a decent speed along one of the routes of the Moscow region. At the top of the hill, a heavy truck stopped. Anton, listening to his sister's confessions about the hardships of running a business and not really thinking about the rules of the road, drove into the oncoming lane. What was he thinking at that moment??? Even he didn't know it himself. Perhaps he thought that the power of an expensive SUV would be enough to perform any maneuver, perhaps he hoped that the oncoming lane would be empty, perhaps he relied on his luck in life for any outcome, I don’t know, but the oncoming lane was not empty. At the top of the climb, having already crossed the double solid line, Anton saw a car 30 meters in front of him. Untimely sounded from the sister - "Caution!" was virtually useless, since Povolnov had already made his decision. He pressed the brake pedal, and turned the steering wheel to the left to get away from the collision at least to the side of the road. The car veered obediently to the left. Fortunately, the driver of the oncoming car managed to react and began braking. The cars parted ways, almost hitting each other. Having almost stopped on the side of the road, Anton heard a thud from behind and his heart sank with fear. But not out of fear that he might have to pay for repairs, not out of fear for money, he was not brought up that way, he was afraid that he might have hurt someone or even worse, killed him. Jumping out of the car, they, along with his sister, rushed to the scene of the accident. Near the truck, from which the disgruntled driver had already left, stood a 180-degree turned, tinted, red nine. Anton, seeing that the accident could not cause serious damage to the health of the driver, because. the nine had a broken headlight and a dented left wing, and the truck had no pronounced damage at all, calmed down a bit, but the feeling that now some kind of man would get out of the car was terribly dissatisfied and would begin to accuse him of all mortal sins, and in fact he would be right, was a lump in the throat. But, surprising as it may be, the man did not come out. A young, rather pretty, dark-haired girl came out, she did not rush at anyone and even apologized to the truck driver and began to inspect her car with a thoughtful look.
Povolnov did not deny his guilt, and in order not to aggravate the conflict, he first gave the truck driver his business card, explaining that both material and moral damage would be returned to him in double size. The completely satisfied driver, sensing that he was in a big plus, decided to leave immediately, without asking for a thorough investigation in the traffic police. But with the girl, everything turned out to be more complicated. No, the point was not that she might want to understand everything, not that she might refuse such services from an insurance company not unknown in Moscow, he somehow looked at her strangely, not understanding what he wanted and how he felt. Suddenly, he even had a desire to gain the trust of this girl, no matter what.
“May I ask the name of that beautiful girl who was almost killed?” - sounded from him without the usual confidence in his voice.
"Nastya. A little more and you would have had to order a monument to my parents with this name, ”the victim said, not without a smirk.
And perhaps it was here that the same spark slipped, they smiled at each other. Taking out 4 five thousandth bills from his wallet and handing them to her, Anton explained that the car was not seriously damaged, it would reach the city, and he gives money for moral damage, besides, if she calls the number on his business card, she is guaranteed a free repair.
Without too much pathos, Nastya took the money and went to the car.
"You can't let her go like that!" - the thought flashed through the head of the culprit of the accident.
"Nastya! May I have your phone number? It’s my fault and I would like to control how the repair will go.”
“Of course,” the girl replied with a smile.
Having dictated the number, she smiled sweetly, got into the car and turned around and left. And Povolnov walked to his car and smiled stupidly, like an eight-year-old schoolboy who confessed his love to a classmate. His sister was already sitting in the car, waiting for him to deal with what had happened. Why did he need a phone? Of course he didn't know.
The option “to control how the repair will go” was sheer stupidity. Perhaps he fell in love, but he tried to remove this thought from his head immediately, because, in his opinion, he already had the beloved and the only one. It turns out that he did not know why he needed an extra number in the phone book.
After 20 minutes, they got to Catherine's beloved, but something was wrong. Anton solved the problem, but a strange, heavy, incomprehensible feeling filled everything inside. This manifested itself in everything, starting with well-being. The head did not seem to hurt, but a strange feeling of heaviness in the left temple did not leave. And in the shower it was somehow damp, as if it was raining and someone climbed in there without even wiping their feet. A strange premonition made it hard to think. After drinking cognac, he went to the second floor of the house to go to bed.
It cannot be said that he slept well, periodically woke up, tossed and turned, but towards morning a deep sleep nevertheless overtook his victim. However, it didn't take long to sleep. The phone played a mocking-sounding standard ringtone. Through sleepy, not fully awakened eyes, the word “beloved” flashed on the display could be seen. The clock was 5:40.
Pressing the call accept button and putting the receiver to his ear, Povolnov heard a low whisper - “Anton, can you hear me? Anton. I want…… We have to part. Anthony, I don't love you. Goodbye". The short beeps seemed long because of how fast his heart was beating. He sat on the bed and began rubbing his sleepy face with his hands, silently he sat for about twenty minutes without thinking about anything at all, then he pulled himself together and realizing that he could do nothing now lay back down.
Until morning, Anton did not fall asleep, going over in his head all the reasons that could prompt her to utter these words. And it also seemed strange to him that the sensations in his left temple did not disappear.
In the morning he approached his sister and explained that Vera had abandoned him and that he was leaving for home. Having received the blessing and instruction, Povolnov was driving home in a car, he was neither good nor bad, but passing by the place where the accident had happened yesterday, the heart of her culprit for some reason began to beat faster.
At home, half-empty cupboards and cold, white walls awaited him. Sitting on a chair near the computer, Anton took out the phone and, without expressing emotions on his face, found the name Nastya in the notebook. After thinking for another 2 minutes, I pressed the call button. In a half-empty apartment it was heard:
"Nastya?"
“This is Anton, remember, I almost killed you yesterday?”
"Yes, I would like to make amends"
“Let’s say at the Mercury restaurant, today, will it suit you?”
"Great, so seven"
Exactly three months have passed since that evening, Povolnov was happy. Nastya turned out to be the creature that was created only for him. And standing in a traffic jam on the way to his girlfriend, I fully felt it. Everything was smooth, only the feeling of heaviness in the left temple still did not disappear for a minute.

I would give everything to your smile:
Snowfalls, sunrises and thunderstorms
And please! Do not regret about anything!
Let's laugh together through tears...
(Evgeny Sushkov, Let's laugh together through tears)

Nastya worked in one of the Moscow hospitals as a nurse and, despite Povolnov's repeated offers to take any decently paid position in his insurance company, she politely and without hesitation refused. But Anton was not offended, he considered the quality that would allow a person to love his job to be unconditionally positive.
And in general, he simply did not notice the negative aspects in Nastya, no matter how hard he tried. She was beautiful, smart and most importantly loved him. Life seemed to be changing, and Povolnov really wanted this, because he had long dreamed of cardinal changes, but did not know where to start, but here such a chance fell and he successfully took advantage of it. He didn’t even understand why Veronica left, but he really didn’t want to, he just didn’t feel anything for her anymore.
During these months, Anton visited his attending physician a couple of times, but the latter could not find anything to answer to the symptom of “strange sensations in the temple area”.
And, in general, it was not the main thing, but the main thing was Nastya, albeit with her little oddities, but he loved her. For about 2 months she already lived with him. Povolnov already clearly felt his dependence.
The only thing was that he had a certain feeling in his head that something was not quite right. And this feeling was aggravated when Nastya told him something so strange, as if she, in parallel, without him, was living some kind of life of her own. She spoke at night. In a dream. Anton understood that this parallel life she was telling him about was fictitious. But she told such household trifles that he sometimes felt uncomfortable. In the morning, of course, he did not say anything, perhaps he was afraid to embarrass or offend ...
Happiness was near, almost in the hands. And it’s not that Povolnov was afraid to miss him, no, what he planned to do tomorrow is more a gesture of trust in Nastya than the fear of losing her. He was about to propose. And he was not even afraid of rejection, or that she would ask for more time. He's been lucky all his life. Nothing could dissuade him from the fact that it would always be so.
That night, Nastya again said something to him in a dream, without hiding anything, she talked like with her best friend, to whom you can tell everything. But Anton practically did not listen and, falling asleep, thought that tomorrow life would be better, it would become more beautiful. He was sure that he was stronger than all circumstances.

Your city will cool down again with night rain,
Pierced by water and drops of insomnia right through
And in the head of the patient behind the thoughts were hidden,
Those times when the eyes were wearily closed...
(Evgeny Sushkov, Insomnia)

But, the awakening was not at all joyful. Something was clearly not right. Anton could not move, he could not even open his eyes. And a strange feeling in the left temple turned into pain that was heard throughout the head.
"God, what's going on??" he thought
“Perhaps this is because of the sensations in the temple ... Maybe they have developed into something more serious?”
“You need to understand at least where I am”
And Povolnov tensed, which made his head hurt even more, but he could hear voices. They were very familiar voices. Parents. It was them. But where is he? And who do the parents talk to? Anton tried to strain even harder to hear the speech.
“He has transcendental inhibition of the central nervous system, caused by primary damage to brain tissue, fragments of skull bones and massive hemorrhage. In other words, an apoplectic coma. The state is constantly stabilizing. We hope that everything will work out” - it was not a familiar voice, apparently the voice of a doctor. His parents kept asking him questions.
In addition to pain, a dozen questions arose in my head about how this happened, where is he, and most importantly, where is Nastya ??
And from this, his head began to hurt twice as much, Anton was able to open his eyes, before which everything was still cloudy, but unable to withstand this pain, he cried out something unintelligible.
Instantly, the attention of everyone in the hospital ward switched to Povolnov, who was lying with a dressing head. The doctor rushed over to him. There was a lot of noise and a lot of people around. But for Anton, the noise gradually subsided. He lost consciousness from the pain.
Recovering himself, apparently, after a few hours, he felt that the pain had become quieter. Opening his eyes, Povolnov, not immediately, but saw that he was in a hospital ward. It was dark outside. There was a doctor nearby. One.
"Anton, how are you feeling?"
“My head hurts,” the patient said, not without difficulty.
“You had an accident and were in a coma for 3 days, now your condition is stabilizing, although the head injury was quite serious, your relatives, parents, sister and your girlfriend are here at the moment, would you like me to call them?”
The patient smiled.
"Yes, call."
Of course, my head hurt a lot, and in the place where the last three months there were strange sensations, there was a rather big hematoma. Anton thought - “Did I really have a premonition of an accident, and the fact that I would hit this particular place is some kind of mysticism, at least Nastya is here, I need to see her sooner.”
The doctor left the room and said in the corridor - "You can enter, he woke up."
Parents and Ekaterina entered the ward, anxiety, anxiety, sympathy and at the same time joy for the fact that everything worked out were read in their eyes. And after them... It can't be. His ex girlfriend, Veronica.
His heart was pounding in his chest so hard, it even seemed to Anton that those around him also heard this knock.
My sister's arm was in a cast, but that was not what seemed incomprehensible. Questions about well-being fell, but there were no answers from the patient.
"Where is Nastya?" - sounded an alarming voice
Mother, looking at him with even greater anxiety, said - "What are you talking about Anton?"
There was silence. The doctor approached the instruments with which the wounded man was furnished on all sides and, turning to his relatives, said - "You need to go out for a while, intracranial pressure is growing, you are causing stress."
The obedient crowd of relatives immediately turned around and walked away with a downcast look.
Povolnov did not understand anything and, still trying to figure out what was what, painfully peered at one point. Various assumptions were spinning in his head, but something had to confirm them, some reliable source that he always trusted.
“Call your sister,” he suddenly said.
"Are you sure?? Stress is contraindicated for you, ”the doctor explained
"Sure!"
Katya went into the ward and sat down on a chair next to the patient's bed.
“Why is Veronica here, what does she need?”
“What are you talking about Anton, she loves you and worries about you,” the elder sister said with a look overflowing with anxiety.
“What nonsense, we have already parted for a long time! Where is Nastya???
"Anton, I honestly don't know what you're talking about"
"What's wrong with the hand?"
"We were together during the accident"
"How did it happen? I do not remember anything"
“3 days ago we were driving in the suburbs, you began to overtake a standing truck, drove into the oncoming one”
"Red nine?"
“Yes, I was driving to a meeting, you turned left and the car flew into a ditch, rolled over several times and remained on the roof. Both of us were not wearing seat belts, since the airbags deployed in time. You hit your head hard, but here I am ... ”- nodding at the plastered hand, the sister said.
All. The information received was enough for Anton to draw conclusions. He paused and stared at the same spot again. A lump appeared in my throat, and my heart became as heavy as ever. The doctor asked the sister to come out and said that he would allow the next visit only in the morning. He gave Povolnov sleeping pills, and allowed him to remain alone with his thoughts until morning.
The sleeping pills began to take effect almost immediately, but what he thought about kept him awake:
“It can't be! I couldn't dream 3 months of my life! It couldn't be a hallucination! I remember everything clearly. I couldn't just imagine that. What if he could? All facts point to this. If so, I don't want to go back to my old life at all."
For the first time, circumstances were stronger than him. What was left? Surrender... fall asleep...

From a fugitive pen a trace is left,
Just a trace, or maybe a sigh,
Decapitated without inspiration.
Discord in the soul, turmoil.
Farewell letter. Stingy lines.
Leave it on the table... And away;
Balcony, moon, frozen lines
Just missing a step into the night.
Jump ... The whole world is now in vain,
Only on paper in two lines:
“I don’t agree with this world!
Farewell to the best enemies!
(Evgeny Sushkov, Farewell to the best enemies)

The morning was quite bleak. Still would. His head hurt less, but this was not a reason for Povolnov's joy. Parents, along with her sister, as it turned out, left at night, only Veronica chose to stay until the morning. The doctor told Anton that she was waiting in the corridor, and having received consent, he invited her, leaving her alone.
Veronica went into the ward, sat next to him and silently took her beloved by the hand. But did he love her, no. And in this Anton's confidence grew stronger every minute. He was well aware that Nastya had dreamed of him, he understood that it was reckless to exchange a girl who loves you for something ghostly, but he just couldn’t do otherwise. Did not want.
“Sorry, we have to part…” Anton said looking into her eyes.
"I don't understand"
Tears ran down Veronica's cheeks. She really did not understand the man who had been so dear to her for so long and so much.
"Go away, please ... go away" - sounded like a sentence for her.
Vera got up and silently went out into the corridor, covering her tear-stained face with her hands. She sat in the corridor for a couple more hours, after which she left in an unknown direction in a taxi.
Povolnov lay and looked at the ceiling. He felt sorry for Veronica, but he did not find another way out for himself.
It hurt, but not in my head. That part of a person was sick, which from a medical point of view cannot be sick, and if it is sick, then the soul is incurable. He clearly understood that he simply did not need the old world in which he simply existed without Nastya. He was annoyed by the existence in the form in which it was presented in the future, after the hospital.
However, there was a way out. The exit, which, as Povolnov considered, he could not help but use.
Yesterday, the sleeping pill he was given worked very quickly. Reaching for the box where the doctor had left the pills yesterday, Anton took out a package of sleeping pills, pulled out about a dozen pills and drank them without hesitation in a handful, washed down with a glass of water standing next to the bed.
Povolnov lay alone, in a hospital bed, realizing that he was dying. And he didn't care, he just made his choice. He fell asleep without regrets. Two minutes later he lost consciousness...
Perhaps by chance, perhaps it was fate, but he was not allowed to die. The doctor who came in on time saw a non-breathing patient and a package of pills nearby. The suicide failed.
Opening his eyes, Povolnov saw that he was still in the ward, still alive. You can't say he was upset. I saw some sense in it. Perhaps he should live if he can't die??
The same doctor standing next to him did not lecture him ... He said - “I think you were aware of what you were doing, and if you want to try again, I will not stop you, but while you are here I will not allow suicide. Now a nurse will come, she will monitor and care for you in shifts with me until you recover.”
Fifteen minutes later footsteps sounded in the corridor. And here is your nurse, the doctor said, meet Anastasia.
To say that Povolnov was shocked would be an understatement. It was her! Nastya! She was dressed in a white coat and looked exactly the same as he imagined.
“Hello,” the nurse said with a smile.
And the voice! The voice was exactly the same. Anton didn't know what to do, so he just smiled. Didn't he die for this? Because it exists? Is it really a miracle?
Toward evening the doctor and the parents, who had come during the day, left and the patient was left alone with the nurse. Nastya went to the bed, sat down next to her and spoke ...
"Do you know, I was sure that you would get through"
“Sleeping pills, it was stupidity, be sure, this will not happen again,” the culprit of the “triumph” answered smiling
“No, I'm not talking about sleeping pills, I'm talking about whom. I even constantly came and talked to you, I was sure that you could hear me.”
Here it is, these conversations at night, this is not a parallel, fictional life, Anastasia really told him about herself. Now everything has come together in a single picture. Povolnov was lucky again, as he was always lucky, as he was lucky every day. And again thoughts of fate flooded into his head. A gift of fate.
“Nastya, do you have a young man?” - as if casually asked Anton.
“No, few people manage to endure me,” the nurse chuckled.
“You know, I have one very good restaurant in mind, it’s called Mercury, they serve very good food there, maybe we could celebrate my resurrection there together? ' the patient said hopefully.
“As soon as you get better, we will definitely go there, I promise, but for now, you should sleep.”
"Understood you" - already in high spirits, Povolnov reported, rolled over on the other side and calmly, gradually fell asleep, knowing that she exists, she is nearby.

Is yours New Year in dark blue
Wave in the middle of the urban sea
Floating in inexplicable anguish,
Like life starts again
As if there will be light and glory
Have a good day and plenty of bread
As if life will swing to the right,
Swinging to the left.
(Joseph Brodsky, Christmas romance)

Stereotype??!! No, it is not him! All life was a stereotype, but only up to this point. And what has changed in the life of the director of a Moscow insurance company? It's like looking. He fell asleep like a child, waiting for the holiday. Waiting for a new day. Made plans. In his typical life, everything appeared to wake up happy man. But he didn't wake up. This morning, Anton Povolnov died without regaining consciousness. Doctors fought for his life, but could not help. A coma and a suicide attempt have exhausted his body.
Thus ended the life of, of course, a lucky man. Twenty-three years of happiness. Or maybe not happiness. Perhaps it was twenty-three years of imprisonment and the strict regime of stereotypes did not allow him to breathe deeply. Would he go for it if he had a choice? If he had a chance to change everything, even risking his life, I think he would agree. For one free breath. Anton, if he were alive, again began to argue whether it was fate, to go through so much pain in order to get one happy moment of hope, is it fair to take life at a moment when what he was looking for is so close. Someone calls it the law of meanness, someone calls it fate.
Perhaps all this seems unfair. But it's not for us to judge. Judging is not human. Let God do it. After all, if you figure it out, then a person cannot live without God, if he does not depend on someone else's will, then he will cease to be a person ...