The BDSM community attempts to distinguish between a "blood choke" (compressing the carotid arteries to cause LOC) and an "air choke" (crushing the trachea). The prevailing myth is that blood chokes are "safe" because they don't damage the windpipe.
In the context of horror, such scenes are crafted to evoke fear and shock, tapping into primal phobias regarding the loss of control and the inability to breathe. Lifestyle and Entertainment: The Rise of True Crime asphyxia neck fetish strangling hanging