He fasted for several days in advance and consulted with doctors, who warned of potential blood clots and paralysis.

[3] The performance began Burden's career as a "durational daredevil"[2] and led to polarized opinions about his masochistic oeuvre.

It established several themes that would recur in his work: risk of death, endurance, and the audience's moral dilemma.

[4] New York Magazine compared the performance to Eusebius of Vercelli's ordeal of confinement.

[5] The work had a confessional quality, as people came to see the performance and would speak in confidence when they could not see the artist.