Not, I repeat not literal suffocation.
The following pictures were taken a few years ago by myself, to portray mental illness through art.
The idea behind it was to try and capture what it's like having a mental illness, such as depression or anxiety. I myself feel trapped, and suffocated, like something dark is trying to escape my brain but suffocating me in the process.
The images were taken by a friend putting her head and hand inside a light box, which of course illuminated when I took the picture, thus creating a gloomy silhouette.