Seeing's believing? See how you react to this logic-defying video.

[JGeropoulas]

Thanks, that's the kind of detail I needed to get a basic concept, which seems to be (regarding getting the wire on top of the loop, vs. under it, which is trapping the pipe): "if the mountain (plug) will not come to Mohammed (the wire on the opposite side of the pipe), then he (the wire on the opposite side of the pipe) will go to the mountain (plug)." With that, for now, I'm going to give my conceptual mind a break, and just assume a similar technique is involved in that ring/post puzzle

 

[Beorn]

It's not so easy to see how it works with the ring in the first video. Here's one with hands and different colored rope. I think it's something similar happening with the ring.

 

[JGeropoulas]

It's not so easy to see how it works with the ring in the first video. Here's one with hands and different colored rope. I think it's something similar happening with the ring.

I'll have to practice that one for when the psycho-fascists tie me up