ADVERTISEMENT

Humans seem to have an innate fascination with everything creepy. Many people live for the release of the spookiest horror film, which would give the average viewer nightmares for days. Some even take on professions that involve paranormal activity. 

It’s also the likely reason for the Oddly Terrifying subreddit, which has more than two and a half million followers as of this posting. This side of the internet contains images that may leave you with a few uneasy emotions. It’s also the source of today’s story. 

Whether you’re looking for that jolt that caffeine can’t give or are simply a fan of everything morbid, scroll away. But do proceed with a little bit of caution.

#1

A Street In Amsterdam, Netherlands

A Street In Amsterdam, Netherlands

Slygirl997 Report

Add photo comments
POST
Surenu
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's not terrifying, that's a perfectly serene morning scene to watch from inside with a hot mug of coffee in hand.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
RELATED:

    In a previous piece we published, we spoke with Dr. Kevin Corstorphine, a lecturer in American Literature at the University of Hull. As he explained, people who enjoy horror films find solace in them. 

    Media psychology expert Cynthia Vinney, PhD, provided a different explanation in an article she wrote for Very Well Mind. She mentioned the excitation transfer theory, which, in a nutshell, suggests that people find enjoyment in the negative effect of a horror film followed by the positive upswing upon the resolution of the threat.

    #4

    Extreme Close-Up Of A Wolf Spider. Photo Credits: John-Oliver Dum

    Extreme Close-Up Of A Wolf Spider. Photo Credits: John-Oliver Dum

    j3ffr33d0m Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Stygtand
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fuzzy and cute, the big eyes makes it look like and owl without the beak

    View More Replies...
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #6

    Saw The Full Mirror In My Hotel Room Randomly Shake And Discovered This Space In The Wall Behind It

    Saw The Full Mirror In My Hotel Room Randomly Shake And Discovered This Space In The Wall Behind It

    Schlower288 Report

    #7

    A Missing Person's Page From An Old High School Yearbook

    A Missing Person's Page From An Old High School Yearbook

    Trashpit996 Report

    Dr. Vinney also mentioned a 2023 study by Murray State University entitled "Exploring the Dark Side of Humanity: Motivations of Morbidly Curious Individuals." The study delved into people's motivations for consuming morbid media, particularly films. 

    The study found that morbidly curious individuals find more enjoyment in horror films with prevalent themes of gore and violence and if they can turn it into a learning experience. 

    This supports the theory Dr. Vinney noted in her article, suggesting that humans live vicariously through these movies. It allows us to "grapple with the darkest parts of humanity in a safe environment."

    #8

    What Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis Looks Like

    What Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis Looks Like

    Educational-Eye9518 Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #9

    This Was A Machine Patented In 1965, To Deliver A Baby Using Centrifugal Force. The Machine Would Spin The Woman Until The Baby Came Out, Which Would Be Caught In A Net

    This Was A Machine Patented In 1965, To Deliver A Baby Using Centrifugal Force. The Machine Would Spin The Woman Until The Baby Came Out, Which Would Be Caught In A Net

    silvercatbob Report

    #10

    What Did Someone Else Know That We Don't?

    What Did Someone Else Know That We Don't?

    reddit.com Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #11

    The Folds In This Curtain Creating The Illusion Of A Face

    The Folds In This Curtain Creating The Illusion Of A Face

    justadair Report

    Finding a learning experience isn’t one of the top reasons people have for consuming creepy images, moving or otherwise. But apparently, there is research to support it. 

    Behavioral scientist Coltan Scrivner, specializing in horror and morbid curiosity, published an article in 2021 entitled “The Psychology of Morbid Curiosity: Development and Initial Validation of the Morbid Curiosity Scale.” He argues that the fascination for the macabre “drives individuals to learn about aspects of life that are perceived to be dangerous.”

    “When a dangerous phenomenon is perceived to be near or impending, curiosity may spike in order to gather information about the dangerous phenomenon. By learning about the threatening factors associated with death, one can learn to avoid the negative outcomes associated with those factors,” he wrote.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #15

    This Guy Did Something Crazy. This Is What He Looks Like Before & After 2,000 Miles From Georgia To Maine

    This Guy Did Something Crazy. This Is What He Looks Like Before & After 2,000 Miles From Georgia To Maine

    truenub12 Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Miss Tinker
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/895/He-Hiked-2-000-Miles-From-Georgia-To-Maine-The-Entire-Appalachian-Trail-In-153-Days

    View More Replies...
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #16

    The Stomach Contents Of A Psychiatric Patient Who Suffered From Pica Disorder, A Disease Characterized By An Appetite For Inedible Objects

    The Stomach Contents Of A Psychiatric Patient Who Suffered From Pica Disorder, A Disease Characterized By An Appetite For Inedible Objects

    LewiRock Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    UncleJohn3000
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As weird as the patient was, who spent the time and effort to arrange it 'artfully'? They should keep an eye on that one too.

    View More Replies...
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #17

    The Sleek, Sexy, And Somewhat Sinister Razorbill

    The Sleek, Sexy, And Somewhat Sinister Razorbill

    25QS2 Report

    #18

    A Lone Scientist Descending Into The Radioactive Darkness Of Chernobyl In 1986

    A Lone Scientist Descending Into The Radioactive Darkness Of Chernobyl In 1986

    my_vision_vivid Report

    #19

    Creepy Mould That Formed From A Plate Of Left Out Cat Food

    Creepy Mould That Formed From A Plate Of Left Out Cat Food

    reddit.com Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Carl Roberts
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This begs the question....if the food sat there so long that it grew mold, what happened to the cat? Why did it never eat its food?

    View More Replies...
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #20

    This Suburb Built On Top Of A Shopping Mall

    This Suburb Built On Top Of A Shopping Mall

    DeeperIntoTheUnknown Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There's been talk of repurposing dead shopping malls into residential spaces. Dead malls are a common sight these days.

    View More Replies...
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #21

    I Woke Up To Loud Tapping On My Window

    I Woke Up To Loud Tapping On My Window

    DontHailHydra Report

    Bored Panda’s previous article also mentioned a Washington Post interview with director Mathias Clasen. He classified horror fans into three types: adrenaline junkies, dark copers, and white knucklers. 

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Psychology professors Haiyang Yang and Kuangjie Zhang identified another personality type: someone who lacks empathy. Here’s an excerpt of their piece for Harvard Business Review in 2021. 

    “Those who are not so empathic can enjoy horror more. This is because those with a higher level of empathy tend to feel more negatively about the distress situations others experience, like people being tormented by a devious murderer in a film.”

    #24

    Took A Couple Dozen Photos Of This Girl Outside My House And This Was One Of Them

    Took A Couple Dozen Photos Of This Girl Outside My House And This Was One Of Them

    Ivyleaguevilan Report

    #26

    The Great Gorge Ruth Glacier In Alaska Is The Deepest At 3700 Feet

    The Great Gorge Ruth Glacier In Alaska Is The Deepest At 3700 Feet

    Monsur_Ausuhnom Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #27

    Scientists Grew 'Mini-Brains From Stem Cells. Then The Brains Sort Of Developed Eyes

    Scientists Grew 'Mini-Brains From Stem Cells. Then The Brains Sort Of Developed Eyes

    greymanbomber Report

    #28

    My Lemon Tree Grew One Huge Mutant Leaf To Better Absorb TV Radiation

    My Lemon Tree Grew One Huge Mutant Leaf To Better Absorb TV Radiation

    BaronVonBroccoli Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Kira Okah
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There is nothing from a tv that a plant can use, so it clearly doesn't usually sit there. However, that window plant mess in the reflection makes the high up extra large leaf make sense - how else is it going to get sun in there?

    View More Replies...
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #30

    Woke Up This Morning To These Prints On My Back Yard Deck Came Right Up To My Glass Door

    Woke Up This Morning To These Prints On My Back Yard Deck Came Right Up To My Glass Door

    Tall-Magazine335 Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Rebelliousslug
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    At least there’s clearly prints of them walking away too. Imagine if there were only prints TO your house

    View More Replies...
    View more commentsArrow down menu

    Author G Neil Martin, an Honorary Professor of Psychology at Regent’s University of London, supported the “lack of empathy” theory. He published an article in 2019 entitled “(Why) Do You Like Scary Movies? A Review of the Empirical Research on Psychological Responses to Horror Films.” Here’s an excerpt: 

    “Low empathy and fearfulness are associated with more enjoyment and desire to watch horror films but … specific dimensions of empathy are better predictors of people’s responses than are others.”

    #31

    Final Self Photo Of Kayaker Andrew Mccauley Recovered From His Memory Stick After His Disappearance. Credit : Jamesishere

    Final Self Photo Of Kayaker Andrew Mccauley Recovered From His Memory Stick After His Disappearance. Credit : Jamesishere

    AamirKhan7 Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Jrog
    Community Member
    5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sad but preventable. He rushed into the adventure despite a known equipment fault: part of the protection shell for sleeping arrangement prevented the kayak self-righting capability and made nearly impossible to re-board the craft if thrown out. Drinking water storage in the boat was on deck, high above the center of gravity, adding instability to the setup. His choice of equipment was debatable: radio equipment was under-powered, lacked hand-free trigger and was tied to the kayak. Touchbase reporting procedures were shoddy; his emergency beacon was not firmly tethered to his floatvest, that was inflatable instead of a buoyant one for better comfort, meaning less readiness in case of emergency. His GPS beacon was not waterproof, and had to be operated manually in short daily windows to account for the lack of battery capacity, allowing large drift error. Ultimately, he cheaped out on organization, foregoing arranging a support ship following close as is common in those efforts.

    View More Replies...
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #33

    King Cobra Loose In My Neighborhood

    King Cobra Loose In My Neighborhood

    mcnuggetfarmer Report

    #34

    Passengers Boarding A British Airship For Its Last Voyage Killing 48 Of 53 On Board

    Passengers Boarding A British Airship For Its Last Voyage Killing 48 Of 53 On Board

    Granted_reality Report

    #35

    Workers Polishing The Gateway Arch 630 Feet Above The Ground In Saint Louis, Mo 1965

    Workers Polishing The Gateway Arch 630 Feet Above The Ground In Saint Louis, Mo 1965

    Spiritual_Ear_3456 Report

    #36

    The Hands Of German Serial Killer Fritz Honka

    The Hands Of German Serial Killer Fritz Honka

    KobraKay87 Report

    Gender also plays a role in the fascination for anything morbid. As Martin noted in his article, men are more likely to get a kick out of horror films than women, and here’s his explanation:

    “Men and boys prefer to watch, enjoy, and seek our horror more than do women and girls. Women are more prone to disgust sensitivity or anxiety than are men, and this may mediate the sex difference in the enjoyment of horror.”

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #38

    A Bacteria Colony In A Snow Globe That Wasn't Properly Sterilized

    A Bacteria Colony In A Snow Globe That Wasn't Properly Sterilized

    DeficiencyWomb Report

    #39

    The Crime Scene On The Night Of Nov. 11, 1974, That Inspired The Amityville Horror

    The Crime Scene On The Night Of Nov. 11, 1974, That Inspired The Amityville Horror

    my_vision_vivid Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Genuinely the crime that was committed and the facts/mysteries/ complexities are way more interesting than the made up ghosts nonsense made up by the Lutz family.

    View More Replies...
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #40

    The Surface Of Comet 67p, A Jupiter-Family Comet Originally From The Kuiper Belt. Filmed By The Rosetta Space Probe

    The Surface Of Comet 67p, A Jupiter-Family Comet Originally From The Kuiper Belt. Filmed By The Rosetta Space Probe

    freudian_nipps Report

    #41

    Portrait Of A Man Affected With What Is Now Believed To Have Been Congenital Syphilis C. 1820

    Portrait Of A Man Affected With What Is Now Believed To Have Been Congenital Syphilis C. 1820

    TheFlagMan123 Report

    See Also on Bored Panda

    In his article, Martin also pointed out that children handle scary moments better. He wrote, “Physical coping strategies are more successful in younger children; priming with information about the feared object reduces fear and increases children’s enjoyment of frightening television and film.”

    ADVERTISEMENT

    This rings true with eight-year-old Aubriella Lopez and her younger brother, six-year-old Dominic. Both are fans of the Michael Myers character from Halloween. Their mother, Kayla, spoke to CNN, saying, “I don’t really know of anybody that likes horror as much as them, honestly.”

    #43

    Stairway In Hotel Goes Forward 13 Floors Without Any Switchbacks

    Stairway In Hotel Goes Forward 13 Floors Without Any Switchbacks

    Monsur_Ausuhnom Report

    #44

    Oddly Unreal Looking Side Of The Road

    Oddly Unreal Looking Side Of The Road

    BaronVonBroccoli Report

    #46

    My Mom's Boyfriend Has These In His Hallway. Says There His Ex-Wives. Idk Why He Still Has Them

    My Mom's Boyfriend Has These In His Hallway. Says There His Ex-Wives. Idk Why He Still Has Them

    dontfluffingtouchme Report

    A child, of course, processes fear differently than an adult. And in the case of gravitating toward horror films, it could be more about proving something to themselves. This is according to Purdue University professor Glenn Sparks, who also spoke with CNN. 

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “Some children may be more willing to expose themselves to potentially scary things, perhaps because of the gratification they think they will experience from being able to conquer those things."

    #47

    The Gun That Started Ww1

    The Gun That Started Ww1

    SirSenSej Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Admiral Graf Spee he/him
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It was a cause for ww1 not the cause the others were mainly modern imperialism, militarism, nationalism, the arms race, and the French german war of 1872 I had to learn this for my history exam

    View More Replies...
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #48

    Today My Car Was Marked With Duct Tape On The Windshield And Handle. No Idea Why

    Today My Car Was Marked With Duct Tape On The Windshield And Handle. No Idea Why

    Letbutt Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Alro
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    isn't it some kind of markings from thiefs? where did I read something like that?

    View More Replies...
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #49

    I Had To Stop For Gas Around 1 Am

    I Had To Stop For Gas Around 1 Am

    kromaly96 Report

    #50

    What Looks Like A Locked Cage Under My Hotel Shower. View From The Toilet, At My Most Vulnerable

    What Looks Like A Locked Cage Under My Hotel Shower. View From The Toilet, At My Most Vulnerable

    _AttilaTheNun_ Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    This Heifer
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The plumbing access door would be the least of my concerns, that whole room is so gross!!

    View More Replies...
    View more commentsArrow down menu

    Note: this post originally had 77 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.

    However, watching horror films doesn’t always sow terror in a person’s psyche. Sometimes, it may bring two people closer together to spark a romance. This is according to NYU professor John Montgomery, PhD, who published an article on Psychology Today

    According to Dr. Montgomery, it’s the anxiety that draws attraction. He wrote, “Something about the state of fear or anxiety, in other words, appears to make many of us more likely to experience feelings of sexual attraction towards other people. 

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “Such a tendency may have originally evolved to encourage us to connect with or attach to other people when our survival is at risk.”