The “Cursed Image Dealer” Instagram Account Collects The Most Uneasy Images Found Online, And Here’s 40 Of Their Best
Severed Barbie doll heads on a car antenna. A grass field covered with plastic forks. A guy setting his hair on fire. There's nothing more captivating than seeing an image on the internet that leaves us a little speechless and a lot confused. We might have no idea where these cursed scenarios came from, but there's one thing they all have in common. They make us feel seriously uneasy.
Just take a look at the Cursed Image Dealer Instagram account. A project that has amassed more than 194K followers and is full of bizarre, weird, and straight-up disturbing pictures that grab your attention and not let go. While we can’t help but wonder why on earth they exist in the first place, their oddness fascinates us nonetheless.
We have collected some of the most intriguing posts the account had to offer, so continue scrolling and let us know what you think about them in the comments below. And if you’re in the mood for some more images with no context whatsoever, be sure to check out our previous posts about them right here and here.
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"The 'cursed image' is an internet phenomenon," Frank T. McAndrew, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Knox College, told Bored Panda. "It is an image that is unsettling because there is something not quite right about it, but we often cannot pinpoint exactly why it is so disturbing."
"It may combine things that should not go together (a cherry pie with a bleeding human face baked into it?) or it presents an object in a context where it does not belong," the professor continued. As for why they make us feel uncomfortable, he explained that we do not like uncertainty. "We like to make sense of the world around us, and things that defy our expectations or things that are difficult to categorize throw us off our game."
Yet, many people enjoy watching such creepy scenarios while mindlessly scrolling through their social media feeds. "People who are tolerant of ambiguity or open to new experiences may be drawn to them because they offer a pleasant diversion from normality and present us with a cognitive puzzle to solve," he added, saying that others simply find them unpleasant.
"We are programmed by evolution to intently focus on unexpected or unusual things in our environment. It is essential to determine if such things pose some sort of threat to us or not, and cursed images hijack the part of our brain that is responsible for protecting us," McAndrew noted.
To learn more about the Cursed Image Dealer project and the inspiration behind it, we reached out to the creator of this Instagram account who was kind enough to have a little chat about it. They revealed that they started this meme account at the end of their sophomore year of high school. "I thought cursed images were cool and a not very well saturated area of the 'market' so it was a perfect theme," they told Bored Panda.
While they don’t remember the exact reason behind creating this page, they mentioned that they "wanted clout" and a meme account "is pretty easy to run as opposed to me becoming a traditional influencer."
"I had a feeling it would become popular and, for some reason, I have a strong memory of telling a girl in my class who I wanted to be friends with that I started one and she seemed extremely uninterested," the creator added, wondering if she would care now when the account has amassed so many followers.
I think she has done an rather lot of awful things to need this much forgiveness
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Baroque style furniture is a cardinal sin for interior decoration
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It's a tough one... I think she might be a pastafarian?
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I thought that always happens around midnight. But not sure, am not a Christian.
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Can we just take a moment to address the giant, naked Jesus puppet hanging from the ceiling there? That's really the cherry on top of this Yikes Sundae
I'm an atheist. I used to be a militant atheist in my younger days, probably still would be but thankfully society is changing. The woman in the photo is elderly. She no doubt has been inured to this belief system since early childhood. At her age she has lost many friends and family she loved very much and clings to a hope of reuniting with them after death in some heaven. Although I do find it all misguided and creepy I certainly wouldn't attack her for or try to dissuade her from her beliefs. That would just be an unnecessary cruelty.
Freestanding JC in the corner needs some clothes… a miniskirt or a diaper, maybe
She’s probably unaware that both God and Jesus will find her obsessive and annoying, so they’ll stay clear!
She, like so many others, missed the point. The symbol should be of an empty tomb with a stone rolled away. Anyone can die. He overcame it.
well it isnt a sin so i think youd be ok, just really uncomfortable lol
Load More Replies... Jesus came to town with 3 nails and asked, "Can you put me up for the night?"
Oh gosh. I didn't even noticed that until you pointed it out. That makes it even creepier
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Look I was gonna make a joke but... This this is unhealthy. What's with the the obsession
boi when somebody told this grandma to go get jesus she replied"how much?"
What type of behaviour is she seeking redemption from by having so many crosses?
This looks like the kind of room that would stay freezing cold with the heating full on.
The posable naked Jesus is really just pushing it don't you think? 🤣😭
This one's a bit much. My Mom collects religious Icon art, but hers is a bit more tastefully displayed.
Local woman found dead after earthquake knows all the crucifix's off wall
My first guess would be that the person who sleeps in this room is possessed
She must've done something really terrible to think she needs that many crosses to go to heaven
What the heck is up with the Jesus marionette. That's next level creepy.
On your way back from the grocers, could you pop into the crucifixers and get me another extra-large!
This poor woman must live in a state of constant fear. I wonder what country she lives in.
Does she not know that statue isn't who she thinks its supposed to be. Cause that is John Lennon mannequin
I can only think her sleep paralysis demons are really, really bad 😬
Hey, all of these comments are very insensitive . That old lady isn’t that gross
I could stay one night in that room, except for that life size Jesus Puppet From Hêll next to the bed.
Lol She got a Jesus sex doll thank you bored panda you just helped me pick the best gift ever for my gay homie
oh you love me sooo much?😍im a f*****g..pretty princess! that room is trashy though -jesus
While Instagram is the unofficial home of avocado toasts, latte foam art, and carefully staged aesthetics, people there truly seem to enjoy the disturbing posts others share. "I think people like seeing cursed images because there is a sort of shock factor to the good ones," they told us.
"The classic images are confusing and a little unsettling because you can’t really tell what is going on in them, and people's minds try and fill in the blanks," they explained. "I think they scare some people in the same ambiguous way people have a fear of the dark; they don’t understand what is being hidden from them."
The curator of the account mentioned that they don’t like traditional gory shock videos but enjoy the subtle images they post. "I feel like there is an almost intellectual quality to them" since people online could try to analyze the "aura" behind them. "In a way, they almost seem to be an extension of the Creepypasta trend in the early 2010s."
Very disturbing - please repaint the house before the neighbours start to complain
When asked about their followers, they revealed that sometimes they can be quite active and engaged in their content, and other times the creator feels a bit ignored. "I’ve noticed a trend I find to be very unusual," they said. "When I first started, my account grew slowly [and] pretty steady until I started getting close to 100K."
"It started skyrocketing and I remember getting like a thousand new followers every few days," they even mentioned a point where they received this number of new joiners every day. "It was crazy."
After celebrating it with their friends and teachers, the growth of this account slowed down, and the creator is not exactly sure why. They guessed that cursed images might be losing their popularity or their account might be shadowbanned since their peers are finding themselves in a similar situation.
"You’d think a large account like this one should be able to consistently gain followers", but that’s not the case. Still, they wanted to make it clear that they’re not at all complaining. They even asked their followers about this and many replied that they still enjoy their content, which every creator is truly happy to hear.
When it comes to finding such bizarre and slightly off-putting images, they almost entirely found all of their content on the Cursed Images subreddit once the account started. "But as I went, my sense of what makes a cursed image vs a [trashpost] became more refined" and they started noticing that many of the pictures on this online group were starting to become a bit low-effort.
"I’m sad because the subreddit used to be a great place to get images from," they added. "But as they grew in popularity, they shifted away from images that were actually cursed into … typical shock pictures." The creator hasn’t been back there in a while and has moved to other places to look for new content.
Aaaaadventure Time! Come on grab yo-ur friends. We'll go to ve-ry dis-tant lands.
Still, they are very glad they started this account. "[It] has changed my life. A lot of people who I admire follow me on here, and I’m lucky to be able to talk to them," they added. "Not to mention the wonderful friends I’ve made as well. It’s honestly wild to think about."
This became less scary when I realised the guy probably stuck some dentures on his nose as a prank.
Their personal goal in life "is to lead an interesting and unique one, and I think growing into adulthood with this account is definitely a good start." The creator is thrilled to be having this experience, and while they may not know whether "it’s a big deal to other people, it is to me," they concluded.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Note: this post originally had 95 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
If you got to the end of the list without vomiting and tonight you have any nightmares, congrats. You are 1 in a million.
The sentence that can probably sum up this entire post: What. The. Actual. Funk.
*packs bags for spaceship* I'm out anyone wanna come?
I'm happy (or ANGUISHED) to say that after going through this post, DUN DUN has been traumatized for her whole life.
i need a little therapy. and by a little i’m gonna say 17 years
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Here's another surprise(kinda): you know how internet content is recycled, not just here but on lots of sites? I found a bored panda one on another site, complete with you 😅 I took a screenshot (mainly to prove a point if I keep hearing about how BP uses reddit stuff, coz lots of places source content from other sites like a big cycle 🤷♀️)
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Got through them all, slowly. I don't feel that good either. =/
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A couple cool pics but most of it was lame pictures that have been online for years
Is it weird that I find a lot of these funny instead of scary or creepy?
If you got to the end of the list without vomiting and tonight you have any nightmares, congrats. You are 1 in a million.
The sentence that can probably sum up this entire post: What. The. Actual. Funk.
*packs bags for spaceship* I'm out anyone wanna come?
I'm happy (or ANGUISHED) to say that after going through this post, DUN DUN has been traumatized for her whole life.
i need a little therapy. and by a little i’m gonna say 17 years
Load More Replies... Here's another surprise(kinda): you know how internet content is recycled, not just here but on lots of sites? I found a bored panda one on another site, complete with you 😅 I took a screenshot (mainly to prove a point if I keep hearing about how BP uses reddit stuff, coz lots of places source content from other sites like a big cycle 🤷♀️)
Load More Replies... Got through them all, slowly. I don't feel that good either. =/
Load More Replies... A couple cool pics but most of it was lame pictures that have been online for years
Is it weird that I find a lot of these funny instead of scary or creepy?
