Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
Terror and horror are a bit of a paradox. Sure, disturbing things can scare the bejesus out of you… but there’s a part of you that can’t get enough of unsettling content. Or is that just us?
The ‘Oddly Horrifying’ social media project is home to some of the creepiest, most frightening, bizarre, and unusual real-life stories. Today, we’re featuring some of the scariest posts, as shared on the Instagram page, to fuel your nightmares. Keep scrolling to feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
RELATED:
There’s a difference between terror and horror, but in pop culture, the term ‘horror’ is often used to refer to both, interchangeably. In a nutshell, terror is that feeling of dread and anticipation you get right before a scary event. Basically, it’s the buildup toward something disturbing.
On the flip side, horror is the feeling of disgust and revulsion after the event. It’s a very visceral, instinctive reaction.
#4
While far from everyone is a fan of horror, there are so many people who love it to bits. There’s a lot of pleasure to be found in intentionally being spooked. And, in some ways, it can even be healthy. Well, so long as your life doesn’t consist of bingeing on creepy content, day in and day out.
According to the Washington Post, the so-called ‘paradox of horror’ (aka recreational fear) means that being scared can be fun. Under the right circumstances, of course.
#9
Nadine Debard 4 months ago
The m******r is Dieter Krombach and the father got only a one year suspended jail sentence.
According to Mathias Clasen, director of the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark, having fun with fear is an “extremely important tool for learning.”
Clasen told the Washington Post that “we learn something about the dangers of the world. We learn something about our own responses: What does it feel like to be afraid? How much fear can I take?”
#12
UKGrandad 4 months ago
Shame on all seven of you who downvoted Rachel Pelz for saying that she doesn't understand what is by any standards a poorly-written explanation. Rachel, after being abducted and ássaulted the girl managed to gain his trust. Then, using cleaning up his house as a cover, she collected clues which she could hide in her clothing and which could help to identify him - if he had kílled her there's a chance he wouldn't find them when he disposed of her body. As it happens she didn't need them because she managed to escape when he fell asleep, and she led the police straight to him. So yes, both horrifying for the crime and clever for her thinking.
There are lots of different ways to scare yourself while in the comfort of your own home. Scary movies, horror video games, podcasts about true crime, documentaries about how terrifying nature can be, etc.
Not only do you get to learn about dealing with scary situations while staying perfectly safe at home, but you also get an adrenaline rush from the experience, leading to an elevated mood. Basically, you prepare yourself for actually dangerous situations.
Meanwhile, for some people, consuming horror content is a way to focus on a concrete threat, which helps them handle their anxieties and real-life problems.
#13
Nadine Debard 4 months ago
I have no words. This is so sad, so hopeless, so terrible. Doing this to children. He was a little child and a hero. He should never have lost his life. What the heck is going on in this crazy world ?
#15
Rachel Pelz 4 months ago
"Stuff". FFS, call abyse abyse. Not naming things only makes it easier to pretend they don't happen.
Major thrill seekers take things a step further, set digital media aside, and go to extreme haunted houses.
According to the Washington Post, there’s a delicate balance to be found for what each and every individual enjoys. If there’s too little fear, things can get pretty boring fairly quickly. Too much of a frightening experience, however, leads to very little fun and far too much anxiety.
#17
If you want to get into horror, you don’t have to go overboard at first. Definitely don’t start by watching the scariest movies known to humankind. Try something simpler, with only minor frightening elements.
And you don’t have to go for the full horror fan experience right away. Watch scary content during the day or with the lights on, with some friends by your side.
If you’re particularly easy to frighten, you might even want to look up some spoilers for the movies and shows. Sacriliege, we know! But if it helps you get used to terror and horror, it’s well worth the price.
#20
Deta Rossiter 4 months ago
complete the headline. "As a young boy Jason and Joel were abused physically and sexually by their stepfather. Despite the law arresting his stepfather he served zero jail time."
Stimulation is one of the key forces driving the consumption of horror. Based on research conducted by Haiyang Yang from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and Kuangjie Zhang from the Nanyang Technological University Singapore, “exposure to terrifying acts like stories of demonic possession or alien infestation can be stimulating both mentally and physically.”
#23
Gavin Johnson 4 months ago
Not a surprise given the way that Soviet forces were utilised during WWII, their lack of regard for human life was bordering on criminal, they’d approach battles with volume rather than quality or solid tactics, just throw troops at the problem. 1 in 3 dead during WWII were Russian. Yes they won but the cost in lives was biblical.
#24
Ty Stratton-Quirk 4 months ago
Legend has it that the husky was silent for a full 30 seconds, a feat that has never been repeated.
Though consuming horror entertainment can lead you to feel fear and anxiety, you also get a dose of excitement and joy.
Furthermore, human beings tend to feel the most positive emotions when they’re experiencing the most negative ones.
Moreover, horror content provides a safe way to satisfy your curiosity about the “dark side of humanity” and the darkest parts of the human condition, even if the scenarios are unrealistic.
#27
Serial pacifist 4 months ago
Wow, I can’t believe BP didn’t censor “damage.” Such a vile word!
As per the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, individuals who enjoy horror tend to have a psychological ‘protective frame.’ This falls into 3 main categories, including having:
- A safety frame, where the person enjoying horror entertainment knows for a fact that they are safe
- A sense of detachment, where the individual is reminded that what they’re seeing play out on the screen isn’t real
- A sense of control, where you feel confident about managing and overcoming all the dangers that you might encounter
#29
Son of Philosoraptor 4 months ago
I've been to Maui a few times. It's little. Seems like you could walk a day or two and hit a coast. 17 days? She must have been hurt.
The United States-based account was created in July 2019. In the 6 years since then, ‘Oddly Horrifying’ has grown by leaps and bounds, as the curator kept up a consistent stream of disturbing IRL stories. At the time of writing, Instagram’s “most feared horror page” has a solid following of 1.6 million people.
Which of these stories, as featured on ‘Oddly Horrifying,’ unsettled you the most, Pandas? Are you personally a big fan of horror and terror, or do you avoid them like the plague? What is the scariest story, book, movie, TV show, podcast, or video game that you’ve ever tried?
What keeps haunting your nightmares? Let us know what you think in the comments down below!
#31
Rachel Pelz 4 months ago (edited)
Now that IS horrifying. Hope that poor kid got the help and love he needed to cope with this.
#38
#42
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 4 months ago
Turns out some guy the courts called her boyfriend was arrested for child p o r n- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-linked-alicia-navarro-teen-missing-4-years-sentenced-100-years-chi-rcna191753
#43
Rika 4 months ago
Overworked people sadly exist everywhere, the Japanese at least have the chance to live in a country where respect is very important. I doubt someone would feel safe passing out in the streets of New York or Paris: your bag and wallet will most definitely be gone by the time you wake up, and you might never even wake up because a*s*ulting defenceless people is seen as "cool" in a lot of places.
#45
Joe Reaves 4 months ago
He was pretty near a river when he vanished. Odds are that in the dark he fell into the river and drowned.
#46
Pina Colada 4 months ago
Angus Barbieri (1938 or 1939 – 7 September 1990) was a Scottish man who fasted for 382 days,[1] from 14 June 1965 to 30 June 1966. He subsisted on tea, coffee, sparkling water, vitamins and yeast extract while living at home in Tayport, Scotland, frequently visiting Maryfield Hospital for medical evaluation. Barbieri went from 456 pounds (207 kg) to 180 pounds (82 kg), losing 276 pounds (125 kg) and setting a record for the length of a fast.
#48
#50
LakotaWolf (she/her) 4 months ago
So, it has wings. Wings count as limbs. This is a 6-limbed chicken. This is a centaur.
#51
Rebecca O’Donnell 4 months ago
Thank God for the volunteers. Or thank whoever you want. I’m so glad those boys were found.
#53
joann fielding 4 months ago
I read her book, amazing woman and mother. A testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.
#55
Spacey Stacey 4 months ago
And her her role in the same film is the reason why I still check behind shower curtains when using the bathroom to this day
#56
Trisec Tebeakesse 4 months ago
The Soviets never cared to treat any POWs according to the rules of war.
#57
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 4 months ago
See, this is why I can never understand why people say Australia has such dangerous animals. We don't have bears, for one. (except drop bears, but they are related to koalas and are as dangerous as fk) Bears are terrifying.
#60
Lady Eowyn 4 months ago
Ears and nose are made of cartilage, which continues to grow throughout life. Bone doesn't.
#62
#65
Deta Rossiter 4 months ago
how could no one notice this in the first 5 min though? laughable. but like really guys
#67
The Cute Cat 4 months ago
This is why anti-vaxxer is not suitable for president or health secretary
#69
#70
PeepPeep the duck 4 months ago
Imagine your whole town being wiped out and the only survivor being the town m******r or whatever he did
#72
Family's_disappointment 4 months ago
I don't know about anyone, they look so mythical. Like out of the world, in a good way.
#77
PeepPeep the duck 4 months ago
It’s so weird cos the guy survived being stabbed by this guy?! And he got life
#78
Patsy Robins 4 months ago
What’s horrifying is that less than a century ago, Wilson was considered the world's most obese man. Today, people his size aren’t an unusual sight.
#81
#82
Robert Beveridge 4 months ago
Now THAT is dedication. (There was a similar but bar-free scene in the 1982 movie Bad Boys--Sean Penn breaks out of prison just to go hang with Ally Sheedy. Which makes perfect sense. )
#91
Family's_disappointment 4 months ago
So sad. If I'm not wrong Nero forcefully married Sporus because he looked like Nero's dead wife
#92
The_Nicest_Misanthrope 4 months ago
And now we've replaced it with those ridiculous duck lip fillers
#98
#101
#102
#104
#106
#107
Rachel Pelz 4 months ago
Ain't it horrifying that these rock musicians can have a "proper" career?
#108
Miss Tinker 4 months ago
This happened in Australia. She married the man who hid her and had children with him… by all accounts it was a normal, happy relationship and she could never really explain why she didn’t come forward sooner, only to say that she had a “complicated” relationship with her parents. Sadly, she was found dead recently from s*****e.
#110
#111
#114
Rachel Pelz 4 months ago
Pictures of Ukrainians before and after returning from Russia as POWs ARE truly horrifying.
#115
#116
#117
Agfox 4 months ago (edited)
He released a book in 2025, "The Disappearance: Conspiracy, Revolution, Revelation… The Extraordinary Disappearance of Steven Kubacki". He says that he disappeared on purpose & details what he'd been doing in the 15-month period he was missing. The outline for the contents includes 1) A conspiracy to disappear on Lake Michigan with the intent to launch global change. 2) Encounters with spiritual guides, interdimensional beings, and power animals. 3) The rise of the NRF: a revolutionary society with a mission to liberate minds, & 4) Reflections on radicalism, idealism, and the courage to live authentically in a divided world
#118
#119
#120
Rachel Pelz 4 months ago
...and she did ask for this to be spread on the internet, didn't she?
#121
#122
Susie Elle 4 months ago
Lolita is about a 12 year old girl and a man's obsession for her. 17 years age difference, albeit a large one, doesn't make Cooper's girlfriend a 12 year old.
Add New Image
Explore more of these tags
What do you think ?
Carl Roberts 4 months ago
This listicle has the most ridiculous amount of censorship I've ever seen.
Eppe 4 months ago
BP posting nightmarish horror stories for us to read, and at the same time censoring the 'bad words' to avoid triggering us. Maybe don't post about a woman throwing homemade napalm all over her husband then.
Trisec Tebeakesse 4 months ago
I stopped reading this. P****y s**n, all B***** P**** p***s wi*l l**k l**e t*is.
PunchinelloTX 4 months ago
Unre***able. If you cannot display a key word in a ”story,” don’t publish the story.
Carl Roberts 4 months ago
This listicle has the most ridiculous amount of censorship I've ever seen.
Eppe 4 months ago
BP posting nightmarish horror stories for us to read, and at the same time censoring the 'bad words' to avoid triggering us. Maybe don't post about a woman throwing homemade napalm all over her husband then.
Trisec Tebeakesse 4 months ago
I stopped reading this. P****y s**n, all B***** P**** p***s wi*l l**k l**e t*is.
PunchinelloTX 4 months ago
Unre***able. If you cannot display a key word in a ”story,” don’t publish the story.
You May Like These 2-Sentence Horror Stories Will Send Shivers Down Your Spine 43 Horrifying Things People Have Woken Up To That Still Haunt Them 110 One Line Horror Stories To Give You Goosebumps
Inga Korolkovaite
Dominyka Proškėnaitė
Linas Simonaitis
Related on Bored Panda
