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"I need to go to sleep but I can’t put my phone away because of this thread," someone commented in the now-viral Reddit thread. In it, hundreds of people are sharing their replies to "What is the scariest/creepiest theory you know about?" Ranging from theories about space travel to death, the answers are all sorts of intriguing.

"I came into this thread unafraid of death, I’m leaving petrified - thanks!" someone commented and we can't help but agree! More than 65k people liked the thread, prompting it to go viral on the social media platform. Therefore, as always, we encourage you to vote for the theories you found the most interesting! In addition to this, if you have a scary or creepy theory you know about, share in the comment section down below!

More info: Reddit

#1

May or not be a “theory”, but the first thing I thought of was that feeling you get when you’re on top of a building and think “what if I jumped?” Or when you’re driving and think “what if I just swerve into traffic.”

Well it’s actually got a name: L’appel du vide. French for “The call of the void.” I always thought the idea of some ethereal presence calling you towards darkness... creepy.

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have those kind of thoughts “what if I walked in front of a train” and stuff like that when I have suicidal thoughts. I have no intent on doing it, I just think about what if?

christianbradshaw_1 avatar
Christian Bradshaw
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I could be wrong, but I think they're called "Intrusive thoughts". Happens to a lot of people

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megantenbroeke avatar
Phunny Philosopher
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are called intrusive thoughts. They stick around only because they are upsetting. When they come up, recognize them as random thoughts and watch them float out of your mind. They have no power unless you give them power. They have no deeper meaning. If you think about it, we have the opposite kind of extreme thoughts as well, but they don’t worry us. For example: who hasn’t dreamed of winning the lottery, quitting their job and buying a private island? That scenario is just as unrealistic as you hurling yourself from a balcony. Yet it doesn’t stick around because it’s not negative and scary.

ida2970 avatar
Cupcake Cloud
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A lot of these thoughts are acutally rooted in survival instinct, but to people with anxiety, they can often be more intrusive than they should be. We literally imagine the worst and most dangerous actions we could take, even when it's followed by 'what the f**k brain, i don't want to do that, that would seriously harm or kill me'. It's to keep us aware of what NOT to do and whether we need to be extra careful around something. They can also be signs of empathy and a wish to protect others, if we have them about other people (or animals for that sake). One should only worry if these thoughts are disturbingly intrusive in a way that inhibits your daily life or if they stem from an acutal wish to harm oneself or others. The very fact that you find the thought terrifying is why the brain is highlighting it, to keep you aware. So in many cases they do serve some purpose in the weird, primeval part of our brain. Our brain rarely (if ever?) does anything just for the sake of upsetting us for no reason.

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Soap
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OH god I hate those feelings. I feel happy as can be cooking away when all of a sudden "Hey what if you stabbed yourself with this knofe" LIKE WHAT I AIN'T DOING THAT

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Daria Z
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have this often, thought I was crazy :0 Good to know it has a name :)

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kaliniemann avatar
Phoenix
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get this a lot. Like I remember sitting in my room just staring out the window just thinking, “What if I did this...what if I did that....” We sure as hell are lucky for having something that blocks us from doing the things we wonder about doing.

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Sasha Kuleshov
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They're called intrusive thoughts, your brain kind of wants to test your self-preservation instinct :D

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Doggo
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yeah.. sometimes i have a knife and i just think what if i stabbed myself

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Cybele Spanjaard
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think it affects most people an "what if? "moment not at all suicidal.

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Kristin Ingersoll
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to think, "What if I scream really loud?" or "What if I run up on the alter and start dancing?" while in church. Every Sunday.

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Philly Bob Squires
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've had that happen... like what if I just swerved into that truck... you don't but the mind is being an asshole...

debrarobinson_2 avatar
Debra Robinson
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What if I just keep punching myself in the head very hard? Will I black out? Wake up???? Or maybe have brain damage? Hmm-should I simply smack into that glass door??? It may take only once.

elianamount avatar
HOT CHOCOLATE <3
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

or like when im cooking dinner and i think.... what if i held my hand n the boiling pot until it chars?

messybaker28 avatar
Sarah
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For some reason this happens to me with a hot pan, or a flame. I never actually do it though. Except that one time when I was really little and I touched the hot part of a hot glue gun.

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Vikram Bedi
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For me it’s more like... I am standing on the ledge... what if the edge breaks and I fall...what if I loose my balance, my leg slips and I fall...

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Duane Martin
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can't be at a certain height... I fear that I have no control.. and that I will jump... FYI I'm terrified of heights.. and in situations like that... I literally am fighting to stop the urge. I have no idea why.

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Randy Volz
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had my first episode of that when I was 16 years old and sitting on a bench 15 feet from the rim of the Grand Canyon. And I nearly did it. I was leaning forward, and my feet quickly slid under the bench getting ready to spring up and propel me into oblivion. The only thing that stopped me was not wanting my 14 year old brother to witness it. This is the first time I've ever told that story to anyone, ever.

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Xan Maranya
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What if these thoughts are not necessarily crazy or destructive but natural curiosity about what's next after this body dies?

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Mark Kelly
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sometimes I think of it just cuz I'm curious about how some people actually do it.

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Jag Yu
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i had those ideas before. not really creepy or disturbing for me, i have high functioning depression, so sometimes self harming does cross my mind. its my personal control that stops me from doing such stuff.

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Weslie Joe
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

JOIN ILLUMINATI TODAY FOR FREE AND BECOME RICH/PROTECTED AND FAMOUS. Weslie Joe is my name, i quickly want to let the entire world know how i became a millionaire with the help of Illuminati. I was born into a very poor family that we had to eat just once per day at a time i did street hawking just to survive it continued like that until i grew up to 20 years old...

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Weslie Joe
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

..it continued and then i started selling drugs it happened that i delivered a parcel to a very wealthy man who uses Royce Rolls i was so surprised when he said i should give him a call later in the evening that he have a thing to discuss with me. i did called him and he invited me to his office at Adams Street in Texas when i went to his office in the evening he asked me if i really want to enjoy this life i said yes then he said i should go home and meet him up in 5 days time we took some drinks together before i left. when i got home i was restless because of the question he asked me if 'i want to enjoy this life' i went back to him on the 5ft day as agreed then he said i shouldn't tell anyone that he wants me to join them in the Illuminati so that i can become very rich and wealthy...

wesliejoe avatar
Weslie Joe
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

...i was initially afraid to join because i thought it was for the Elites but he made me understand that even the poor can join and i was very amazed. so i was introduced, initiated online and i was given a benefit funds of $2,000,000.00 a car of my choice and also a house in Boston. Brothers and sisters, today i am made, today i am a millionaire and today i have my protection. please application form is open now and i want all of you to take this medium to become a member and become a millionaire and enjoy your life the way you want it. To become a member, you can email the initiation center directly on illuminatikingdom06666@gmail.com you can also call/text the initiation center on +1(917) 791-0923 if you uses WhatsApp, you can WhatsApp the initiation center on +1(617) 663-8926. PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS TOTALLY FREE OF CHARGE TO JOIN AS NO ONE WILL ASK YOU FOR A PENNY TO BECOME A MEMBER. You are all welcomed. Signed: Brother Weslie Joe Membership number IGF/66689162 Illuminati.

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XxxPotatoes_rockxxX
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this happens to me alot because when im outside i be like "what if i ran away" or "what if that car ran me over"

kez_a_f26 avatar
Kerry Fossett
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And your username is murderous rooster, little creepy lol, I have this feeling whenever I walk over a traffic bridge, really freaks me out, I was never scared of heights when younger so don't think its that. weird

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Pokémonlover
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always wondered “what would happen if I shoved a fork in my hand?”

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Maya
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I read about this in a book.. I think it was The 5th Wave, but I'm not sure. I thought the auther had made up "the call of the void", welp, this is creepier.

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Joseph Simonet
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This feeling has a scientific explication. It's a phenomenon called "cognitive dissonance".

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A.J Milne
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nah dude, those are just intrusive thoughts. Everyone has intrusive thoughts every now and then, nothing to be ashamed of.

edwardrutherford avatar
Edward Rutherford
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What if you really jumped or swerved and what you think is your life is just your mind racing in those last few seconds before you die?

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Laura Mortensen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've really only felt this once, I hiked up a rock in the mountains which was above a lake. I wondered what it would be like to try and jump and hit the water.

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Jessica Cifelli
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sometimes I just have thoughts of "Would it matter if I died?" Or "Would I truly be missed?" Don't know if that's the same thing.

skyrender avatar
Sky Render
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Really, the only genuinely "scary" thing about such thoughts is that so little effort is made to help people understand what they are: instinctual analysis. You're not "weird" or "wrong" if you get these thoughts, you're just having your brain do what it does best, ie. observing your surroundings for potential threats. It's literally your survival instincts causing you to think those thoughts. If you're seriously considering going through with those actions, then you have a problem; otherwise, nothing to worry about.

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Maureen McDermott
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For heights it's also called high place phenomenon: https://www.healthline.com/health/call-of-the-void

anotherlittlething avatar
Jill Pulcifer
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Niagara Falls. I have never wanted to leap into something as badly as I did when I visited the falls. Apparently this is common at the falls. The story goes the first (white) man to discover it.. I highly doubt he was the actual first, felt the same call. Its a strange feeling.

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The Upset Kitten
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've felt this when looking down from really high places. I get this "eerie" feeling, beckoning and seducing me to jump or lean forward, ultimately resulting in my demise. (Like a moth to a flame sensation) Obviously, I have enough sense to not do it. I have no death wish nor suicidal thoughts. Just nature being the mysterious and cruel mistress that she can be sometimes, I guess.

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Elida Lechuga
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank God I'm not the only one that has those types of thoughts. I was beginning to question my sanity.

dfreg avatar
Leodavinci
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's a hysterically funny sequence (with Diane Keaton, Christopher Walken, and Woody Allen) based on this in the movie Annie Hall.

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Mewton’s Third Paw
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

“Intrusive thoughts” I talk about this all the time! It’s why I’m scared of driving on bridges

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Ms.GB
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Always have that when I'm driving....what if I just drove into that pole

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JessG
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The call of the void happens to everyone at some point

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Chich
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was a paratrooper once but really don't like going out on balconies because of this. Guess the parachuting allowed me to give into it :)

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Biljana Malesevic
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had that. And urge to put hand on hot plate, for some reason, or to jump from window. Or to put lightbulb in mouth because it's impossible to get it out after. Why??? PS Of course, I never do that.

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RadicalPebble
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think that way too much. Like if I am scared of that i won't even do the thing that makes it possible to die.

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Cori
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to have these thoughts until I had my kids. I guess now that I'm a mama, my brain instinctively knows the void is not an option.

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Cupcake Cloud
Community Member
3 years ago

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S
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This happens to me daily. I'm always wondering, "what if I just opened my door and rolled out into traffic" while driving on the interstate. It's so creepy because it can feel as if you're really about to do it sometimes.

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Phunny Philosopher
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is a HUGE difference between suicidal ideation and intrusive thoughts. It’s dangerous to call intrusive thoughts ideation of any kind. They’re just unwanted thoughts. Ideation is like daydreaming. It’s intentional and consciously motivated. And it doesn’t horrify the person.

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SeidWolf
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Passive suicidal ideation, and yeah me too. Not uncommon, but was unaware of the French term - so I learned something today. Yay!!

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Clearly sunny
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think opposite kinda! Like is that person gonna turn and drive at me or cause my death?

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Maureen McDermott
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's aka high place phenomenon. Such a crazy feeling, until I realized no feelings are unique. Being in the same boat as others (away from the top deck, of course) made me feel less worried. https://www.healthline.com/health/call-of-the-void

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Martha Meyer
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly, those thoughts aren't normal for someone mentally healthy, imo.

ida2970 avatar
Cupcake Cloud
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They're rather common and has nothing to do with mental health issues, as long as they're not overly intrusive. Heights, as used in the example, are somewhat unnatural for the brain and causes a sense of danger of falling. Our brain is making us aware of the worst case scenario or action we could take in the situation, that would harm us or others. The thought terrifies us because it's the very thing we want to avoid at all cost. Our brain is pretty much telling us "hey, how would you feel if you jumped? Horrible, because you will die? Okay great, keep that picture in your head and don't fall, thanks". It confuses us because the primeval part of our brain just experiences a dangerous height, while our logic knows there's a railing we'd have to climb for it to even happen and therefore makes little sense to worry about.

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#2

We’ve all pretty much heard of Uncanny Valley (the creeped out anxious feeling when you look at something that’s humanoid but there’s something clearly wrong with it. Like the wax figures at Madame Tussaud’s or that AI robot Sophia)

But my favorite theory to come out of it is that we get that strange feeling because somewhere along human evolution we’ve learned to be wary of things that look human... but aren’t.

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#3

More of a story than a theory, but it correlates to some of these and makes me think some could be real. When I was younger I had this little stuffed animal dog I named rocky. One night, my younger sisters and I (who all slept in the same room so we could hangout together) were messing around, and I two handed over head tossed rocky into the wall directly in front of my bed. He hit the wall, slid down behind whatever was in front of my bed, and was NEVER seen again. I immediately went to go get him and he just wasn’t anywhere. We tore the whole entire small room apart. We all saw the event occur. Over time the room has been completely emptied out, everything in it rearranged, walls painted, everything- and no rocky. He just completely phased out of existence. Makes me think he glitched out of the system or something.

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Shelp
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I once had a passport that disappeared that way. The room I last saw it in was totally emptied several times, but I never found it back. Had to have a new one made.

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#4

If you're scuba diving above a coral reef, and you know that there SHOULD be fish all around you, but you don't see any, it's most likely that they have learned that for some reason it's important not to be seen.

And since you're a newcomer to this environment, chances are it's not you they're hiding from.

EDIT: the number of scuba divers saying they've experienced this and then noticed a shark nearby is alarming.

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Pretty much anytime your in the ocean there are sharks swimming nearby. We are no their food source so generally don’t bother coming near enough to do any harm. They are no out to get us, it’s just that sharks explore using their jaws which unfortunately has a lot of razor sharp teeth that will do a lot of damage. Very very rarely has a person been eaten by a shark, most of the time the person is let go once the shark realises we are not tasty and the person dies from drowning, shock or blood loss.

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#5

Our “world” is out perception of our surroundings in our 3 dimensional life. It’s possible that we are living amongst beings, things and events that we cannot experience because we are 3 dimensions and they are not.

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JessG
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A famous Victorian school teacher wrote “Flatland: a Romance of Many Dimensions” (which Carla Sagan has cited in his docs) It illustrates how a one dimensional being would see the world, just lines. And when a 3D sphere visits, he can only see a line. I think about this often actually. I find it fascinating to think of all the other dimensions we cannot perceive. I think about insects, and how they perceive our world, like a fly with a thousand eyes. Their view of this many faceted world is not wrong, it is their 3D world. So who’s to say that our view of the world is The “correct” view, and not the way an insect sees it? I dunno, just food for thought

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#6

If the human body senses trauma it is unable to combat, it will switch off metabolism, pump endorphins, and slip into a pain free dissociative state.

In essence, shutting down. Its been seen in air crashes and lots of places really.

Basically your body can switch itself off.

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Ann Abdelzaher
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my body takes it to a new level. I suffer from Neural Basal reactions. When I have sudden pain (pinch my finger, cut myself etc...) My brain shuts down and I pass out... usually resulting in some secondary injuries that I often do not feel right away or at all. I also tend to stop breathing in these episodes and wake up hyperventilating.

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#7

The Gaian Bottleneck theory. Basically the reason we've never encountered or been contacted by aliens is because they're all dead. Every alien species that evolved to form advanced societies eventually outgrew their planet and destroyed themselves. Like we are.

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Francis
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

even if they found us, they probably see the dinosaurs or nothing when th're looking at us right now. the light needs a looot of time to travel

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#8

Cosmology can be disturbing.

For instance, I recently learned of dead end trips. There are some destinations that you shouldn't try for. It's possible to travel so far away from where you started, that the expansion of the universe will exceed the speed you were travelling at.

You can't return home, because home is receding faster than you can travel.

You can't reach your destination, because it too is receding faster than you can travel.

You can no longer get anywhere, only get further away from everything.

You cannot reach any destination, even if you travel forever.

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#9

Humans are scared of things that mimic them too perfectly, the theory is that we developed this because there was a super predator of some sort that would mimic us and kill us. But we never knew what happened to it

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#10

"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened." - Douglas Adams

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#11

That there is no secret society controlling everything, and humans by themselves are destroying humanity and themselves. And it's just easier to think that it's someone else behind all the evil .

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Dynein
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Uh... that is what I actually believe...? It seems to me that current as well as historic events make the most sense if you assume that no one has control over everything. Sure, there's people who try, but even in tight dictatorships you get rebels and unforeseen random events. I definitely think that conspiracy theorists are overwhelmed with the unpredictability of the world and hang onto whichever theory puts their "preferred enemy" into the group of control... it implies a) everything bad that happens is due to the people I already think of as bad, b) I'm definitely and always one of the good people, c) I'm so special for catching on, d) even if I don't control events now, I might in the future if I fight my enemy. I definitely think of it as lazy, both in respect to self-awareness (you don't need to question yourself) and level of intellectual difficulty (it turns highly complex issues of the world into simple black-and-white problems).

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#12

The theory that we're all quantum immortals and when someone dies in our reality for them they just keep on going in a reality where they didn't

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#13

That we have so little data about the deep dark parts of the ocean and don’t truly know what lurks there

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Phunny Philosopher
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It might be sunshine and rainbows and Narwhal parties! Jk, we know enough about physics to know that’s not possible. But still- why do the things in the deep ocean have to be bad? Because our imagination. That’s it.

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#14

It's scary that there are thousands of serial killers out there at any 1 given time who often just blend in with the rest of society and live normal lives. Many will never be caught.

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#15

If you die by being beheaded the last thing you might see is your decapitated body.

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#16

That humans almost went extinct. 70,000 years ago a volcano in Indonesia erupted. There’s theories that we have a genetic bottleneck around that time. Took our population down to 10,000-3,000 (like the size of one small town). Lots of fresh genetic material died with those who were lost and the resulting inbreeding could have resulted in some genetic diseases that have made their way into humans today. Without this event, we may have advanced faster and be healthier people today.

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#17

Not a theory but reality. Schizophrenia can happen to anyone, at any age, even to perfectly healthy people. Imagine being normal and then waking up one day and seeing and hearing things that aren't actually there. That is really scary and creepy.

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Lärry
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My brother (35) has paranoid Schizophrenia. He is awake the whole night and sleeps the whole day. I told him once, it would maybe be better if he's awake when we all are to spend more time together (my kids love him much), and that he maybe should try to change that. His answer was: yes, I know. But I'm too scared to sleep at night.... Broke my heart.

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#18

I had a professor in college who taught physics and he explained why we will likely never come across aliens. The universe is about 14 billion years old. Over the course of that time, it’s likely that intelligent life, besides life on earth, has existed. However, 14 billion years is an INSANELY long time. Other life forms have probably risen and fallen thousands of times over. Extreme dynasties with technology we can only dream of having have probably existed. Life forms could have lasted hundreds of thousands of years and still not even be close to our timeline. The chances of other intelligent life forms existing at the same time as humans, in the 14 billion years the universe has hosted a possibility for life, is really unlikely. Statistically, intelligent life to have formed, prospered, or even existed at the same time as humans is extremely small simply due to the absolute drop in a bucket that we are on terms of time. We may very well be completely alone in the universe.

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Nikki Sevven
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not merely time that is the issue, but also space, which is mindbogglingly huge.

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#19

Ok this one is rough so please bare with me,

So the common time travel question is would you go back and kill baby hitler?

Well imagine if that was you, to us in the current timeline you would be a hero that killed someone truly evil before they had chance to corrupt or endanger anyone but to the people of that time you are a monster, a baby killer.

They couldn’t exactly explain to people, I was sent from the future to kill this baby to save hundreds of millions of lives. No-one would believe him and would just assume he was some nutcase, or maybe they’re not allowed to tell anyone as per the agreement with the future government?

It makes you wonder all the people through time that have been called monsters for killing babies, what if they were just heroes from the future saving us all? They couldn’t tell anyone either?

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Truth Monster
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hitler was just the lightning rod. Chances are, someone else would have become the lightning rod if you murdered baby Hitler. Hitler is still a terrible human, I'm not excusing him at all.

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#20

The dark forest theory. This explains the Fremi paradox, why we haven’t seen any other advanced life forms despite the vastness of the universe. Other advanced life forms don’t send out signals into the rest of the universe because they’re worried that something more advanced and dangerous is going to find them first. There’s another idea that other civilizations know there’s something out there but don’t send any signals because it has no reason to not wipeout the entire planet.

There’s a science fiction book based on this and I think this quote explains it better than I can:

“The universe is a dark forest. Every civilization is an armed hunter stalking through the trees like a ghost, gently pushing aside branches that block the path and trying to tread without sound. Even breathing is done with care. The hunter has to be careful, because everywhere in the forest are stealthy hunters like him. If he finds another life—another hunter, angel, or a demon, a delicate infant to tottering old man, a fairy or demigod—there's only one thing he can do: open fire and eliminate them”

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#21

That you might be aware of everything happening to you during surgery, the anesthesia keeps you from moving and causes you to forget.

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Stimpy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nice creepy theory! But just as a comfort for anybody who might be taking this too seriously: we know very well that this is not the case. We can clearly show which brain regions are active when people are in pain, and they are not active when people are anesthized. Don't worry!

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#22

During the Challenger accident from 1986, whenever the shuttle exploded, the ground crews had the astronauts EKG’s and vital scans....after the explosion, the astronauts were still alive. Theory has it that they were cognizant the entire time until they crashed in the ocean.

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The Dave
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is a known fact that the astronauts were not killed by the explosion itself. The theory is that they died after cabin depressurization and oxygen depletion.

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#23

The theory that scented candles starting getting poor reviews at the same time COVID hit the US. Makes you wonder how many people have mild COVID before we even knew about it, pairing the lack of taste and/or smell as one of the main symptoms associated with mild COVID cases.

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Kirsten Kerkhof
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The other option is that, because people were at home much more, the scent was less noticable (you grow used to familiar scents) so people thought the candles smelled less. Though I think the OP has the more likely idea ...

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#24

Some people have had some strange NDEs (Near Death Experiences). Going through websites cataloging them can be a trip. I'm willing to attribute some of them to brain damage and some as "legit" though I'll never be able to tell which is which.

Death bed visions give me a warmer sense of security. I can't imagine how peaceful it must be to die and see your deceased loved ones there to ensure you make it safely to the other side.

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#25

The universe could be dying, and we'd have no way to know until we just suddenly vanish from existence.

There could be a sort of quantum energy wave, can't remember what it's called because it's been so long since I read about it. Zero point collapse, maybe? Vacuum bubble burst? But whatever it is, it's an energy wave that starts at some point, and spreads outward at the speed of light, annihilating any matter, energy, and even spacetime in its path.

Because the wave travels at the speed of light, it is invisible. We would have no way of seeing it coming, because any light emitted by it would hit us at the exact same time that the wave itself hits us.

So, all of a sudden, the sun might just vanish from existence. We wouldn't notice because the sun's light from eight minutes ago would still be reaching us. Eight minutes later, the earth just vanishes from existence. No warning. No trace.

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Shelp
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, this is unsettling. But how can space and time be wiped out?

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#26

The theory that the last moments of consciousness before death can feel like a literal eternity, and where your mind can create entire realities from blissful to horrifying. So in a way the threat of enduring a hellscape of eternal suffering is very real no matter what you believe.

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#27

Spontaneous combustion. I watched a strange but true episode about this as a child and was convinced I'd randomly burst into flames one day. I'm over it now but that was my top fear for a long time.

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Stimpy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was afraid of that too. About at the age where I also thought that quicksand was a much more common problem than it actually is. Maybe that was just also one of the common story tropes in the 80s, and we picked it up as real?

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#28

The theory that there is an infinite number of parallel universes branching out at each moment with all possible outcomes for each situation.

Let's say this is true and you play Russian roulette. Five out of six of possible "you" would live and one would die but no matter how many times you play there would always be versions of you that would survive. This would give those versions of "you" the illusion of immorality. This would mean that no matter the risks you would take, there would always be some version of you that would survive.

If this is true, it would mean that you could live your life completely free of the fear of death and take on any risk. But the only way to know if this is true is to expose yourself to high odds of deaths, repeatedly.

Also this would mean that as time passed there would always be a more decrepit and invalid version of you surviving, maybe forever...

Anyways that or lizard people.

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#29

The first man in space (some Russian cosmonaut whose name I can't remember) was not the true first. The actual first was a cosmonaut whose mission was unsuccessful and he either died in orbit or on reentry. Once it became apparent that he was doomed the Russian authorities cut off communications, leaving him to die in isolation, and covered up the existence of the mission.

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#30

I saw a theory that we truly live through our entire again in the moments before death, but that it's a loop. When you reach your moment of death during your moment of death, you relive it again. And again. And again. Trapped in a loop with no difference, no awareness, forever.

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Luna
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The thing about this, is you don’t know if you are living through that right now

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