“Scared The Bejesus Out Of Me”: 50 Times People Almost Had A Heart Attack But Took A Second Look (New Pics)
We've all had those moments when we're scared to put our foot out from under the covers in the dark or wonder why our cat is staring at an empty wall like it's something spooky. Our minds sometimes imagine threats that aren't real – blame it on too many scary movies or stories. It's just our brain's way of protecting us, and that's pretty normal.
So, the next time you see a shadow outside that looks like someone at the window, or you think there's a stranger in your bed but it's actually just a crumpled sheet, don't panic and call 911 just yet – it might just be your imagination.
For some laughs, we've put together a list of funny pics about people getting spooked by unintentional jumpscares. Upvote the images that you could relate to the most. Oh, and ignore the weird chuckling behind you. Yup, it's just the pile of clothes on your chair, not creatures from another dimension trying to unnerve you.
This post may include affiliate links.
Jesus, That's Creepy
I wouldn't have stuck around to see what was causing the effect.
A jump scare is a trick often used in horror movies and video games. It also happens in life. It aims to scare people by suddenly showing something shocking on screen along with a loud noise. Think of this scare as a surprise bomb that horror movies toss right into your nerves. It can explode instantly or sit there ticking before it goes off. Jump scares aren't loved by everyone, maybe because they appear simple, yet they can be skillfully done. The science behind jump scares is quite interesting, involving biology and psychology.
This Tall Guy In My Neighbor’s Yard Always Scares The Hell Out Of Me… It’s 2 Small Trees And A Satellite Dish
Our Airbnb Had A Translucent Bathroom Door. I’m Used To My Impatient Toddler Stalking Me Through The Door, But This Took It To A Much Creepier Level
This looks like a medieval painting mixed with a horror movie poster. Creepy, intriguing, and just surreal.
Scientists who enjoy studying how people get startled have a term for scaring their lab subjects: "Administering a startle probe." Despite the serious-sounding name, there's a hint of mischievousness to it. This habit of playfully startling others likely dates back thousands of years, making it a favorite activity for our ancestors and an important part of suspenseful storytelling.
Bottled Water's True Nature
My Daughter's Stuffed Dog Rolled Under Her Bed. Checking The Monitor Gave Me A Damn Heart Attack
I Woke Up After Taking A Short Nap In The Passenger Seat And Nearly Had A Heart Attack When I Opened My Eyes
I was sure for about 2 seconds that we were all about to crash until I realized it was being towed backwards!
I've seen an absolutely evil video where the driver convinces the rest of the car to start screaming while the passenger in the front seat sleeps. He pulls up close behind a truck being towed like this, they all start screaming like they're going to do, and the passenger understandably freaks out. I think I'd be sleeping on the couch forever if I did that.
Sound plays a vital role in jump scares. It's what mostly triggers the startle, and it's tough to avoid. Our brain reacts faster to sound than to sight, and it's harder to ignore a sound than an image.
The startle scare often includes both something you see and something you hear – like a sudden appearance of something unsettling. While the sound is what startles you, it's the visual part that tends to stay in your mind. You might not recall the exact sound, but the image can leave a lasting impression. Our brain handles sound and images differently, and images are usually more memorable. In a jump scare, the visual element is typically a monster, a killer, or something gross abruptly showing up.
I Found This Child-Sized Rescue Dummy On The Bottom Of Lake Natoma, CA, And Thought I Was Going To Have A Heart Attack
For Halloween I Had An Inflatable Cat On My Roof. Last Night It Was Very Windy. This Is What Greeted Me When I Opened The Door This Morning
Almost had a heart attack.
Just Some Regular Rubber Gloves Washing Accidentally Opened The Gate Of Hell
The jump scare triggers what's known as the startle response, a natural reaction ingrained in human nature. This response is so deeply rooted that it's shared across various species. Ronald C. Simons, an anthropologist and expert on the startle response, notes that it's "universal in mammals, reptiles, birds, and amphibians." This response is like an automatic reaction to a sudden and strong stimulus. This stimulus can come through sight, sound, or touch. It might be something that unexpectedly appears in your vision, a sudden loud noise, or a touch on your neck when you thought you were alone in a dim basement. The startle response developed as a defense against sudden threats, activating the body swiftly when faced with danger.
You Get Afraid Thinking These Are Ku Klux Klan Members Until You Realize They Are Only Closed Parasols In The Beach
For non-Americans, this might not look like what Americans think it looks like at first glance. But it definitely does look very creepy.
Almost Had A Heart Attack Coming Out Of The Subway Today
Every Morning At 11 Or So, Window Man Shows Up And Scares The Bejesus Out Of Me (My Neighbor's Chimney)
Startling someone is easy because the mechanism reacts quickly for good reasons. It's like being scared – it often goes beyond what's needed because it's safer to react strongly (like jumping at shadows) than to not react to something dangerous (like ignoring a real threat).
Woke Up Scared Stiff Last Night When I Noticed A Victorian Ghost Floating At The End Of My Bed. Took Me A Few Minutes To Realise It Was My Clothes On The Door
My Friend's Way Of Drying Shoes Scared Me A Bit. I Thought She Was Hanging Out Her 11th-Floor Window
My dad used to store his boots between his cab and the bed of his truck like this. Got me good once, I always grin seeing stuff like this
Poorly Colored Garden Hose Guaranteed To Give You A Heart Attack
Also, the startle response isn't something you can control with your thoughts. You can't turn it off or lessen it even if you expect it. If you've ever fired a loud gun, you know this. And if you've watched a scary movie more than once and still got scared at the same part, you've experienced it, too.
Canal In Copenhagen Nearly Gave Me A Heart Attack
It's a sculpture called, "Agnete and the Merman" based on the same Danish fairytale, and hidden in that canal. Merfolk are a part of Danish folklore.
Just Walked Out Of My Kitchen And This Scared The Hell Out Of Me
Just like the one with the Victorian looking clothes. I just don't understand people hanging clothes on doors like that. It makes it a hassle for anyone using the door.
The Reflection Of The Fireplace Freaks Me Out For Just A Second Every Time
Optical illusions, on the other hand, can scare people because they play tricks on how we see things. They make us doubt what's real and sometimes see things that aren't there. This can make some people feel uneasy.
My Daughter Just Came Around The Corner Wearing A Lavender Face Mask And Scared The Absolute Hell Out Of Me
Moving Furniture Around The Store And Glanced Over To Have This Scare The Hell Out Of Me. I Thought It Was A Customer
My Neighbor Is Trying To End Me By Heart Attack
In the end, the most effective way to deal with jump scares and optical illusions might be to view them with an artistic and appreciative mindset. Consider them as a creative technique. If you're interested in seeing more optical illusion pictures that nearly scared the life out of people, take a look at our previous editions here and here.
Almost Got Me A Heart Attack Middle Of The Highway
My brain can't process this, can someone please explain what's happening?
This Is How My Husband Left His Boots. It Almost Scared The Hell Out Of Me
Being An Asian, Seeing This At The End Of The Hallway When The Elevator Doors Open Scared Me Quite A Bit Because Of The Folklore Of The Ghost Lady In Red
Not Sure Why Your Cousin Was Freaked Out By Their Baby Monitor - This Is What Shows Up On Mine Every Night
My Celeriac Scared The Hell Out Of Me
There Was No Child In The Back Seat. Scared The Bejesus Out Of Me
Oh, I get it. Its a reflection from a truck with a baby's face on the back of it?
This Poster Of “Mr. Rodgers” At Work Gave Me A Heart Attack
Creepy Statues All Over Town Made Me Nearly Pee My Pants At 2 Am
I Hung My Chest Waders In My Shop To Dry. Nearly Gave My Poor Dad A Heart Attack
A Friend Of Mine Is A School Bus Driver And Nearly Had A Heart Attack When A Bread Truck Pulled Up Behind Her
My Grandma Made A Knitted Toilet Seat Cover And The Corner Sticks Out A Bit, Nearly Gave Me A Heart Attack
They Scare The Hell Out Of Me Every Time They Sleep Like This... I Keep Thinking One Has Passed Away And The Other Is Mourning Him
I am glad they are just sleeping happily with no death or mourning.
Checked My Cameras And This Blanket Almost Gave Me A Heart Attack
Girlfriend Taking The Dog Outside And The Bad Amazon Solar Lights Illuminating Her Face
I Got So Freaked Out This Morning With My Wife’s Cooking. Turns Out Long Beets Can Closely Resemble Skinned Rats
Just Me And The Baby At Home, I Looked At The Baby Monitor And Had A Heart Attack
Scared The Daylights Out Of Me
Boots And A Coat... Scares The Everliving Hell Out Of Me Whenever I Leave The Basement
My Daughter Legitimately Scared Me When I Checked Her Monitor
Almost Had A Heart Attack When Turning The Lights On In This Abandoned Storage Room
My Mom Washed My Snuggie And Hung It Up In My Room, Almost Had A Heart Attack
Brushing My Teeth At The Sink, Almost Had A Heart Attack With This Reflection
. . . why is there a bottle of Mississippi Mud (beer) in the bathroom?
I Saw This In My Neighbor's Backyard
Legit Scared Me On My Walk
I Just Launched My Spoon Across The Room And Screamed Like A Girl Because I Thought There Was A Spider In It
I Have A Fake Alligator Head In My Yard And Today While Taking My Dog Out It Scared Me
Sculptures Of Heads In The Woods. Scared The Heck Out Of Me
I would be scared too, because where did they come from and why are they there?
Just Opened The Garage At The Job I’m On And Had A Heart Attack
My Chair Just Scared The Bejesus Out Of Me
I Saw This From Far Away And It Scared Me So Much
Just Had A Heart Attack At Home Alone (My Wife's Roman Reigns Pillow Case)
Have You Ever Reached Into A Dark Pantry And Scared The Living Hell Out Of Yourself With A Potato? No? Me Either
Every single time. We have crates of potatoes down there and it's like a box of skeleton tentacles 😳😳😳
Tired This Morning And Went To Throw The Trash Out... Had A Heart Attack For A Second
I Left My Boot By My Truck Door And Startled Myself
Apparently, There Is A Ginormous Spider Inside My Lamp Waiting To Wish Me A Merry Christmas
mine do this too... for years. And i still jump a little... every. single. time.
I'm A Cable Guy, And This Scared Me So Bad On The Way To A Customer's House
Raindrops Formed This Human-Like Figure On My Ring Camera. Got Scared For A Second
The Store Was Almost Closed And This Nearly Scared Me
I Work Recycling Clothes And It's Freaky Sometimes
This Mannequin Head Obscured Behind An Old Window Startled Me As I Walked By
Don't give me ideas for when my clear kitchen windows are replaced by stippled glass next week!
Thomas The Tank Engine Kidnapped? Good, That Thing Scared The Hell Out Of Me The Other Night
I Was Waiting For An Exam And This Box Scared The Hell Out Of Me
Our S'mores Sticks Were Shoved In Our Pantry After Being Used. They Gave Me A Heart Attack When I Came Into The Kitchen In The Middle Of The Night
Our Office Is On The 10th Floor. Second Time That I Have Had A Heart Attack Today
Before I Realized It Was Me, I'll Be Honest, I Was A Little Scared
The Discarded Grill Cover In The Backyard Scared The Life Out Of Me
That looks.. very humanoid. I called 911 once in January (US midwest), bc someone had dumped trash off a freeway ramp and wrapped a blanket over it. It looked like a person. I felt bad for calling and it ended up being trash, but better than the alternative! (I had an infant in my car and couldn't park blocks away to check myself).
My Kid's New Seat Both Scares Me And Makes Me Feel Protected Everytime I Get In My Car
This Little Guy Scared The Heck Out Of Me
Looked Up To See My Daughter's Snowsuit Drying And Nearly Had A Heart Attack
Almost Had A Damn Heart Attack When The Wind Blew This Spider Towards Me... Till I Realized What It Was
Mini Heart Attack Caused By The Shadow Of My Towel
Spotted On My Morning Walk, Scared The Life Out Of Me
My Kid Looking Directly At The Camera
I'm Going To The Bathroom Through A Creepy Hallway With Buzzing Lights. I Walk By A Classroom And See This
Scared The Heck Out Of Me When I've Seen It The First Time
Damn, Nearly Had A Heart Attack When I Picked Up This Bottle Of Ortho And Saw This On It
The bottle was on a shelf in my basement with the front (the side with this sticker on it) facing the wall. I picked up the bottle and started walking back upstairs with it and noticed the spider in my peripheral vision. Literally dropped the bottle and went into "DESTROY IT WITH FIRE!" mode until I realized it was just part of the image on the sticker.
The plot of "Kill It With Fire' See a spider? Kill it in the most unnecessarily flashy way possible.
Nearly Had A Heart Attack
I Think My Wife Is Trying To Give Me Heart Attacks
Forgot That I Had Put The Halloween Decorations In The Crawlspace Until After I Had A Heart Attack
Hotel Guy Got Creative With Our Towels And Freaked Me Out
My Partner Dressed Up His Mannequin And It Scares Me Every Time I Walk Past The Room
I Went To Pull Into The Customer's Car And Almost Had A Heart Attack
I Really Need To Rethink My Mirror/Robe Set-Up. Had A Brief Heart Attack
My Mom Is Trying To Give Me A Heart Attack, We Also Live On The 5th Floor
Playing Hide And Seek With My Little One And My Heart Drops To My Stomach For A Second
So I Accidentally Hit Fullscreen On My New Monitor And Almost Had A Heart Attack
There Isn't A Week That Goes By Where This Stupid Thing Doesn't Scare The Hell Out Of Me In The Middle Of The Night
I Met Such A Monster During The Trip. I Almost Had A Heart Attack
This Fluff Ball That Looks Like A Spider
looks like the belly button lint my husband leaves around to gross me out
Wife Cut Her Own Hair Today, Almost Gave Me A Heart Attack Upon Opening The Trash Can
people are way to sensitive having "heart attacks" over such simple things
What I learned from this post is how much people say "gave me a heart attack" (or variation) when they get a fright.
Is BP no longer allowing people to view the remainders of lists after those lists get truncated? Because sometimes there are some good entries past #51
I think that they are simply misusing the word. A more accurate word would be startled, not scared. Most of these folks seem to be startled or caught off guard or surprised. Give them a little grace, their bodies are probably full of adrenaline and their heart rates are up. They just want to share with you their harrowing experience so you can laugh with them, now that they know it's not actually scary.
Load More Replies...On my 11th birthday I got a balloon and at night i thought there was a person there
used to clean a shop that sells medical stuff. They have a mannequin dressed up with nurse outfits. Every 2 months the thing got a new spot and it scared the shitt out of me every time i walked in early morning, esp the time it was standing next to the door. Funny thing was that it kept scaring the people who moved it too 😂😂
I couldn't get through all of these, I just gave up. Some people really need to calm down and get a grip. Especially the ones that claim the exact same thing scares them over and over again.
I saw a big brown snake right beside the bike path and freaked OUT until I realised it was an old woven dog leash. In my case I think I had extra reason to panic because on a previous occasion when I was on my bike there actually WAS a large brown snake (local venomous species) on the bike path, and because I had spotted it too late I had to try and go around it at the last minute and the damn thing came at me with its mouth open. D:
I used to be a puppeteer. The dolls I used looked like two-foot tall children. One night before a performance I couldn't sleep so I used it to silently practice my lines. In the dark. At that moment my mom walked into the room and nearly passed out. She didn't see me so she thought the puppet was floating through the air.
What I learned from this post is how much people say "gave me a heart attack" (or variation) when they get a fright.
Is BP no longer allowing people to view the remainders of lists after those lists get truncated? Because sometimes there are some good entries past #51
I think that they are simply misusing the word. A more accurate word would be startled, not scared. Most of these folks seem to be startled or caught off guard or surprised. Give them a little grace, their bodies are probably full of adrenaline and their heart rates are up. They just want to share with you their harrowing experience so you can laugh with them, now that they know it's not actually scary.
Load More Replies...On my 11th birthday I got a balloon and at night i thought there was a person there
used to clean a shop that sells medical stuff. They have a mannequin dressed up with nurse outfits. Every 2 months the thing got a new spot and it scared the shitt out of me every time i walked in early morning, esp the time it was standing next to the door. Funny thing was that it kept scaring the people who moved it too 😂😂
I couldn't get through all of these, I just gave up. Some people really need to calm down and get a grip. Especially the ones that claim the exact same thing scares them over and over again.
I saw a big brown snake right beside the bike path and freaked OUT until I realised it was an old woven dog leash. In my case I think I had extra reason to panic because on a previous occasion when I was on my bike there actually WAS a large brown snake (local venomous species) on the bike path, and because I had spotted it too late I had to try and go around it at the last minute and the damn thing came at me with its mouth open. D:
I used to be a puppeteer. The dolls I used looked like two-foot tall children. One night before a performance I couldn't sleep so I used it to silently practice my lines. In the dark. At that moment my mom walked into the room and nearly passed out. She didn't see me so she thought the puppet was floating through the air.