They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. However, without any written context, an image can look simple and innocent. Even if something looks ordinary at first glance, it doesn’t mean that it really is. Just beneath the surface, you can sometimes find a disturbing and terrifying story. Other times, the horror is plain for everyone to see.
Bored Panda is featuring some of the creepiest, most disturbing, and cursed images that have ever found their way onto the internet. They are blood-chilling and haunting, and you’ve been warned. Don’t blame us if your fight-or-flight response kicks in, or if you freeze up.
#1 The Absolutely Creepy-Looking Tiki That Someone Found On Google Maps Located In France
Image source: hundredjono
#2 8 Year Old Christian Golczynski Receiving The Flag From His Fathers Military Funeral Is The Most Haunting In My Mind
Image source: Telionis
#3 Mass Amounts Of Gas Masks In Pripyat, Ukraine
Image source: hundredjono
For the vast majority of people, some fear and stress are natural and unavoidable parts of life. They are what help keep you alive and well.
How you react to these things, however, can be deeply personal. But broadly speaking, there are four main responses to acute stress. These are: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. You’ve likely heard of the first two, but the latter two are very real and relatable, too.
Specifically, your fight response kicks in and urges you to be physically aggressive to overcome the danger.
Your flight response makes you want to run away from the threat.
Your freeze response leaves you unable to move, stuck in place.
And your fawn response, which relies on your social skills, urges you to try to please the threat to avoid conflict.
#4 Shell Shocked Solider
Image source: wavyacjo
#5 Picture Of Joseph Goebbels
Image source: midnight_riddle
#6 Creepy Guy On The Bus
Image source: rustiesbagel
Plaintly put, your body and mind are trying to maximize your chances of surviving dangerous and risky situations. The way this happens is by picking strategies that give you the best odds of overcoming serious challenges in the given context.
Specifically, if you are in a situation where you can realistically defeat the source of danger, your body might opt for the fight response. Similarly, if the threat is something you can realistically outrun, you’ll probably default to a flight reaction, and so on. Your body and mind react to maximize your chances of overcoming the danger, whatever response you eventually take.
#7 I’m Watching
Image source: TheCompass
#8 There’s Nothing To Fear, Love
Image source: TheCompass
#9 Hyperdontia
Image source: anon
The fawn response, identified by researchers most recently, often covers up the distress you’re feeling inside due to trauma, WebMD explains.
Most commonly, when you fawn, it is your body’s emotional reaction that prompts you to be highly agreeable to the person who is being violent toward you.
Some of the most common signs of fawning include having little to no boundaries, being vulnerable to narcissists, being easily controlled and manipulated, and being overdependent on the opinions of other people.
In short, being overly helpful and agreeable is a survival strategy often seen in people who grew up in narcissistic households.
#10 Brown Lady Of Raynham Hall
Image source: Captain Hubert C. Provand / Wikipedia
#11 There’s Some Super Creepy Picture Of An Old Theme Park With An Overgrown Rollercoaster That Looks Like A Happy Caterpillar. Creeps Me Out Every Time
Image source: fran_the_man
#12 I Don’t Know What It Is About It, But I Am Honestly More Terrified To See This Picture Than Anything
Image source: lostNcontent
A few ways to manage and control your response to stress include the following:
- Focusing on your environment
- Reciting affirmations, songs, or poems
- Doing mental calculations
- Reminding yourself that you are safe
- Visualizing yourself overcoming your fears
- Focusing on steady breathing
- Touching or holding on to an object
- Putting weight on your heels so that you physically connect with the ground
- Tensing your body and then slowly releasing it from head to toes
- Thinking about your happy place
- Treating yourself to something comforting
- Speaking positive affirmations or coping statements
#13 This Photo
Image source: potato1
#14 Found This Picture
Image source: Ryan7074
#15 Imagine That Outside Your Window When You Wake Up
Image source: toaster-in-ur-butt
Even though fear helps you survive, there’s something very wrong if you’re constantly anxious or scared. There are times when your mind perceives threats where there are none (for instance, seeing scary pictures or reading spooky stories, which are harmless) or exaggerates the danger (for example, you get incredibly scared over a job interview). And then of course there are phobias, which are irrational fears.
If you get to the point where your chronic fear starts interfering with your daily life (your work, studies, sleep, relationships, etc.), it’s time to change something. And, potentially, this might involve reaching out to a therapist for help.
However, if you’re still on the fence about seeing a specialist, there are still many things that you can do. You’re not as powerless as you might think.
#16 This One From The Japan Tsunami Really Stuck With Me
Image source: cydril
#17 Hiroshima Shadows
Image source: anon
#18 The First Is A Tank Rolling Over Entrenched Russian Infantry
Image source: Takingbackmemes
One of the most effective things you can do for your body and mind is to find ways to calm down. It’s difficult to think when you’re constantly on edge. So, you have to look for ways to get some proper rest.
The NHS suggests doing everyday calming activities like going for a walk outside, making a soothing cup of tea, taking a bath, and doing breathing exercises. You can also distract yourself by consuming funny and lighthearted content.
Taking care of your physical and mental well-being helps you become more resilient to stress, too. Eat a balanced diet, get regular exercise, stay hydrated, and fix your sleep. Spend time away from screens and in nature. Meet up with your friends.
Furthermore, treat yourself to find joy in your daily life. Treat yourself to a nice meal. Get a massage. Go see a movie at the cinema. Go on a fun weekend trip.
#19 Final Footprints Of A 4 Year Old Girl That Drowned In The Pond Pictured
Image source: [deleted]
#20 Arnie Sanders, A New Yorker Who Was Committed After Telling His Doctor He Saw Angels And Demons Fighting On The Subway. No Idea If That’s True, But It’s Still One Hell Of An Arresting Image
Image source: bornwithatail
#21 This Picture Of The Hillsborough Stadium Crush
Image source: bearchyllz
As uncomfortable as it is, the healthy thing to do is to face your emotions head-on and sit with the fear. Embrace it instead of trying to fight it. Breathe through the discomfort. Broadly speaking, the goal is to get into the habit of coping with intense stress, panic, etc.
Meanwhile, if you are scared of specific things, people, or events, you can gradually expose yourself to them to lessen your fear response. The goal is to give you back some control over how you feel and how you respond. Ideally, you will realize that the threats you face aren’t as threatening as you imagined.
#22 Photos Of Aurora Theater Aftermath
Image source: abadabdeika
#23 Ineeni
Image source: smile dog
#24 Mom And Son Took A Selfie Aboard Doomed Malaysia Airlines Plane Before Takeoff
Image source: kuvakilp
Emotional awareness aside, you should also learn to recognize the physical symptoms of anxiety and panic. For example, a rapid heartbeat and feeling short of breath are typical symptoms.
Challenging unhelpful thoughts is also important. Ask yourself rational questions so that you avoid exaggerating threats and catastrophizing.
Also, don’t feel like you have to tackle your fears alone. Talking to someone you trust can help, as can reaching out to a mental health specialist, doctor, or a volunteer manning a help hotline.
#25 Sinkhole In Cornish Backyard Leads 300ft Down Into Medieval Mineshaft
Image source: Monsur_Ausuhnom
#26 Someone Attempted A Skull Cake, But It Came Out Looking Like An Ancient Pharaoh
Image source: Zu_Qarnine
#27 There’s Always This Photo:
Image source: dorvann
Which of these images genuinely shocked you the most? Why do you think that might be?
What are the most disturbing and eerie images that you’ve ever seen shared in the shadowy places of the internet? What is the scariest thing that you’ve ever experienced or the creepiest person you’ve ever encountered in real life?
We want to hear from you. Share your stories and warnings in the comments below.
#28 “Happy Person Having A Pleasant Conversation In Public” By Randy Ortiz, Charcoal, Acrylic, Pastel. 9×12″
Image source: morkfjellet
#29 Two Mechanics Holding Each Other Seconds Before They Fall. Windmill Accident
Image source: Waaibb
#30 I Can’t Help But Be Petrified Of The Thought Of Some Long Necked Alien Skulking Around My House
Image source: anon
#31 This Picture Of A Shark Trailing Behind A Kayaker. It Gives Me Heart Palpitations
Image source: notsowittyname
#32 This Always Creeps Me Out A Bit
Image source: anon
#33 Uncanny Valley
Image source: Max Braun / Wikipedia
#34 Tourists Photographed In Front Of The Omagh Car Bomb Moments Before It Went Off. (They Survived, But The Photographer Didn’t)
Image source: JournalofFailure
#35 A Picture Of Christa Macauliffe’s Parents Watching The Challenger Explode In 1986. I Can’t Find The Exact One Now, But It Was A Heartbreaking Photograph That I Still Remember
Image source: hairofbrown
#36 This Picture Of North Korean Refugees Trying To Enter The Japanese Consulate In China To Seek Asylum
Image source: dantalian
#37 I’m Not A Religious Person, But This One Always Gets To Me. A Catholic Priest Giving A Soldier The Final Rites In The Middle Of Sniper Fire
Image source: anon
#38 The Doctor Losing His Battle With A 16 Year Olds Heart Surgery
Image source: mattfield1
#39 Brighter Than A Thousand Suns: Eyes That Have Seen A Nuclear Blast
Image source: pinkpaperheart
#40 This Picture Of A 14 Year Old Boy Who Fell From A Plane After Hiding In The Wheel Well
Image source: cmasc966
#41 North Korean Man Saying Goodbye To His South Korean Brother
North Koreans and south Koreans meet up in a special once off reunion organised by the 2 countries.
If I remember the one outside the bus is the the southern brother, He most likely knows how bad the other guy’s life is, whereas the NK brother is big on the juche way of life and can’t wait to go back to the farming collective to serve glorious leader
Image source: Bhelkweit
#42 This Photo Of Brianna Maitland’s Car Following Her Disappearance In March 2004. She Was Never Found
Image source: anon
#43 The Picture Taken From The Top Of Reactor 4 Of Chernobyl The Day After The Accident
Image source: DJ3nsign
#44 A 17 Year Old Recruit For Azov Battalion In Ukraine Saying Goodbye To His Friends
Image source: anon
#45 A Sick Little Girl Being Comforted By Her Mother In The Aftermath Of The Chernobyl Disaster. It Made Me Bawl The First Time I Saw It
Image source: creva8e
#46 My Girlfriend’s Grandmother Found Some Old Pictures From When My GF Did Cheer In School. This One Developed Weird And Came Out Absolutely Terrifying
Image source: DarkAmaterasu58
#47 Pic I Took Of An Owl At A Park By Me
Image source: rca06d
#48 A Boat Under A Large Bridge
Image source: Monsur_Ausuhnom
#49 The Hands Resist Him
Image source: BuzZoo
#50 I Find This Really Creepy
Image source: jur1e
#51 Two Brothers Pose For A Picture At Sequoia National Park Two Seconds Before Being Struck By Lightning
Image source: ACatCalledMorty
#52 This Pic Startles Me Every Time I See It
Image source: renoracer
#53 Just A Guy In A Goofy Costume
Image source: ackjh
#54 Maybe Not The Most Chilling, But Frightening: American Airlines Flight 191
Image source: die_liebe
#55 Seasons Greetings From Ferguson Riots
Image source: anon
#56 Weird Kid I’m Babysitting Put Glass In My Shoe
Image source: alien-the-cashew
#57 Saw These Footsteps Outside, And I Haven’t Used The Back Door
Image source: [deleted]
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