30+ Foreboding Yet Interesting Images Shared Online

By Giovanni DS

The internet is wonderful and informative, yet it’s also a place full of bizarre absurdities and disturbing trivia. A place that harbors thousands of facts, endless numbers of cute cat photos, dozens of horror stories, and spooky tales. This odd and almost contradictory relationship is due to the various online users who contribute to it. This article will explore some of these images. Some of which will elicit a laugh. Others will have you nodding your head sagely. And others still will make you pull the covers a little closer to your eyes. All in all, these images and contributions will either interest you or frighten you, or a little of both! With that said, it’s time to see what the internet has in store for us!

The Hebridean Sheep

Don’t worry! This is not some kind of sheep monster, demon, or horror movie prop. It is, in fact, a unique breed of sheep that is native to the Scottish Highlands. They are related to other breeds of Northern European short-tailed sheep.

They can immediately be recognized by their black coloration and two sets of horns — rather than the usual pair. Their name derives from the Roman name for the Scottish archipelago, the Hebrides. They’re a sturdy and hardy breed that is suited to rough environments.

Twitter by VPestilenZ

Menacing Alien Storm

This terrifying display is actually a thunderstorm, even though it looks like something from Stranger Things, or perhaps giant tentacled aliens falling from the sky. Both of which it is not, we assure you! Either way, it’s still pretty cool.

The phenomenon is called a jellyfish sprite or a TLE, which stands for transient luminous event. A TLE is created when large amounts of electrical activity are in the air during a thunderstorm. The stunning display tends last for less than a second.

Reddit by dendidan

Hungry, Hungry Raccoon

Raccoons are infamous troublemakers and scavengers who are always on the hunt for something to eat. Because of this, it should be no surprise that the internet tends to affectionately refer to them as “trash pandas.” You learn something every day.

It seems like this kitten was busy enjoying their morning food out on the deck until an unexpected guest arrived. Only this raccoon was not having a very successful time as it repeatedly tried clawing at the food from underneath.

Reddit by taykaybo

Creepy Car Mirror

Everyone, supposedly, is said to have a little bit of an artist within themselves. No matter how poorly you think drawing ability, singing, or dancing is, you’re still capable of creating art, however small. That said, some people’s creativity can be really questionable.

A perfect example is this individual who decided to fashion their own unique holder for their car’s side mirror. A holder that takes on the frightening appearance of a skeletal hand made from old bolts and metal coils. Unique but disturbing.

Reddit by major_minus

Sleeping Whales

The sperm whale is one of the largest species of whale and is the largest toothed whale in the world. The sperm whale is an interesting creature, but what makes them really fascinating — and a bit disturbing — is how they sleep.

This picture illustrates the incredible phenomena whereby sperm whales gather their pods and sleep vertically upright with their heads up. No one really knows why they do this since it was first observed in 2017 and has only been studied since 2018.

Reddit by qixle

The Human Nervous System

Something we often take for granted is just how amazing the human body is. Any animal body, really, but we are focusing on human anatomy for now. Moving your fingers, raising your legs, looking around, all of it is done almost automatically.

So, what exactly allows us to do this? The answer lies with our nervous system, a complex structure of thousands of nerves that send and receive signals from the brain. Pictured here is a complete human nervous system, first dissected in 1925.

Reddit by willburn61

A Well in the Kitchen

What we see here is a glass plane that was placed over a very old, deep, dark well. But what makes this image particularly strange is the fact that the well is in someone’s house! More specifically, in their kitchen.

Unfortunately, we do not have any information about this bizarre house. All we do know is that the house, or at least the kitchen, dates back to the 18th century. The thought of standing or accidentally stepping on it is nightmare-inducing.

Reddit by tgodwin13

Oldest Surviving Diving Suit

The equipment you need for scuba diving, snorkeling, snubaing, or any other deep aquatic activity is fairly straightforward nowadays. This rings especially true when you compare modern equipment to first ever made prototypes. Some of which are really creepy looking.

This horror movie-like costume is the oldest surviving diving suit; it was invented in the 18th century. It is known as “The Old Gentleman of Raahe” and was found by Captain Johan Leufstadius. The suit was donated to the Raahe Museum of Finland.

Reddit by Import

A Perfectly Normal Hallway

Optical illusions have been a source of fascination for centuries, with artists finding more and more ways to disorient you. A word of caution: this next one might make some people feel a little woozy. Introducing the wonky and lopsided hallway.

This seemingly uneven hallway is, in fact, perfectly straight. The distorted effect was created by the series of black lines that cross across it. The hallway was part of an art exhibition by Austrian artist Peter Kogler for Art Brussels.

Reddit by revolvingneutron

Old Prankster

In 1948, dozens of Floridians were confused when, one morning, they spotted giant footprints on nearby beaches. They could not identify these footprints, and speculated that they were made by a giant penguin, of all things! It was utterly bizarre.

Well, it turns out that the culprit was actually an elderly man with a pair of 13 kg three-toed shoes. He would put these shoes on and stomp across the beaches during the night, a prank he continued for 10 years!

Reddit by darkstar_randil

The Giant Harpy Eagle

This terrifying creature is called a harpy eagle, the largest species of raptor native to Central America. Harpies are big, weighing 5-9 kg, lengths of 100 cm, and wingspans of 180-200 cm — making them one bird you don’t want to mess with.

That said, they are nowhere as massive as the one standing next to the man seen in the photo. However, it only looks that big due to some clever camera angles and the use of perspective shots. It is still very intimidating, regardless of the camera tricks.

Reddit by cajetin

Surprised Amoeba

Amoebas are microscopic unicellular organisms that are found all around us in oxygenated water sources, like rivers, and ponds. They are made up of only a single cell, which might explain how they are able to change their shape spontaneously.

If you ever wanted to see what one of them looks like, then we have you covered. We were able to see this tiny fellow thanks to powerful microscopes. It almost looks like this amoeba has a little face drawn on it.

Reddit by LeekFever

Alnwick Poison Garden

In the remote English town of Alnwick in Northumberland, you can find the famous — arguably, infamous — Alnwick Garden. Alnwick has a long and troubled history that is now cared for by a charitable trust of the Northumberland Estates.

The garden is well-known for many reasons; however, it is most famous for its poison garden. Alnwick is said to house over 100 lethally toxic and poisonous plants, deadly enough to kill most people. At least the gate is appropriately marked.

flickr by 63662135@N00

Close Up of an Ant

Ants are some of the most industrious and hard-working species of any insect on the planet. They are also arguably one of the most numerous with close to 14,000 discovered different species and 22,000 unidentified species. They are still a pest regardless.

While ants might creep some people out, there is nothing overly scary about them. At least, that is what we thought until we saw a close-up picture of one of them. That picture is easily one of the most unsettling things we have seen today.

flickr by johnhallmen

Very, Very Frightening Thunderstorm

Thunderstorms and lightning bolts are capable of shocking you with their otherworldly beauty while also reminding you of nature’s power. There are also times or situations where being near a thunderstorm can be one of the most frightening things imaginable.

One such situation is when you are 30,000 feet off the ground, suspended in the air, in a giant metal box. This picture gives you an idea of how terrifying that flight must have been for the passengers. At least they made it out.

Reddit by korabdrg

Lights in an Abandoned Hospital?

Abandoned buildings always have a chilling and creepy quality to them. Whether it is because they are so quiet, dilapidated, dark, or made into haunted buildings, there’s an eerie air about them. The latter is normally the case as most people often have too active imaginations.

Some of the “haunted” houses or buildings are more credible than others, such as this one. Here stands an abandoned hospital devoid of life, save for one solitary light. We don’t know why it’s on, and we don’t want to know.

Reddit by Synobye

Mischievous Child

There are a lot of weird people out there in the world. Weird people who go around doing incredibly bizarre things that they think are normal. Take this child, for example, who one concerned homeowner mentioned on this outdoor poster.

Now, you are likely thinking that the poster itself is equally as bizarre as the child it mentions. Well, it turns out the whole thing is fake. It’s one of several comedic creations made by the absurdist artist Alan Wagner.

Reddit by Artifical8Wanderer

The Horrifying Mouth of a Turtle

Warning: this next image falls right into horror territory! So, we recommend giving this one a miss if you have a weak stomach. For those still here, we present to you the fanged-filled mouth of an adult leatherback sea turtle.

Don’t say we did not warn you! However, what you might think are teeth are actually bony spines that cover the inside of the turtle’s throat. These spines help to cut up the turtle’s prey while also ensuring it does not escape.

Reddit by MECHABERNIESANDERS

The Gills of a Shark

Most of us hopefully already know that sharks tend to get an undeserved bad rep. However, they’re still horrifying in some aspects. Most species of sharks just seem to have that disturbingly innate ability to strike terror into the eyes of anyone that spots them.

Ordinarily, it’s the eyes and the fang-filled mouths that tend to unnerve most people. That said, everything about them is graceful and scary at the same time. Take their gill slits, for example. There is just something about them that is unsettling.

Reddit by yummytuber

Figure Made From Cicada Shells

Cicadas are gross-looking (and rather big) insects that are notorious for the extremely loud chirping noise they make. They make this sound by repeatedly unbuckling and buckling an exoskeletal structure called a tymbal; this makes them not very popular neighbors.

Some people are capable of tolerating them better than others. And then you get people like this unnerving individual who took out their frustration in a more “creative” manner. Yep, they made an action figure out of the bodies of shells the cicadas left behind.

Reddit by Number-6-no-mayo

Snake Island

Off the coast of Brazil, and among the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, lies a snake-filled island. The island in question is Snake Island, or Ilha da Queimada Grande. It is a restricted island that is home to thousands of venomous snakes.

The island is home to the golden lacehead pit viper, or Bothrops insularis. This pit viper is both extremely venomous as well as critically endangered. For this reason, the island is closed to the public for the safety of the snakes and travelers.

Reddit by ludingtonne

One of the Oldest Surviving Automatons

Humans are curious and inventive beings; one could argue that this is inherently in our nature. Large parts of history feature many such curious and creative figures across multiple cultures who sought to innovate. One such person was the 18th-century Swiss watchmaker Pierre Jaquet-Droz.

Jaquet-Droz created this early automaton in 1773 during the reign of the last French king, Louis XVI. He called his creation ‘The Writer’ that would write with a real quill and ink. While it is impressive, we cannot help being creeped out by it.

timeandwatches.com

Upward Lightning

We have already established the wildly unpredictable and sheer destructive capacity of lightning. And just when you think you have learned enough about it, it surprises you with something new. Yep, we are talking about the bizarre phenomena of upward-moving lightning!

Upward lightning, also called ground-to-cloud lightning, is an unusual occurrence that originates on a grounded object and strikes upwards. Apparently, this phenomenon seems to be quite common in Australia. It has something to do with the type of lightning and its charge. Cool, right?

Reddit by joeurkel

Ukraine’s Optimistic Cave

Near the Ukrainian village of Korolivka lies the Optymistychna (optimistic) Cave, also called Peschtschera Optimistitscheskaya in Ukrainian. Optymistychna is the longest recorded cave in Eurasia as well as the fifth-longest in the world. It also happens to be a gypsum cave.

While explorers were spelunking in the cave, they stumbled upon these eerie sculptures. These sculptures were likely made out of the gypsum found in the cave by other explorers. Either way, it’s a bit creepy having a sculpture of death waiting down there.

Reddit by fearlessandfar

Seeds of a Tomato Germinating

This arguably gross-looking tomato is going through a process known as vivipary. Vivipary is a very normal process seen in many plant species whereby the seeds develop and detach from the parent. The green that you see is the developing seedlings.

Vivipary normally occurs near the end of the parent or host’s life cycle. The process ensures that the seeds are protected and nurtured before they have to be released and develop themselves. Nature never fails to keep us entertained with its bizarre and beautiful creations.

Reddit by callmeRira

Malicious use of a Golf Ball

What we label as “creative” is often subjective and is therefore up for debate. This sentiment rings ever true for creative works or projects that are a little unorthodox. For example, shooting a golf ball through a plastic baby doll…

Yes, you read that right. Someone decided it would be a neat idea to shoot a golf ball at a doll and record the carnage. The result was disconcerting, to say the least. Honestly makes you wonder what went through their mind.

Reddit by Letibleu

Finding a Giant Spider Web at Work

Chores are never fun to do; most people don’t want to do the dishes or mop the floor. That said, we also know how bad it can get if you keep leaving it off. A fact perfectly illustrated in this photo.

What you’re looking at is a giant spider web covering the beams and structure of this building. We suppose no one ever noticed the webs due to them hanging above the light fixture. Let this be a lesson on keeping things clean.

Reddit by spartankork

Freaky Eye

Eyes have always been a source of attraction and even poetic inspiration over the centuries. This is no better expressed in the common idiom that “eyes are the window to the soul.” All eyes are captivating, but some more so than others.

Take this individual, for example, and their peculiar eye that never fails to catch people’s attention. This person was born with a rare condition known as Coloboma. It’s a condition that occurs when the tissue of the eye never properly develops during pregnancy.

Reddit by Nira

Seeds of the Paeonia Lactiflora

The Paeonia lactiflora is an herbaceous flowering plant native to eastern and central Asia. The flower is also known as a Chinese peony because of its geographic origins, though the common garden people is another acceptable term. But the name isn’t what’s cool; it’s the seeds that we’re interested in.

Don’t worry those are not someone’s teeth, even though they look like they are. This unnerving picture is actually of the flower’s seeds. Disturbing appearance aside, there is nothing extraordinary or even odd about them. They are just simple seedlings.

Reddit by Ram232605

Sheeple…

Hobbies are fun and a great way to keep life interesting and the mind active. However, some hobbies can be a little weird, just like this Canadian dance company. Yes, the performers of this dance trope are wearing sheep costumes.

Corpus, as the troupe is known, is well known for its bizarre performances that combine dance with comedy. The performers not only dress like sheep, but they act like them as well. A little weird, but the kids probably love it.

Reddit by laurifroggy

Horrifying Silicon Skin Shoes

This horrifying and stomach-churning image is of a pair of silicon shoes designed to look like human skin. We have no idea who thought this unnerving idea up or why they went through with it. You haven’t even heard of the price…

This nightmarish creation is said to cost over $10,000! An absurd amount of money for two reasons. Why would you want them? And would you even wear them? Even if they were being sold for $1, we would not buy them.

Instagram by Fecalmatter

Creepy Human Shaped Coin Purse

Speaking of creepy things no one asked for, we have this disturbing coin purse that looks like a human face. We once again have no idea who made this and why they did it. The whole thing is just too unsettling.

But wait, it gets worse. While you cannot really see it in these pictures, the “purse” even has fake human teeth inside the mouth. If nothing else, it could be a great prop for your next Halloween costume or décor.

Reddit by BeardedGlass

The Spanish Dancer

This great and colorful blob is called a Spanish dancer slug. A species of sea slug that is, funnily enough, not native to or anywhere close to Spain. The slug is instead native to subtropical waters in the Indo-Pacific waters.

This means that you will have to travel to Hawaii, South Japan, or Australia if you want to see one. The dancer earned its name thanks to its unusual defense mechanism. A defense that resembles the flaps of the dresses of Spanish dancers.

Instagram by adigaz

A Door Made out of Snow?

Shifting things away from the disturbing to the more interesting side, we have a door made out of snow. Well, kind of. In the colder places of the world, it’s fairly common to wake up and find your house buried in snow.

A scary scenario that happened to this home in Canada, where the snow reached the same height as the door. The pressure of the snow pressing into the door frame even left an impression on the snow. Talk about a winter horror land.

Reddit by 4reddityo

Donald Duck as a Human

It is scary how fast technology is developing each year. But what is scarier is some of the things it can do. Take AI technology, for example, like this one that was tasked with recreating Donald Duck’s face as a human one.

And this was the frightening result. While it’s certainly impressive what the AI was capable of doing, the final product is sure to make kids cry. An outcome you don’t really want one of your beloved children’s characters to do.

Reddit by Watermelana

Disco Scorpions

We’re pretty sure you aren’t going to fact-check this the next time you happen across a scorpion but did you know that the little critters glow in the dark under ultraviolet light? You’d think that scientists would have figured out why but even they are unsure.

One study suggests that since scorpions are nocturnal and like to avoid light, the “glow” helps them detect UV light. This seems to be the accepted answer, as another study found that scorpions use the glow as an indication to run away.

flickr by Kevin Young

Luminous Tasmanian Devils

Scorpians are not the only living creatures that glow in the dark. You may have seen pictures of fluorescent jellyfish floating in the sea, but interestingly enough, this glow has been discovered in other animals like squirrels, platypuses, and possums.

Jack Schoen, a technician at a zoo in Toledo, Ohio, discovered that Tasmanian Devils are also fluorescent when he observed the ones at his zoo. Again, no one knows for sure why this glow exists, but they think, in this case, the glow may be used to attract mates or find each other in the dark.

Toledo Zoo

Fungus Fingers

We have watched too many true crime documentaries to be comfortable with this next picture. It looks like someone’s hand shooting out of a shallow grave. Perhaps this is how the zombie apocalypse starts? This is definitely going to make an appearance in our nightmares.

This is known as Dead Man’s Fingers and grows at the base of rotting trees. This fungus is also known as Hemlock Water-Dropwort. It is quite poisonous and has been known to cause fatalities, so it is best to stay away from this creepy fungus.

Reddit by Green_OPRR

The Eye of the Earth

Every day we discover yet another earthly marvel. The eye of the Earth in Croatia definitely astounds with its beauty. Officially known as the Cetina River Spring, this body of water received its moniker because of its resemblance to an eye.

The Cetina River Spring is as frightening as it is beautiful. It plunges to the deepest depth of the Earth. In fact, it is unknown just how deep it is because divers have only managed to dive to 115 meters. How fascinating!

backpackersintheworld