Buzz
While we logically understand that urban legends are just stories, stumbling upon a mysterious, low-quality video at 2:00 AM in a pitch-dark house can make rationality feel like a distant comfort. Despite our minds trying to convince us otherwise, there's an unsettling feeling that Slender Man is out there, lurking endlessly.
In the clear light of day, these tales of madness and suicide may not seem believable. However, revisit them in the dead of night, and you might find yourself too scared to turn off the lights.
10. The Haunting Suicide Portrait
Several years ago, an online rumor emerged about a young Japanese girl who tragically took her own life. Before her death, she created a self-portrait and shared it on the internet. Intrigued by this haunting piece of suicide memorabilia, numerous Korean forums began circulating the image. That’s when strange occurrences started.
Viewers found it difficult to look away from the sorrowful artwork. Some repeatedly shared it, claiming the eyes in the portrait seemed to captivate them. Others observed that prolonged staring caused subtle changes in the image—a faint smile appearing on the girl’s lips. Many reported overwhelming sadness after viewing it, and a few even allegedly took their own lives.
It’s now believed that prolonged exposure to the image could lead to a dangerous obsession. However, the original artist discovered the rumor and posted a dismissive message on their website, debunking the myth. Despite this, we’d rather not spend too much time gazing into those eerie eyes.
9. The Man Who Communicated With God
Imagine this: It’s 1983. A group of devout scientists propose a fascinating theory that a human brain free from external stimuli could perceive the presence of God. They recruit a terminally ill elderly man as their volunteer, meticulously block his nerve endings, and then wait to observe the results.
What followed could only be described as something out of H.P. Lovecraft’s darkest imaginings. Over the initial days, the elderly man murmured about his mental decline. By the fourth day, he mentioned hearing faint, distant voices. On the sixth day, he claimed his deceased wife started communicating with him.
Then the situation took a drastic turn for the worse.
As time went on, the voices of the dead grew louder and more aggressive. They turned hostile, taunting him, and revealed horrifying truths no one should ever hear. Legend has it that the man began screaming, clawing at his blind eyes, and repeatedly crying, “No heaven, no forgiveness.” Eventually, he started biting his own flesh in a frenzy, declaring that he had encountered God and that “He has forsaken us.”
Fortunately, this story is just a particularly chilling urban legend. However, it’s unsettling enough to have terrified many, and it occasionally resurfaces online whenever there’s a craving for bone-chilling horror.
8. The Disney Suicides
Disneyland seems to have a peculiar allure for stories of suicide. Scour the internet, and you’ll find countless claims of bodies discovered on its rides. However, none are as infamous as the Small World suicide legend.
According to the tale, the Small World ride suddenly shut down one day in 1999. Mid-ride, the music stopped, the lights turned on, and staff instructed visitors to exit. When questioned, they provided unclear explanations and hurried everyone out. Allegedly, one tourist had her camera ready. As she left, she snapped a few photos and didn’t think much of it—until the film was developed, revealing this image.
Yes, that’s a child hanging from the rafters. The story claims the child took their own life while families enjoyed the ride, oblivious to the horror above them. If this sounds too unbelievable, consider that a near-successful suicide attempt occurred at Disneyland Paris last year, making such incidents less improbable than they seem.
7. Farmer John’s Tragic Suicide
Have you ever pondered what exactly is inside those pre-packaged, processed sausages you occasionally purchase? If you were in Tucson, Arizona, during the 1960s, you might have gotten a shocking answer . . .
Legend has it that the owner of a meat-packing facility woke up one morning to discover his children were missing. With his brother’s assistance, they searched the farm but found no sign of the kids. After several hours, they contacted the police, who uncovered a horrifying truth.
The material coming out of the meat grinder that day was human flesh—shredded and ground into a gruesome paste. Realizing it could only be his missing children, the owner retreated to the boiler room and silently took his own life. Chilling, isn’t it? And this is just the start.
Two decades after the children’s tragic deaths, employees at the plant made a horrifying discovery. The brother of the former owner was found hanged in the boiler room, with the words “I DID IT” carved into his chest. Simultaneously, locals visiting the town cemetery noticed the soil above the owner’s grave had been mysteriously disturbed overnight. Today, it’s rumored that every October, the ghosts of the two children can be seen falling into the grinder, while on Halloween, the spirits of the two hanged men return to the boiler room.
6. The Haunting Staring Video
The video features a man staring blankly into the camera for about two minutes. Uploaded to YouTube without explanation, it has been viewed by hundreds. Its purpose? To drive viewers completely insane.
Known as the Mereana Mordegard Glesgorv video, legend has it that YouTube removed it early on after discovering its disturbing effects. Those who watched it to the end reportedly saw the man’s expressionless face twist into an evil grin. Afterward, viewers allegedly lost their minds. Some were said to have gouged out their own eyes, while others mutilated their arms or even took their own lives. It’s claimed that no one can watch beyond 45 seconds without screaming, and continuing further risks losing all sanity.
At least, that’s the tale. In reality, the video features a man named Bryan Cortez, who appears perfectly normal and approachable today. But we wouldn’t fault you for skipping the video altogether—just to be safe.
5. Mickey Mouse’s Descent Into Hell
The eerie concept of a “lost episode” has become a sub-genre of modern urban legends. Yet, none are as disturbing as the one that started it all: the infamous lost Mickey Mouse cartoon.
Legend has it that this cartoon appears unremarkable at first. It shows a black-and-white Mickey Mouse walking against a looping background, accompanied by white noise. Around the two-minute mark, the screen cuts to black, seemingly ending the clip. Or so it seems.
Wait until the six-minute mark, and the cartoon is said to reappear. By this point, the white noise has been replaced by faint, indistinct voices. The background Mickey was walking against begins to warp in ways that are unsettling to the human eye, and Mickey himself wears a disturbing smirk.
From there, the cartoon allegedly descends into horror. A scream builds on the soundtrack as Mickey appears to decay, his eyes falling out and his grin stretching unnaturally. Impossible colors flash across the screen, burning rubble emerges in the background, and then . . .
Supposedly, no one knows what happens next. The sole Disney employee who reportedly watched it to the end took his own life shortly after. His only note described the final frame: a line of Russian text translating to “the sights of hell bring its viewers back in.” Now, it’s rumored to be lurking online, waiting for someone to discover it.
4. The Men Who Never Slept
In 2010, a chilling rumor emerged about a Soviet sleep experiment. During the 1940s, Russian scientists allegedly administered an experimental stimulant to five political prisoners to keep them awake, then observed the results.
What followed was a descent into horror. Initially, the men seemed fine, but over time, paranoia took hold. As days passed, they began screaming uncontrollably, with one prisoner screaming so violently that he damaged his vocal cords. Eventually, they all fell silent.
After three tense days, the scientists reportedly checked on the prisoners. Upon opening the door, they encountered a scene of utter chaos. Four of the men had killed and cannibalized the fifth, then turned on themselves. In their madness, they had ripped out chunks of their own flesh, bitten off fingers, and even attempted to disembowel themselves—all while smiling eerily, as if at peace.
The legend grows even more gruesome from here, but Snopes has thoroughly debunked the story. Still, if thoughts of those emaciated, deranged men (WARNING) haunt you tonight, know you’re not alone.
3. The Smiling Man
A few years back, a Reddit user shared a chilling encounter on the LetsNotMeet forum. Since then, similar stories of “The Smiling Man” have surfaced nationwide, but the original account remains the most terrifying.
The story recounts how the poster was walking late at night on an empty Seattle street when they noticed a man “dancing” on the sidewalk. Assuming he was intoxicated, the poster paused to let him pass, only to get a clear view of his face.
As the legend goes, the “dancing” man wasn’t drunk—nor was he sane. His eyes were unnaturally wide, wild, and unfocused, fixed on the night sky. His face bore an exaggerated, almost agonizing grin, making him appear completely deranged.
At this moment, the narrator crossed the street, and the situation turned eerie. The Smiling Man began tracking his movements, still grinning at the sky. Whenever the poster looked away, the man would disappear, only to reappear on the opposite side of the street. When the poster watched him, he’d freeze in place, his unsettling smile never fading.
Realizing the danger, the poster decided not to look away. This turned out to be a mistake: The Smiling Man began approaching him, taking exaggerated, tiptoeing steps like a cartoon character—one that could move alarmingly fast. Soon, he started chasing the poster, sprinting with terrifying speed, his manic grin still fixed on his blank face.
The poster eventually reached a well-lit street, and the story concludes there. However, there’s a chilling twist. The LetsNotMeet forum isn’t for sharing urban legends; it’s for recounting real-life encounters with real people.
That’s right: Unlike the other entries on this list, The Smiling Man is as real as you or me. And he’s out there somewhere, waiting to cross paths with you in a dark alley.
Sleep well tonight—if you can.
2. The Smiling Dog
Somewhere online, there’s a photograph you should avoid at all costs. It’s a scanned Polaroid of a “smiling” husky in a dimly lit room, reputed to be one of the most unsettling images you’ll ever encounter—so disturbing that it’s said to drive viewers to madness.
The story claims the image, known as Smile.jpg, first appeared on Usenet in the 1990s. It’s rumored to cause seizures and intense panic in those who view it. But the most horrifying aspect is the dog’s smile—unnervingly human-like and twisted, it’s said to linger in your nightmares, gradually driving you insane. Many versions of the legend suggest the dog compels viewers to “spread the word,” forcing them to share the cursed image with others. Some reportedly take their own lives, while others pass on the sinister message.
Originally a fictional tale, the Smiling Dog inexplicably captured the internet’s fascination. It has appeared on numerous websites and continues to circulate as a supposed urban legend. One look at its eerie, Photoshopped grin makes it clear why it remains so haunting.
1. The Japanese Suicide Film
Unlike most entries on this list, the tale of Tengoku ni Musubu Koi—the Japanese suicide film—lacks a clear origin. Over time, the story has evolved, blurring the line between fact and fiction.
The legend recounts that in 1932, two Japanese student lovers took their own lives by jumping into a volcano. Captivated by their story, renowned director Heinosuke Gosho rushed to create a film adaptation. Titled A Love That Reached Heaven, the movie became a massive success, adored by couples nationwide. This much is true. The eerie part comes next. According to various accounts, viewers became so entranced by the film that they began taking their own lives in the theaters.
Not just a few, but hundreds. Many versions of the story claim that ushers had to monitor the aisles to prevent suicides during screenings, yet countless deaths still occurred.
No credible records exist from this chaotic period. The only mention comes from a book about Gosho, which notes that a handful of couples were inspired by his film to leap into the volcano—far from the mass theater suicides of legend, but still unsettling enough to make us avoid watching it.
