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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.

#1 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

Image credits: goodluck_canuck

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.

#2 Every Morning At 11 Or So, Window Man Shows Up And Scares The Bejesus Out Of Me (My Neighbor’s Chimney)

Image credits: audiocranium

#3 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

Image credits: sesse301187

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.

#4 Bottled Water’s True Nature

Image credits: zschultz

#5 My Daughter’s Stuffed Dog Rolled Under Her Bed. Checking The Monitor Gave Me A Damn Heart Attack

Image credits: dananky

#6 Just Some Regular Rubber Gloves Washing Accidentally Opened The Gate Of Hell

Image credits: green1

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.

#7 This Tall Guy In My Neighbor’s Yard Always Scares The Hell Out Of Me… It’s 2 Small Trees And A Satellite Dish

Image credits: Chriscuits

#8 Jesus, That’s Creepy

Image credits: LilyLaina

#9 Almost Had A Heart Attack Coming Out Of The Subway Today

Image credits: Indy4exe

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.

#10 Not Sure Why Your Cousin Was Freaked Out By Their Baby Monitor – This Is What Shows Up On Mine Every Night

Image credits: Mindwolf77

#11 Almost Got Me A Heart Attack Middle Of The Highway

Image credits: Xorneluse

#12 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!

Image credits: kara-foster10

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).

#13 You Get Afraid Thinking These Are Ku Klux Klan Members Until You Realize They Are Only Closed Parasols In The Beach

Image credits: reddit.com

#14 Creepy Statues All Over Town Made Me Nearly Pee My Pants At 2 Am

Image credits: TheCharlienator

#15 I Found This Child-Sized Rescue Dummy On The Bottom Of Lake Natoma, CA, And Thought I Was Going To Have A Heart Attack

Image credits: Merman_Mike

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.

#16 My Grandma Made A Knitted Toilet Seat Cover And The Corner Sticks Out A Bit, Nearly Gave Me A Heart Attack

Image credits: ImAnAnwsomeGuy

#17 Girlfriend Taking The Dog Outside And The Bad Amazon Solar Lights Illuminating Her Face

Image credits: KennKennyKenKen

#18 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.

Image credits: reddit.com

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.

#19 Moving Furniture Around The Store And Glanced Over To Have This Scare The Hell Out Of Me. I Thought It Was A Customer

Image credits: cjones782

#20 The Reflection Of The Fireplace Freaks Me Out For Just A Second Every Time

Image credits: OldSchoolNinjaa

#21 My Daughter Legitimately Scared Me When I Checked Her Monitor

Image credits: murdoc913

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.

#22 Just Walked Out Of My Kitchen And This Scared The Hell Out Of Me

Image credits: IAmSunno

#23 Poorly Colored Garden Hose Guaranteed To Give You A Heart Attack

Image credits: rocketman1706

#24 My Neighbor Is Trying To End Me By Heart Attack

Image credits: neverfarts

#25 My Chair Just Scared The Bejesus Out Of Me

Image credits: Cutter1998

#26 I Work Recycling Clothes And It’s Freaky Sometimes

Image credits: ronald_p_vincent

#27 Just Me And The Baby At Home, I Looked At The Baby Monitor And Had A Heart Attack

Image credits: joshuajames89

#28 Legit Scared Me On My Walk

Image credits: missmissie67

#29 This Is How My Husband Left His Boots. It Almost Scared The Hell Out Of Me

Image credits: haaslei

#30 I Saw This From Far Away And It Scared Me So Much

Image credits: iHaas69

#31 Scared The Daylights Out Of Me

Image credits: blinkysg

#32 My Daughter Just Came Around The Corner Wearing A Lavender Face Mask And Scared The Absolute Hell Out Of Me

Image credits: a-light-at-the-end

#33 I Saw This In My Neighbor’s Backyard

Image credits: svgethings

#34 Raindrops Formed This Human-Like Figure On My Ring Camera. Got Scared For A Second

Image credits: NinjaTunna

#35 This Mannequin Head Obscured Behind An Old Window Startled Me As I Walked By

Image credits: RigorMorris23

#36 My Friend’s Way Of Drying Shoes Scared Me A Bit. I Thought She Was Hanging Out Her 11th-Floor Window

Image credits: amandalauren16

#37 Sculptures Of Heads In The Woods. Scared The Heck Out Of Me

Image credits: shibashroom

#38 There Was No Child In The Back Seat. Scared The Bejesus Out Of Me

Image credits: dr–moreau

#39 Boots And A Coat… Scares The Everliving Hell Out Of Me Whenever I Leave The Basement

Image credits: beeetleboy

#40 Thomas The Tank Engine Kidnapped? Good, That Thing Scared The Hell Out Of Me The Other Night

Image credits: wait_huh

#41 My Partner Dressed Up His Mannequin And It Scares Me Every Time I Walk Past The Room

Image credits: queenofbo0ks

#42 The Store Was Almost Closed And This Nearly Scared Me

Image credits: Unknownandilikethat

#43 I Have A Fake Alligator Head In My Yard And Today While Taking My Dog Out It Scared Me

Image credits: ZachG03_

#44 Before I Realized It Was Me, I’ll Be Honest, I Was A Little Scared

Image credits: Jarroseph

#45 This Poster Of “Mr. Rodgers” At Work Gave Me A Heart Attack

Image credits: Garruk82

#46 I’m A Cable Guy, And This Scared Me So Bad On The Way To A Customer’s House

Image credits: Chiefhomer89

#47 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

Image credits: moreice45

#48 Checked My Cameras And This Blanket Almost Gave Me A Heart Attack

Image credits: dirtbagdano

#49 Almost Had A Heart Attack When Turning The Lights On In This Abandoned Storage Room

Image credits: rightbigtoe

#50 Apparently, There Is A Ginormous Spider Inside My Lamp Waiting To Wish Me A Merry Christmas

Image credits: jacquiquee

#51 Looked Up To See My Daughter’s Snowsuit Drying And Nearly Had A Heart Attack

Image credits: Erratic_Professional

#52 I Hung My Chest Waders In My Shop To Dry. Nearly Gave My Poor Dad A Heart Attack

Image credits: mogto

#53 Tired This Morning And Went To Throw The Trash Out… Had A Heart Attack For A Second

Image credits: lurerwhatlurker

#54 A Friend Of Mine Is A School Bus Driver And Nearly Had A Heart Attack When A Bread Truck Pulled Up Behind Her

Image credits: fightingdove

#55 Just Had A Heart Attack At Home Alone (My Wife’s Roman Reigns Pillow Case)

Image credits: Notgoodatinternetguy

#56 My Mom Washed My Snuggie And Hung It Up In My Room, Almost Had A Heart Attack

Image credits: Snaps4

#57 My Celeriac Scared The Hell Out Of Me

Image credits: Prefect01

#58 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

Image credits: Penguinz90

#59 Just Opened The Garage At The Job I’m On And Had A Heart Attack

Image credits: reddit.com

#60 Have You Ever Reached Into A Dark Pantry And Scared The Living Hell Out Of Yourself With A Potato? No? Me Either

Image credits: Anakalia6

#61 This Little Guy Scared The Heck Out Of Me

Image credits: vespasia

#62 Scared The Heck Out Of Me When I’ve Seen It The First Time

Image credits: Arbel

#63 I Was Waiting For An Exam And This Box Scared The Hell Out Of Me

Image credits: catfromjacksonville

#64 Brushing My Teeth At The Sink, Almost Had A Heart Attack With This Reflection

Image credits: tap_water_wolf

#65 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.