psychological

Mind games taken way too far; explore the disturbing genre of psychological thrillers that make us question our perception of sanity and reality.

The Chilling TikTok Trend That’s Haunting Users: The “Mirror Reflection Challenge” Gone Wrong
Introduction TikTok has seen countless trends come and go — dance routines, pranks, and even bizarre food combinations. But the latest viral sensation, known as the “Mirror Reflection Challenge,” is taking an unexpectedly dark turn. What started as a playful experiment with camera angles has allegedly led to unexplained reflections, paranormal encounters, and deeply unsettling footage.
By Manisha James8 months ago in Horror
The one named shadow
My name is Ruhan. I’m a writer—by profession and by obsession. Reality often feels too rigid, too uninspired, and so I find my solace in imagination. I rented a cottage due to this. Not a modern getaway, but an old, creaking structure tucked into the forgotten hills. Isolated, weather-worn, and eerily silent—perfect for writing my next horror story. The place was everything I’d hoped for. Dust lined the windowpanes, cobwebs hung in corners like ancient ornaments, and the wooden floor groaned under every step. The valley was filled at night with the distant howls of unidentified dogs. It felt like I had walked into one of my own stories. But fiction bled into reality faster than I expected. First Twist: The Knock I heard it the very first night. Knock... knock... knock... Three soft, deliberate taps at exactly 3 a.m. Half-asleep, I brushed it off as the wind—until I noticed the paper on the doorstep. A single, small sheet, folded twice. On it, in trembling handwriting: “I am your shadow. You’ve forgotten me. Come to the mirror.” My skin went cold. I was supposed to be alone. Cautiously, I stepped in front of the old mirror above the fireplace. My reflection stared back—until it didn’t. The eyes of my reflection turned away from me and toward my side. But I hadn’t moved. I was still staring forward. The power went out. Darkness swallowed the cottage. I fumbled for my candle, and as the flame flickered to life, the room felt... larger. The shadows stretched further than they should have. And some of them moved just slightly out of sync. Second Twist: The Shadow I began to notice more. One shadow—my shadow—moved a heartbeat too late. It didn't when I paused. When I turned, it stayed still. Sometimes, I saw it watching me. And one night, it spoke. Standing right in front of me—identical in shape but hollow, faceless—it whispered in a trembling voice: “You’ve taken my place, Ruhan.” Terror gripped me. I bolted out of the door into the cold, mist-filled night. No signs of life. Only fog—and a whisper that followed: “You’re not the real one. I am.” I didn’t sleep that night. No Reflection on the Third Twist The next morning, everything changed. I went to the mirror—and saw nothing. No reflection. No movement. Just the dull surface of glass. I blinked. I raised my hand. Nothing. It was like I didn’t exist. I stopped writing. My thoughts turned to static. I could only hear the shadow’s voice, feel its presence in every room, see it in every corner of my eye. One night, desperate to escape, I ran. I simply opened the door and there it was, nothing packed. My shadow. Same clothes. Same face. But colder. It calmly stated, "You're making a mistake, Ruhan." “You are me now. If you leave, you’ll be erased.” I pushed it aside and ran away. Down winding paths I’d never seen before. But I always returned to the cottage, no matter where I turned. The wall-mounted clock? 3:08 a.m. Every. Single. Time. Fourth Twist: The Loop That’s when I realized—I was trapped. Caught in a loop. The same hour, the same sequence, the same terror—repeating, bending my mind more each time. Eventually, I collapsed. The world around me shattered like a broken mirror. And then—silence. When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t in the cottage anymore. White walls. Soft humming machines. Screens showing footage from the cottage. And I'm being watched by men in lab coats. “He’s finally awake,” one of them said. “Subject-74 is stable.”
By Istiak 8 months ago in Horror
The Hour of 3:33
Nishan was just twenty years old. He had never experienced sleep before in nearly two months. His eyes were not even touched by a moment of rest. His mind alternated between fear and confusion at all times, and his bones were as heavy as stone. It felt as if some invisible force had chained his eyelids open—an unseen hand keeping him locked in wakefulness. He initially attributed it to the usual suspects—exam pressure, academic anxiety, and possibly even the insidious ache of a long-lost love. He was aware of something else, though, deep down. Something more sinister. In Jessore, Nishan lived in an old flat that seemed to talk to itself when the wind blew. A science student by day, his world revolved around equations, graphs, and molecules. But by night, everything changed. The equations vanished, replaced by silence, shadows, and the weight of invisible eyes. Each night, as the city slipped into slumber, Nishan sat at the window, staring at the empty street below. And then it began—at exactly 3:33 AM, he would see it. A shadowy figure. The first night, he dismissed it—a coincidence, perhaps a reflection or a sleepless passerby. The second night, he doubted his own eyes—hallucinations from sleep deprivation, surely. But the third night? "Do you not see it?" Nishan whispered to his roommate, Shovon. Shovon moved about, barely awake. “Go to sleep, man. He turned over and murmured, "You're overthinking." But Nishan couldn’t sleep. Outside the window, the figure was back. A human-like form draped in white, standing perfectly still. Its head hung low, and though its face was unclear, Nishan could sense its eyes—foggy, cold, and endless. It didn’t move. It didn’t speak. It only watched. On the fourth night, everything changed. At 3:33, Shovon rose silently from his bed, his eyes shut but body moving. He walked slowly, trance-like, toward the door. His hand reached out, turned the knob, and stepped outside. “Shovon! Where are you going?!” Nishan cried, panic rising in his throat. No reply. He ran to the window, and his blood ran cold. Shovon was outside—walking toward the mist—and behind him stood the same figure in white, motionless. The swirling fog thickened, and in seconds, both were gone. By morning, Shovon’s bed was empty. His shoes were still by the door. His phone lay on the desk. No one knew where he had gone. Nishan lost all sense of normalcy. He stopped attending classes. He dug through old journals and notebooks, desperate to find something—anything. Days blurred. Time lost meaning. Then he found it. A torn page from an old diary. A half-burned address and a cryptic, hastily written phrase were written on it: "In the time of sleep, the gate of dreams will open. 3:33.” Memories—fragmented and faded—began to surface. As a child, Nishan had lived in a special home on the outskirts of the city. A place where children were taught to master lucid dreaming. The instructors would instruct, "Control your dreams." "Lean on them. Form them. Never be controlled by them.” But one night, a fire broke out. The house burned to the ground. All the children perished. Except Nishan. He had made it. But in surviving, he had forgotten. Until now. The final night. Nishan fought sleep like a drowning man fights water. He drank tea by the pot, splashed cold water on his face, even banged his head against the wall to stay awake. But at some point… he slipped. Suddenly, he saw himself—asleep on the bed, breathing slowly. He also stood in white in the room's corner. The same white robes. The same bowed head. Same set of empty eyes. He looked at the clock. 3:33. And it had stopped ticking.
By Istiak 8 months ago in Horror
I'm Possessed by a Demon
I didn’t know what was happening at first. I assumed it was stress. I would find myself talking in front of a mirror, for hours on end. I disregarded my college classes whenever I felt like it. I talked back to my professors and sent death threats by email when they would dare to question why I started skipping.
By Emy Quinn8 months ago in Horror
The Whispers of Black Hollow Forest – A Nightmare That Never Ends
Deep in the heart of Oregon lies Black Hollow Forest—a place so cursed, locals refuse to utter its name after dark. It’s not just a tale to scare tourists; even experienced hikers won’t step near it. What makes Black Hollow terrifying isn’t what you see… it’s what you hear.
By Manisha James8 months ago in Horror
The Insanity Eater: Beware the Eye That Feeds
Beware, beware the creature’s eye She feeds from fear deep in your mind The words carved into the cover of the disfigured leather journal. Remnants of arson gnawed on the edges of its half-burnt spine, and traces of murder stained the once freshly cut birch pages; to the stench of rotting flesh. The inspector closely examined the warning on the cover under fading light of his candle. Too hard to be penetrated by quill, yet the engraving lacked the precision of a blade. The madman had dug his own nails into the book, as if the warning was for himself.
By Muhammad Sabeel8 months ago in Horror
She Wore Death Like a Gown
Dear Reader, This story isn't about a car chase or a foot chase. It is about our chase toward death or death's chase of us. Just thought you should be prepared.
By Muhammad Sabeel8 months ago in Horror
The Diary That Shattered My Childhood
When my mother died, the silence in her room was deafening. She had been the kind of woman who filled a space even in stillness—lavender lotion on the nightstand, quiet humming in the kitchen, soft prayers whispered at dusk. Now, it was just dust and an unmade bed. My sister, Anne, couldn’t bring herself to step inside. So it fell to me to sort through her things, to pack a lifetime into boxes and bags.
By Muhammad Sabeel8 months ago in Horror
The 25 Best Horror Books of the Last Decade - Vulture
Over the course of the past ten years, horror literature has experienced a renaissance, with authors pushing boundaries, fusing genres, and delivering fresh nightmares that last long after the final page. The last ten years have provided readers with some of the most chilling and original works in the genre, including psychological terrors, supernatural hauntings, and visceral body horror. Whether you're a longtime horror fan or a newcomer looking for a scare, this list compiles the 25 best horror books of the last decade—each one a standout in its own right.
By Silas Blackwood8 months ago in Horror
Spring-heeled Jack: The Mysterious Phantom of Victorian England (1837-1904)
Introduction Spring-heeled Jack is one of the most bizarre and enduring mysteries of Victorian England. This enigmatic figure terrorized London and the surrounding areas for decades. He was described as a terrifying supernatural being with glowing eyes, clawed hands, and the ability to leap incredible heights. Spring-heeled Jack's place in folklore has been established by eyewitness accounts, newspaper reports, and urban legends, blurring the lines between myth, widespread panic, and possible reality. This article explores the origins, reported sightings, theories, and cultural impact of Spring-heeled Jack, delving into why this strange figure continues to captivate the public imagination over a century after his last alleged appearance.
By Silas Blackwood8 months ago in Horror
Things You Can't Say six. Content Warning.
Vet visits. When it comes right down to it, I never realized just how humiliating they can be. For the pet at least. I’ve never thought that a routine physical could be so invasive. The way that he’s groping makes me shudder. Despite how hard that I tried not to I do. Which he tries to soothe by giving soft little hums and strokes my side. But there is no way in Hell that I’m allowing him to calm me down as he touches me. It just makes me tremble harder as I stand on the exam table. Keeping my hands steady as I can when he looks down at me like I’m some scared child. Soft pats on my hips as he tries to keep me from doing something stupid.
By Raphael Fontenelle8 months ago in Horror
Devil’s Pool: Australia’s Haunted Heart and the Legend of Oolana’s Eternal Sorrow
The Spooky Past and Ghost Stories of Queensland's Devil's Pool Hidden deep within Far North Queensland's dense rainforests, Devil's Pool at the Babinda Boulders is a location where nature is united with evil folklore and tragic history. Referred to as Australia's most haunted location, its beginning tale begins with an old Aboriginal myth and continues with a set of unexplained deaths.
By Kyrol Mojikal8 months ago in Horror