50 times people almost had a heart attack over what they thought they saw

Whether it’s because you just finished watching a horror movie or are sleep-deprived, your eyes can play tricks on you now and then. Some explain this phenomenon as a sort of evolutionary advantage humans have that makes them sense danger, imagined or real.

Nonetheless, these tricks of the eye can still be terrifying in the few seconds before you realize just what you’re actually seeing.

Check out these heart-attack-inducing photos of innocent things that ended up scaring people.

#1 The nun

People who have watched The Conjuring films are probably familiar with that demon nun that looks awfully similar to the shape of this coat. Fortunately, it’s all just a trick of the light and the way the coat hangs.

spooky — littlefoot2080 via Reddit
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littlefoot2080 via Reddit

#2 Window ‘creeper’

We really can’t blame this sister for freaking out seeing that ominous figure in her apartment’s window. But as it turns out, it was just some clothes hanging to create a man-shaped shadow.

#3 Surprise Slenderman

You never really expect to see Slenderman in public, much less at a New York City clothing store. And people certainly never imagined the creepy ghoul to be selling them a pair of jeans.

scary — bmagnusson via Imgur
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bmagnusson via Imgur

#4 Abandoned house

Whoever put that girl doll by this abandoned house’s window sure knows what they’re doing. What’s more, they must be pleased with themselves since a couple passing by almost had a heart attack seeing the ‘welcoming’ figure.

#5 More interesting than it looks

At first glance, you would think this was a giant spider out to get you. In reality, it’s some ancient whale bones above an old well.

#6 Literal butt-face

This kid’s mom probably regretted buying her son a jack-o-lantern onesie after seeing this in the middle of the night. Her baby looks all snug and comfy, though.

crib — LadyJane17 via Reddit
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LadyJane17 via Reddit

#7 Scene of the crime

No, nobody got shot at school that day. One student just spilled their smoothie while in class and left this “bloody” mess behind.

#8 You’ll float too!

Imagine being so excited to see what you’re first baby looks like and being greeted with this sight. The moment was ruined, but the parents now have a cool story to tell about that time Pennywise the Clown appeared on their ultrasound.

ultrasound — squidills via Reddit
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squidills via Reddit

#9 The perks of tidying up

This was one of those times when tidying up would’ve paid off big time. Hopefully, this little scare taught them a lesson not to leave things lying around on the bedroom floor.

mess — pooptime1 via Reddit
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pooptime1 via Reddit

#10 Surprise passengers

Aww…we bet poor dad had a mini heart attack after getting into his dark and supposedly empty car and then seeing those ‘strange’ passengers in the back. As it turns out, his wife just left some of their kids’ presents back there.

car — Apatharas via Reddit
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Apatharas via Reddit

#11 When a thoughtful gift backfires

He bought his photographer wife a cool lens-shape thermos as a thoughtful gift. It backfired, though, because he always panics when seeing it in the sink before realizing it’s the fake one.

sink — Tryenamy via Reddit
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Tryenamy via Reddit

#12 Watching you, watching her

It looks like mommy isn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep – as this baby monitor screenshot proves. What are the odds that she’d catch her kid looking right into the camera?

child — jcmcna0733 via Reddit
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jcmcna0733 via Reddit

#13 Bacon or Pennywise?

It looks like Pennywise really is an expert at catching people off guard. Too bad for him, the person who took this picture was probably hungry for bacon and ate him anyway.

#14 Deep cleaning

Don’t worry. This cute dog isn’t really being impaled at the groomers. The groomer is actually an amputee.

#15 What’s up?

Their cat sure is clingy. He can’t stand being apart from them so he camouflages himself in with the ceiling. Who says cats can’t be loyal?

cat — frex4 via Reddit
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frex4 via Reddit

#16 Just napping

We eventually get to that age when we have to nap ASAP. There is no time to get under the covers or lie on the pillows or take your shoes off. Still, this guy got the scare of a lifetime seeing his grandma napping like this.

nap — joeltrane via Reddit
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joeltrane via Reddit

#17 Just being a good guy

We bet they thought his son was bluffing when he woke his folks up at 3 am because he saw a strange man on their porch wielding a stick. Bad news: he was actually there. Good news: it was just the paper delivery guy retrieving a roll he accidentally threw on the roof.

man — thebeesremain via Reddit
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thebeesremain via Reddit

#18 Light bending

Light can easily play tricks on the eyes. A quick glance at this green figure led this person to have new nightmare fuel. In reality, it was just a harmless emergency light.

#19 One of the boys

One of these things is not like the others. One of these things is not the same. Can you guess which?

shop — Nundee via Imgur
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Nundee via Imgur

#20 Heavy sleeper

We imagine this person was absolutely horrified when he first saw his pet sleeping like that. He just likes getting comfy is all.

#21 One-eyed skull

Nope. The skeleton didn’t suddenly grow an eye overnight. That’s just the fish tank snail getting settled into a new spot.

#22 I know what you did last summer

We bet he thought he had been transported into the film ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ when he saw this. It was just his housemate’s drying fishing waders, thankfully.

wash — jabrah15 via Reddit
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jabrah15 via Reddit

#23 My precious…

Let it sink in. Someone actually took the time to print this photo out and stick it to their friend’s side mirror for fun.

#24 I brought you a present

Dogs bring in the weirdest objects back home after playing outside. But this is by far the most unusual one we’ve seen.

dog — erethenn via Reddit
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erethenn via Reddit

#25 A scary sight to wake up to

At first glance, it looks like this cat either stabbed something or was stabbed by something. But nope. That’s just some paprika.

cat — bessiboom via Imgur
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bessiboom via Imgur

#26 A new friend

These concerned parents just saw a disembodied baby head sleeping next to their son, so they had to investigate. Thank god it wasn’t really what they thought it was.

#27 It’s coming for you

They probably thought Sadako was getting ready to drag him down her well. It was just his wife’s gloves left out to dry.

hands — RoninGR via Reddit
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RoninGR via Reddit

#28 CatDog without his other half

It’s been a lonely world for Dog when he finally got separated from Cat. They might have been opposites by his feline buddy was still his better half.

dog — esquonk via Reddit
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esquonk via Reddit

#29 Burning down the house

The neighbors probably thought someone next door just opened the gates of hell. We still can’t believe this was a product of a sunset’s reflection.

fire — PeteLX via Reddit
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PeteLX via Reddit

#30 Kids on board

Kids can be weird, but these fake children staring right out into your soul are next-level creepy. Looking closely, we think they are actually headrest covers.

car — Recoverytime via Imgur
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Recoverytime via Imgur

#31 Shadow of nature

This looks like it is straight out of a horror movie. Luckily for the person who saw it, there were no demons stalking him. It was just the shadow of a tree outside.

#32 Hooded figure

We never knew something as comforting as a snuggie could actually look as ominous as a cult robe. It really is all about perspective.

#33 A new breed of walnut

Walnuts are one of the tastiest yet weirdly shaped nuts out there. We can’t really blame anyone for freaking out for a second after seeing this web-like shape.

#34 Just a messy closet

If this were a slasher film, this would’ve been the unconscious body of the final girl’s teenage friend. But this isn’t a horror film, so it’s actually just a messy closet ‘leaking’ its contents out.

shoe — Rkblack12 via Reddit
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Rkblack12 via Reddit

#35 Don’t turn on the lights…

Props to them for not running out of the house to call an exorcist or something after seeing this. Here’s more incentive to make your bed every morning.

#36 Just hanging

Here’s another instance of hanging boots freaking someone out. And it never helps that they’re always kept in dark basements.

#37 Burglar-proof

This person’s neighbor may be resting easy because of his new anti-burglar cardboard cutout, but the people next door sure aren’t. It’s kind of hard getting used to seeing this whenever you get home from work.

man — Eldeee via Reddit
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Eldeee via Reddit

#38 False alarm

Sometimes, it’s best to just err on the safe side and call the cops before suspicions turn into trouble. Not in this case, though. Apparently, what they thought was an intruder was just their hanging laundry.

#39 When the sun messes with you

The sun may be millions of miles away from us, but it can still find ways to mess with people. Case in point is this giant spider that’s really just the inner workings of a lamp.

#40 Drunk chick or dead body?

This scene can lead one to jump to numerous conclusions. Is it a drunk girl lying in the trash? A dead body discarded in the cardboard? Nope, it’s just an old pair of boots on a mannequin.

#41 Hurricane aftermath

Here’s another instance in which a discarded mannequin gave onlookers a heart attack. This time it’s a washed-up mannequin head brought by Hurricane Sandy.

#42 Old crone

He probably thought his friend was just messing with him after seeing this ‘sitting’ sack by his buddies home. It might have been accidental placement, or was it?

drivetothebeat via Reddit
Source:

drivetothebeat via Reddit

#43 Unconventional methods

We can’t really blame them for freaking out after seeing what looks like a person’s feet hanging out the window of their friend’s 11th-floor apartment. Thankfully, it was just a pair of shoes left out to dry.

boots — amandalauren16 via Reddit
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amandalauren16 via Reddit

#44 Messing with dad

The trampoline just got a hole in it. While this might be cause for a tantrum to other kids, this little girl decided to have some fun and give her dad a scare.

decapitated — Cerebos via Reddit
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Cerebos via Reddit

#45 Strangest visitor

Maybe his wife’s idea of drying the comforter on a chair instead of in the dryer wasn’t the best idea. He almost had a heart attack walking in to see this strange visitor seemingly waiting in their dining room.

ghost — schrute_beet_farms via Reddit
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schrute_beet_farms via Reddit

#46 Bedfellow

It looks like her bedding has a mind of its own. Maybe she’ll learn to fluff her pillows and pull back her covers from now on.

lump — ThisIsHowIShowMyLove via Reddit
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ThisIsHowIShowMyLove via Reddit

#47 How horror movies start

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night sleeping on your mom’s couch and being greeted by this sight. This is not a good way to start the morning.

#48 Freaky decor

It’s quite hard to tell what this really is. It certainly looks like a hanged girl in a school uniform, so the person who snapped this picture was understandably freaked out by their neighbor’s choice of décor.

#49 Someone’s at the door

Here’s a reminder never to leave your boots right outside your door. You’ll have a mini heart attack thinking there’s a strange man standing right outside.

#50 The ‘handmaid’

This could’ve easily been a serious situation. It’s a good thing that what they thought was a suicidal handmaid was actually just a red and white umbrella.

umbrella — itsmeCaseyMc via Twitter
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itsmeCaseyMc via Twitter

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