There aren’t many experiences most of us can say we share with Kevin McCallister from Home Alone. But being afraid to go into your basement as a kid is probably a common one. I have to admit, they look and feel spooky to me even now. I’d much rather reserve that kind of creepiness for when I watch horror films. However, some people are into that kind of stuff. The more horrifying, the better. That’s why we’ve compiled some pictures of the most eerie and chilling basements and cellars we could find. Creepy dolls, unsettling Catholic paraphernalia, and just generally uncanny vibes – lovers of all things bizarre will probably have a field day with this. Bored Panda reached out to Kat and Jethro Gilligan Toth, masters of the creepy and the bizarre and the hosts of The Box of Oddities podcast. Scroll down to see their thoughts on why we find creepy basements so intriguing and their favorite stories from the podcast involving these unsettling spaces! More info: The Box of Oddities | Listen to The Box of Oddities here! To get to the bottom of why we find creepy basements, old hospitals, crawl spaces, etc., so fascinating, Bored Panda decided to consult with the experts on all things strange. Kat and Jethro Gilligan Toth host the Webby Award-winning podcast The Box of Oddities, where they share their love for unusual stories and inject them with their humor and commentary. The pair cover everything from the strange history of medical practices to chilling true crime stories. The Box of Oddities has been downloaded more than 26 million times, so you know the stories ought to be good! Jethro from The Box of Oddities says it probably has to do with the fact that they’re under the ground. That taps into our fear of mortality. “The fact that it’s underground reminds us that, historically, bodies have been buried underground, graves are underground, crypts are often underground, and catacombs are underground.” His co-host Kat says that basements also elicit a negative physical reaction from us. “The feeling of a basement is often cold and wet, and our bodies instinctively are uncomfortable in those environments.” “Perhaps this triggers something inside, reminding us that one day, we’ll all [pass away],” Jethro adds. “Numerous reports of strange activity have been associated with it, from an overwhelming sense of sadness to more extreme experiences, such as ghostly apparitions of Civil War soldiers and scenes of medical procedures like amputations.” If you’re looking for more unsolved mysteries, paranormal phenomena, and strange cultural practices from all around the world, be sure to give The Box of Oddities a listen! Kat and Jethro masterfully present cases in an informative and entertaining manner, offering a unique look into the dark and mysterious corners of the world! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
