Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Divulge The Scariest Thing That's Ever Happened To Them

People Divulge The Scariest Thing That's Ever Happened To Them
closed glass-panel window inside dark room
Photo by Josh Nuttall on Unsplash

All of us have fears which some might call irrational.

Up to and including ghosts, witches, monsters.

But more often than not, reality can be far scarier than the supernatural.

And there are very few people indeed who don't have a memory of a moment when they were truly and genuinely scared.

And not by an otherworldly encounter, but by things that could quite literally happen to anyone.

Redditor GodhimselfUwU was curious to hear the scariest experiences people have lived through, leading them to ask:

"What’s the scariest non-supernatural thing that ever happened to you?"


Intruder

"I was 14, alone at my grandmas house around midnight."

"She was across the street at the bar she owned."

"I was playing games on her computer, about 15 feet from one of the windows facing the backyard."

"All of a sudden the glass from that window shatters, and I ran to one of the bedrooms."

"I can hear my name being called."

"Eventually I see my grandma's ex-boyfriend enter the living room where the computer is."

"He keeps saying my name."

"I’m scared sh*tless, but I walk out and confront him."

"He says my grandma stole his ID and that’s what he came for, as he’s taking money from my grandmas purse."

"He looks f*cked up on something."

"I forget how he leaves but when he does I call the bar and people come over looking for him."

"They didn’t find him."

"About a year later he did it again, and I was once again alone there."

"Except this time instead of breaking a window he decides to try to kick the side door in."

"I’m just there chilling when out of nowhere I hear the loudest bangs coming from the side of the house and I instantly knew what was happening."

"I immediately called the bar and they sent a bunch of people over before he could make it in."

"He apparently tried to jump from one of her sheds into the alley next to her house and broke his leg."

"He went to prison."- nfreshn

They're coming right for us!

"Two bison charging right toward me down a narrow wooded path in Yellowstone when I was 12."- pcc2

Open Range Running GIF by Reconnecting RootsGiphy

Uncomfortable in new surroundings.

"My sister has mental health issues."

"We were in a foreign country, driving across mountains on a one lane dirt road with no guardrails."

"She had a complete mental breakdown and threatened many times to drive off the edge."

"To this day, my mom swears my sister wouldn't have done it."

"All I say is, 'you weren't in the car'."

"'You have no idea'."- BlorengeJulius

Lost in the woods.

"Getting lost on 350 acres of woods in southeast Georgia."

"Was found about 6 hours later."

The dog found me hours before the people did.- No_Regrats_42

Scared Woods GIF by Brat TVGiphy

A near death experience.

"Was working as a linemen tasked to replace a 16m wooden power pole which requires climbing up to untie the lines from the isolators."

"I checked if the pole had any rot beforehand, climbed up, untied the lines, climbed down, as I was packing my tools up , the pole fell from its own."- LimaRadek

He wasn't who he claimed to be.

"A man claiming to be a meter reader was in our yard and tried the back door AFTER trying the front."

"It was unlocked because there was a field behind us and our gate had a lock, that he somehow got by."

"The meter reader man was nearly eaten by our Great Dane who was dumb and peaceful, except for when she laid eyes on him."

"Our other dog also wanted to kill him and he was up on our trampoline begging us to call the dogs off, which we, my then 11 year old sister and I, refused to do and went to get our dad, who worked from home."

"The guy escaped while we got our dad and my dad let the police know what happened."

"The real meter reader man came the next week."- Applesintheorchard

Dog Bouncing GIF by AFV PetsGiphy

Had no idea what they were witnessing.

"I guess watching a loved one have a seizure when I didn’t understand what it was."

"Legit thought I witnessed a death."

"Scary stuff."- Peppapigisgodly

Always look both ways.

"I got hit by a car while in a crosswalk a few months back."

"Had a split second where I saw him coming and realized what was about to happen."

"I thought I was going to die."- jolalolalulu

Big Sister to the Rescue.

"Saved my sisters life."

"We were boating and my parents just kinda assumed we’d be ok with them only out a couple hundred feet."

"I was about 17 and she was about 7."

"I’m laying there chilling and see her slip and fall into the water and just straight up sink."

"Ran over, dove in and pulled her to shore."

"She spit up a bunch of water and was fine but that experience rocked me to my core."

"Not a super crazy story but almost seeing a sibling die has always stuck with me."

"I’ve broken almost every bone in my body, I died one time and was in a coma for a little bit but for some reason this one stuck with me."- Present-Trip5231

Often, an experience that left us scared does make for a good story down the line.

Though whether it was a good enough story to make having gone through the experience worth it, is debatable.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Images of Savannah and Nancy Guthrie
@savannahguthrie/Instagram

Savannah Guthrie Shares Heartfelt Video Of Her Missing Mom On Mother's Day: 'We Miss You With Every Breath'

Today co-host Savannah Guthrie's mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, was declared missing on February 1, 2026, after she did not routinely arrive at church that morning, and a well-check confirmed that her home was empty and the door was left wide open.

Due to her need for multiple medications, including for her pacemaker, and her limited mobility, the Pima County Police Department deemed her case a high priority, soon welcoming the help of the FBI.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Robert Jeffress
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Fox News

Trump Backs Pastor's Claim That He Has A 'Better Understanding' Of The Bible Than Pope Leo—And People Are Furious

On Saturday, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump chose to promote an interview with controversial anti-LGBTQ+ Baptist minister Robert Jeffress by posting a clip from Fox News on Truth Social. In the interview, Jeffress repeatedly stroked Trump's ego, flattering him incessantly.

A Fox News contributor, Jeffress was on to talk about Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to the Vatican to give Pope Leo XIV a crystal football.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from viral videos show the tourist accused of targeting monk seal Lani (left) and a local confronting him afterward (right).
@nexta_tv/X; @brentonawa/Instagram

Tourist Gets Beaten Up By Hawaiian Local After Throwing Rock At Beloved Monk Seal In Viral Video

A tourist’s beach day in Hawaii reportedly ended with a brutal dose of instant consequences after a video captured him throwing a rock at a beloved monk seal named Lani.

Viral footage shows the endangered animal swimming calmly near Front Street in Lahaina before the 37-year-old Seattle man allegedly hurled a large rock dangerously close to the seal, sending it darting away from the splash and triggering immediate outrage online.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mark Burns; Donald Trump statue
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images; Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images

MAGA Pastor Gets Blunt Reality Check After Claiming Golden Statue Of Trump Isn't 'Idol Worship'

Mark Burns, the pastor of the Harvest Praise & Worship Center in South Carolina and board member of Pastors for Trump, lashed out after a golden statue of President Donald Trump erected in Miami was criticized for ignoring biblical messaging about "idol worship."

The statue, titled “Don Colossus,” portrays Trump with his fist raised in the air—a pose reminiscent of the gesture he made following the failed 2024 assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally—and was commissioned by a group of cryptocurrency investors.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tia Mowry celebrates daughter Cairo’s safari-themed eighth birthday with a backyard party.
@tiamowry/Instagram

Tia Mowry Impresses Fans With The Refreshingly Low-Key Party She Threw For Her Daughter's 8th Birthday

In an era of luxury birthday blowouts and viral party budgets, Tia Mowry’s understated celebration for daughter Cairo is standing out for the exact opposite reason. The actor threw Cairo, whom she shares with ex-husband Cory Hardrict, a safari-themed petting zoo party in her backyard, complete with lush greenery, a pool, and a jacuzzi.

The outdoor fireplace acted as the focal point of the decor, featuring a green “Happy Birthday” banner decorated with jungle animals, giant balloons spelling out Cairo’s name, a gold number eight balloon, and clusters of green, beige, and animal-print balloons.

Keep ReadingShow less