dailyunsolvedmysteries

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The Dangerous Side Of Marina Abramovic’s Performance Art

“Rhythm 0” was a groundbreaking piece of art by legendary performance artist, Marina Abramovic. She demonstrated what can happen when you give up your own free will to the whims of a crowd. 

The result nearly killed her.

When Marina Abramovic placed herself at the mercy of a crowd of strangers in an art studio in Naples in 1974, she had no idea what to expect. She stood before them with a sign that read: 

“There are 72 objects on the table that one can use on me as desired.

Performance.

I am the object.

During this period I take full responsibility.

Duration: 6 hours (8 pm – 2 am)”

At first, the participants were gentle. They kissed her, fed her chocolate cake, and put a rose in her hand. But very soon the mood shifted. As each person took their turn, they began to choose pain over pleasure.

Someone took the knife and cut off her clothes. Another man made an incision in her neck and drank some of her blood. Marina Abramovic was completely committed to her art piece. She did nothing to resist, even as tears began to run down her face. 

But the night was still far from over. At one point, someone picked her up and carried her half-naked around the studio. They then placed her down on a table and stuck a knife between her legs. 

The performance piece had a strange effect on the crowd. It triggered an aggressive mob mentality that caused each successive person to take the experiment to a more dangerous extreme.

And things almost went too far. In the most tense moment of the night, one woman picked up a gun, loaded it with a bullet, and pressed it against Marina Abramovic’s temple. She then carefully placed Abramovic’s finger around the trigger, apparently daring the artist to pull it. 

At once, the gallery staff seized the gun and threw it out the window. But Marina Abramovic remained stoically impassive during the entire episode. 

According to one art critic who witnessed the terrifying spectacle, she was so devoted to the piece that, “…she would not have resisted rape or murder.”

Marina Abramovi’s bold exhibition was about more than just flirting with death. It revealed some interesting, if disturbing, truths about who we are as humans. 

She wanted to examine what would happen if someone was freed from any responsibility for their actions. That is, without moral and legal safeguards, how would humans behave?

The crowd’s response to this invitation demonstrated the dual nature of our collective humanity. While several participants took full liberties to inflict pain and terror, others displayed kindness and even tenderness. 

As the night progressed and things began to break down, the crowd formed into two opposing factions – those who sought to abuse Marina Abramovic, and those who wanted to protect her.

These two groups could easily be thought of as our conscience. While we are capable of great acts of kindness, we are equally driven by a desire to inflict pain and suffering. 

What’s more, when that desire for pain becomes a group activity, chaos can ensue as we lose sight of any kind of self-imposed limits.

Marina Abramovic’s Rhythm 0 caused a splash in the art world and catapulted her into a position of international fame.

#Marina Abramovic #art #creepy #horror #humans

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

Christopher McCandless, The Man who Hiked to Death

Born February 12th 1968, in Inglewood, California, Christopher McCandless was immediately plunged into a chaotic family. His sister, Carine McCandless, documented in her book ‘The Wild Truth’ that they shared their home with six half-siblings. Carine also alleged that her parents were abusive, both physically and verbally, toward the McCandless children. She documented how her father was an alcoholic, and their mother often fed off his evil energy, inflicting her own abuse upon them.

The McCandless never stayed in one place for long as Walt McCandless worked for NASA as a rocket scientist, taking him across the U.S. Eventually, the family settled in Virginia long enough for Christopher and Carine to graduate.

Following his graduation from university, Christopher knew he needed to travel. He had spent much of his childhood moving from town to town, state to state, and this had a profound impact on his outlook on life.

He only stayed in one place for a short time, seeing the beauty in exploring the world. In mid-1990, Christopher left Virginia for new pastures and began driving West. He stopped in towns and cities along the way, picking up odd jobs to make ends meet.  By April of 1992, Christopher was itching for another adventure, and that is when he decided to make his way to Alaska, the final frontier of the U.S. 

Incredibly, Christopher managed to hitchhike from Carthage, South Dakota, to Fairbanks, Alaska, a whopping 3,000+ miles through Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon, Canada. Eventually, he arrived, and he began planning his largest expedition yet. He wanted to hike through the Denali National Park. The park covers over 6,000,000 acres in the middle of Alaska. Communities are few and far between, with many Alaskans congregating near large towns and cities.

Despite the harsh weather conditions of Alaska, Christopher McCandless seemed ill-prepared. Fellow hikers and locals recalled seeing Christopher arrive in Fairbanks carrying only a backpack. He also stood out for his ‘Hippie-like’ appearance, choosing to remain unkempt and dirty. April 28th 1992, would mark the last day that Christopher McCandless would ever see the seeds of civilisation. 

That day, Jim Gallien was flagged down by Christopher, who was looking for a ride to the Stampede Trail in the Denali National Park. Gallien later told author Jon Krakauer that he had doubts about the 24-year-old’s survival from the start. When he got into his car, Christopher had minimal clothing and a backpack. Christopher explained that he was carrying a 10 lb bag of rice, a Remmington semi-automatic rifle and a pair of Wellington boots inside his bag.  Gallien was, in fact, so concerned that he offered to drive Christopher to Anchorage so that he could purchase the necessary equipment for him. He knew how harsh and unforgiving the Alaskan landscape could be, and per population, it has an alarmingly high missing persons rate. Throughout their drive, Christopher assured Gallien that he would be fine and had hiked many times before. 

It wasn’t until months later that Gallien learned Christopher’s real name, as when he had picked him up, he had simply given the name ‘Alexander Supertramp’. The only item that Christopher accepted from Gallien was a map. Before leaving, Christopher asked Gallien to snap a picture of him at the Stampede Trail, making this one of the last photographs ever taken of Christopher McCandless.

For two days, Christopher hiked the Alaskan wilderness, soaking in the beauty of the Denali National Park. After a gruelling march, Christopher made it to an abandoned blue and white bus. Whilst the exterior was rusted and hadn’t been loved for some time, Christopher recognised it was the perfect shelter and base camp. He wasted no time setting up his gear and prepping his new home.

The blue and white bus that would become a notorious tourist hotspot was not Christopher’s intended finish line. According to his diary, which was later discovered with his body, Christopher had planned to hike through the park and to the Bering Sea. Christopher remained at the blue and white bus for two months, eagerly journaling every step. Christopher wrote in his diary that he had begun consuming the roots of the Hedysarum Alpinum plant.  Christopher also detailed in his diary how he had trapped and hunted small game and wildlife. He had successfully hunted a moose/caribou with his rifle. However, the meat was rotten by the time he came to consume it. With just 10 lbs of rice and foraged plants, Christopher rapidly began losing weight. 

The lack of food and people was beginning to get to Christopher, who heavily documented his trip via his journal and camera. On July 3rd 1992, Christopher packed up his things, leaving the blue and white bus behind.

With a map in hand, Christopher hoped to reach civilisation once more, but the landscape had changed and he became distressed and returned to the blue and white bus to wait out the days until the river froze over once more. 

On July 14th, he also began to incorporate the seeds of the Hedysarum Alpinum plant into his diet, as was documented in his diary. The meagre diet of plant material and small animals was nowhere near enough to sustain Christopher, who continued to waste away. As he continued to weaken, he lost his energy and ability to forage further afield for plants and fruits. 

Christopher McCandless made his final diary entry on what he noted as ‘Day 107’. The entry simply reads, “Beautiful blue berries.” Author Krakauer noted that days 108 through 112 had / (slashes) but no words, and after Day 113, no more entries were made. Sometime around these final diary entries, Christopher wrote, “I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye, and may God bless all.” It is clear Christopher knew his end was coming, and he had made his final preparations and peace with his fate. 

 It wasn’t until September 6th 1992 that the grizzly truth would be revealed.

That day, hikers in the Denali National Park came across the blue and white rusted van that Christopher had once called home. 

These hikers had the same idea as Christopher and were eager to use the bus as shelter.

When they approached the bus, they found a note taped to the door which read “Attention possible visitors. S.O.S. I need your help; I am injured, near death and too weak to hike out. I am all alone; this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless, August.” 

As they moved through the bus, they saw the familiar outline of a human in a sleeping bag. After reading the note, they hoped that Chris had managed to survive, but all hopes were dashed when the stench of decay overcame them. The hikers took a closer look, and their worst suspicions were confirmed. Christopher McCandless was deceased, his body decaying in a sleeping bag in the back of a rusted-out bus. 

Alaska State Troopers and Denali Park staff were summoned to the bus where Christopher’s body was recovered. His family were notified of the terrible news, and preparations for his body to be returned to Virginia were made.

Christopher’s passing marked a turning point in the culture surrounding hiking and travelling. He had wilted away in the wilderness when a bridge and cabin were within a few miles of his location. 

#christopher mccandless #unsolved #unsolved mysteries #creepy #missing

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The tools of Ted Bundy

#ted bundy #true crime #crime #history #murderers

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Scaphism was a supposed Persian method of execution that was designed to inflict a lingering, painful, and humiliating death on those who were unfortunate enough to experience it. The victim would be trapped between two boats or other hollow objects, and their exposed head, arms, and legs would be covered in honey. They would then be force-fed only milk and honey before being left in the sun or a stagnant pool. Flies, other insects, and rodents would be attracted to the victim and would slowly eat them. The only evidence for this comes from Greek historical texts, which had a lot of bias towards the Persians.

#Scaphism #torture methods #unsolved #creepy #horror #history

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

A Colombian woman named Marina Chapman was raised by Capuchin monkeys for 5 years after being kidnapped and then abandoned in the jungle as a child. She learned to scale trees, catch birds and rabbits with her bare hands. She lived as a monkey until she was discovered by hunters.

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The Strange Disappearance of Kenny Veach

The Mojave Desert, located in the southwestern United States, is a brutal and unforgiving landscape.

Sprawling over parts of four states; California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, the area is so vast that entire European countries like Ireland and Iceland could fit comfortably within its boundaries.

The “high desert” is prone to extreme temperatures and arid conditions. In November of 2014, an American hiker named Kenny Veach had a strange encounter with a mysterious cave in the Sheep Mountain area, just north of Las Vegas.

Once, he posted: “I hike over mountain top after mountain top and sleep on peaks under the stars . . . Sometimes I have to scale giant cliffs to get myself out of a jam, but I always make it back.”

He was proud of the fact that there was only one time that he had to be rescued on one of his adventures, and that was when he injured his leg at the top of a mountain.

Tired of the daily Monday-through-Friday grind, Kenny wanted to be his own boss, be in charge of his own life, and have the free time to immerse himself in his desert explorations.

So, he quit his day job and decided to be an inventor. He started a YouTube channel, documenting his creations and his forays into the desert.

It was in June of 2014, using the name Snakebitmcgee, Kenny left a comment in response to a YouTube video that read: That ain’t nothing. I am a long-distance hiker. One time, during one of my hikes out by Nellis Air Force Base, I found a hidden cave.

The entrance to the cave was shaped like a perfect capital M. I always enter every cave I find, but as I began to enter this particular cave, my whole body began to vibrate.

The closer I got to the cave entrance, the worse the vibrating became. Suddenly, I became very scared and high-tailed it out of there. That was one of the strangest things that ever happened to me. 

Unbeknownst to Kenny and the rest of the world, that comment would have tragic consequences.

Kenny’s comment on that video sparked a flurry of requests for him to prove his claim.

Since he hadn’t documented the first trip to what would become known as “the M cave”, he needed to go back to the area to locate it and, this time, document what he found.

On his second search for the cave, he went armed with a 9-millimeter handgun and a video camera. 

He documented some wildlife and found a whole horde of pine nuts that he gleefully ate on camera. He stood next to an abandoned mine shaft and rather sheepishly declared that he was unable to find the cave on his second hike.

Much to Kenny’s dismay, that video was met with criticism. Many thought he had made the whole thing up, and the public demanded proof of his claim of a mysterious cave with supernatural properties.

Viewers actively encouraged, and some even dared Kenny to go back out to the mountain range a third time. 

However, one comment on his video, which has since been deleted, read, “No! Do not go back there. If you find that cave entrance, don’t go in, you won’t get out.”

Whether that comment was made by somebody teasing Kenny or whether it was a serious warning by somebody who was personally familiar with the cave is unknown.

Regarding the M cave, Kenny said, “I solo hike across mountain tops that most people wouldn’t dare go. I have been in more caves than I can count. I play with rattlesnakes for fun. But this one particular cave was beyond anything I had ever encountered.”

Hoping to put the naysayers in their place, Kenny hiked out to the territory a third time.

On the 10th of November 2014, Kenny once again made his way to the Sheep Mountain area, which is close to the U.S. Air Force installation called Area 51, known for its speculated connection to UFOs and secret government experiments.

It’s located near Groom Lake and is within the Nevada Test and Training Range. As late as 2012, the U.S. government denied the existence of Area 51, and it is still closed to the public.

Both ground and aerial searches were conducted, but no sign of Kenny could be found.

Dave Cummings from Red Rock Search & Rescue reported finding Kenny’s cell phone next to an abandoned vertical mine shaft, where he filmed part of the M cave video.

Specially trained individuals were called in to conduct a search of the mine. Unfortunately, aside from his vehicle and his cell phone, no trace of Kenny was ever found.

#Kenny Veach #unsolved #unsolved mysteries #crime #true crime

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

Sweating Sickness was a mysterious illness that was documented in England between 1485 and 1551. It predominantly afflicted wealthy men in their 30s and 40s, leading to death within hours after the symptoms appeared. Its cause remains unknown, although it has been suggested that an unknown species of hantavirus may have been responsible.

#sweating sickness #unsolved #unsolved solved #history #creepy

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

A Colombian woman named Marina Chapman was raised by Capuchin monkeys for 5 years after being kidnapped and then abandoned in the jungle as a child. She learned to scale trees, catch birds and rabbits with her bare hands. She lived as a monkey until she was discovered by hunters.

#Marina Chapman #unsolved mysteries #unsolved #jungle #facts

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The breaking wheel or execution wheel, also known as the Wheel of Catherine or simply the Wheel, was a torture method used for public execution primarily in Europe from antiquity through the Middle Ages into the early modern period by breaking the bones of a criminal or bludgeoning them to death.

#wheel of catherine #torture methods #history #creepy #unsolved

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Judy Garland's experience while filming "The Wizard of Oz" was a tragic example of the harsh realities young actors often faced during that era. When she was only 16, she was put on a strict diet of mainly chicken soup and coffee. Additionally, she was encouraged to smoke approximately 80 cigarettes a day, a common practice in the entertainment industry during that time.

#judy garland #the wizard of oz #unsolved #child stars #sad

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

On September 19, 1991, while hiking in the Ötztal Valley, German hikers Erika and Helmut Simon stumbled upon what they initially thought was the body of a recently deceased mountain climber. However, it turned out that this was a remarkably preserved mummy, later named Ötzi, which had been encased in ice for over 5,300 years. The mummy was surrounded by various artifacts, including a bow and a quiver containing arrows, a copper-bladed axe, a flint dagger with a wicker sheath, birch wood vessels lined with maple leaves, remnants of a backpack, a leather pouch holding small items, and clothing and shoes made from fur and leather, among other minor items. Researchers analyzing Ötzi concluded that he likely met a violent end due to an arrowhead found lodged in his left shoulder and other injuries on his body, suggesting he was the victim of murder.

#Ötztal Valley #mountains #creepy #unsolved #unsolved mysteries

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30 million-year-old Praying Mantis, encased in Amber

#unsolved mysteries #animals #praying mantis #amber #creepy

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Extreme close-up of a Wolf Spider. Photo credits: John-Oliver Dum

#animals #spiders #wolf spider #nature #facts

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Back in 1988, a 2-year-old girl named Michelle Funk had a terrifying accident. She fell into a creek and remained submerged for a staggering 66 minutes. By the time rescuers reached her, she had no pulse and appeared to have lost all signs of life. Incredibly, it took over three hours, but her body gradually warmed, and once her blood temperature reached 77°F, she made a miraculous recovery, coming back to life against all odds.

#Michelle Funk #facts #medical facts #unsolved #unsolved mysteries

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

Girl Stabbed at Sleepover, Tortured Beat Up Attacked by Friends, 13 Year Old Tortured Video

Kirra Hart is a 15-year-old girl from Queensland, Australia. On March 16th, 2023, Hart, received an invitation to a sleepover from several girls she believed to be her friends. They invited her into their house and then tortured her mercilessly for a number of hours. They repeatedly sliced and stabbed her with a knife in addition to punching and slapping her.

The video of the incident, which was captured on a mobile phone, shows Kirra being repeatedly punched and kicked by three girls. She can be heard screaming and begging for the attack to stop, but the violence continues for several minutes. The footage is disturbing and hard to watch, and it has been widely condemned by politicians, community leaders, and the general public.

When Kirra was eventually permitted to leave, her parents discovered her swollen and severe bleeding. She was immediately taken to the hospital with severe injuries, including a broken nose and internal bleeding. She has since been released from the hospital but is still recovering from his injuries. Her mother said her daughter "should have died" after the incident as her injures were so severe. 

Police have since charged three girls aged 12, 13, 14 years old. “The 14-year-old was charged with four counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed in company, deprivation of liberty, Enter dwelling and commit indictable offence, armed robbery whilst in company used personal violence, enter premises and commit indictable offence and wilful damage," police said in a statement. "She was remanded in custody and is due to face Maroochydore Children's Court again next month.

"The 13-year-old was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed in company, deprivation of liberty, armed robbery whilst in company used personal violence, enter dwelling and commit indictable offence, common assault and unauthorised dealing with shop goods.

"She is due to reappear in Maroochydore Children's Court later this month.

"The 12-year-old was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed in company, deprivation of liberty, armed robbery in company with personal violence, enter dwelling and commit indictable offence and unauthorised dealing with shop goods.

#unsolved mysteries #true crime #unsolved #crime #creepy

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

John Wayne Gacy as a child

#John Wayne Gacy #serial killers #unsolved mysteries #true crime #crime

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Evelyn Francis McHale (September 20, 1923 – May 1, 1947) was an American bookkeeper who jumped to her death from the 86th-floor observation deck of the Empire State Building. A photography student took a picture of her corpse where it lay on top of a crushed car.

#Evelyn Francis McHale #facts #history #unsolved mysteries #scary