What makes the stories in '101 true scary stories' so frightening?

The fact that they are true. Knowing that these events actually happened makes it scarier. For example, if a story is about a real - life encounter with a malevolent spirit, it's not just a made - up horror for entertainment.

The sense of helplessness. In many of these true stories, the people involved are powerless against whatever is scaring them. Like in the story of the cursed object, the person couldn't stop the bad things from happening no matter what they did. This lack of control is really frightening. And also, the fact that these are true stories gives them an extra edge of fear. It makes you think that such things could actually happen to you.

The unknown elements in them. When we don't know what's causing the strange happenings, it scares us. For example, in a story where there are unexplained noises, our minds start to imagine all sorts of terrifying things.

Often, true scary stories involve real people in normal situations suddenly being thrust into terrifying circumstances. In the Amityville Horror, a family was just looking for a new home but ended up in a place full of unexplained phenomena. The fear of the unknown and the violation of the safety of what should be a secure home space is what makes it so frightening. Also, the psychological impact on the people involved, like their fear and confusion, adds to the scariness when we hear about it.

The unpredictability in these stories is a big factor. You don't know what's going to happen next. It could be a sudden appearance of a terrifying apparition or a strange event that defies logic. And the fact that they are based on real experiences (or at least claim to be) gives them an authenticity that makes them more effective at scaring us compared to fictional horror stories.

The unknown factor. Since demons are often associated with the supernatural, we don't fully understand them. We can't predict what they might do or why they are doing it, which scares us.

Scary true haunted stories often tap into our primal fears. They might involve death, the afterlife, or the idea that there are things out there that we can't see or comprehend. When we hear about a place where people have died and then strange things start to happen, it makes us think about our own mortality and the possibility that there could be something waiting for us on the other side. Also, the historical context of some of these stories, like the tragedies that occurred in a haunted location, adds to the overall sense of dread.

Often, these stories involve the unknown and the unexplained. Things like ghosts, hauntings, or strange entities that defy our understanding of the natural world. For example, in the story of the Enfield Poltergeist, furniture moving on its own and voices coming from nowhere are really spooky because we can't easily explain them with normal logic.

The fact that they are true makes them scarier. Knowing that such horrible events actually happened in real life, like real - life murders or hauntings, gives a sense of dread. For example, in the true crime - related scary stories, the brutality of the acts makes it hard to shake off the fear.

The fact that they are true stories. Knowing that these horrible things actually happened in real life makes it much scarier than fictional horror. It makes you wonder if something similar could happen to you or someone you know.