My folklore class this semester has discussed two technical terms that I've been using in daily conversation since middle school: The Mindfuck, and The What-The-Hell. For those who aren't into the idea of technical jargon, you can call the same feeling "Cognitive Dissonance." The feeling is what's at the heart of gothic and horror. It comes from the unexpected, chaotic beauty of the sublime, the inhuman humanity of the grotesque, and the un-homelike things that are called uncanny.
So what is the mindfuck? It's getting someone to expect one thing, and then snatching it out from beneath their feet. Goodnight, children. Sweet dreams.
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