5 Insane Asylum Horror Stories: What Are They?

One horror story is about a patient who was constantly heard screaming at night in an old insane asylum. The staff could never find the source of the screams. Turns out, there was a hidden, sealed - off room where a former patient had died in a cruel experiment long ago, and it seemed like his spirit was trapped there, still in agony.

Some insane asylum horror stories revolve around the architecture of the place. The long, dark corridors and the locked rooms can create a sense of dread. There could be a story where a patient gets lost in the maze - like corridors and discovers a hidden part of the asylum that holds a terrifying secret. Also, the idea of patients with split personalities can add to the horror. A patient who switches between a harmless self and a violent, deranged self can be the center of a truly horrifying story.

One true story is about a patient who believed he could communicate with the walls. He would spend hours whispering to them as if they were alive. Another story involves a woman who was convinced she was a famous singer from the 1920s and would perform for the other patients in the asylum's hallways. There was also a man who thought he was a bird and would flap his arms and try to perch on the furniture.

The isolation. Insane asylums are often in remote locations. In a horror novel, this means the characters are cut off from help. For example, in many such novels, when the protagonist realizes something is wrong, there's no easy way out.

It depends. Some might find them disturbing because they often deal with mental illness, which can include dark and difficult themes like hallucinations, severe depression, and abnormal behavior.

I'm not sure exactly. But it's likely inspired by various fictional and real-life elements rather than being based on a specific one.

The legend of the haunted old asylum is also quite interesting. There were rumors that some asylums were haunted by the spirits of patients who had died there under tragic circumstances. People claimed to hear strange noises, see apparitions, and feel cold spots. Whether it was real or just the power of suggestion, it added an air of mystery to the old asylum stories.

In the short story 'The Yellow Wallpaper', the female protagonist is confined in an asylum - like room. Her slow descent into madness as she becomes obsessed with the wallpaper is a fascinating and disturbing exploration of the female psyche in a restrictive environment.

Another great one is 'The Silent Companions' by Laura Purcell. Although not solely focused on an asylum, it has elements of horror related to mental institutions. The story is set in a creepy manor with a disturbing past involving the treatment of the mentally ill.

The idea of the people who were once in the asylum also adds to the terror. These were often people with mental illnesses, some of whom may have committed violent acts. In the stories, their presence or the remnants of their presence, like their screams still echoing in the halls or their handprints on the walls, is really frightening. Also, the fact that many asylums have a history of cruel treatments in the past makes the place seem even more haunted and scary.