MODIFIED
Stories that tweak our imaginations, Urban Myths open a door to another world giving us a hint of the strange and weird. Some believe and others that are sceptical, but what we are all looking for is the truth. Not all Urban Myths are true, some are stories and ideas that have gained traction in the zeitgeist. Others are grains of truth which add plausibility to them yet still have holes. True or false, there is something magical about Urban Myths that take many of us back to childhood and the idea of a work full of possibilities.
“Firstly, tales of the supernatural may be especially appealing since they are “minimally counter-intuitive”, combining both the familiar and the bizarre. “They depart from what’s expected and as a result push us to process the information more deeply,” says Ara Norenzayan at the University of British Columbia, “so we remember more and are more likely to retell them.” Counter-intuitive elements could include a talking animal, or a pumpkin that turns into a chariot – but it’s not so much the nature, as the number of these narrative devices that seems to be crucial” – David Robson, Chilling and often disturbing ‘real life’ stories are still widely shared. [1]
This section is aimed at looking at Urban Myths in detail. Sorting out fact from fiction, and looking at the plausibility of many of these stories. Going through the history of Urban Myths trying to find out anything that can add credibility to them. Seeing if what is told matches up with what we know to be true.
Rating Urban Myths
To this end we have come up with a simple traffic light system for any Urban Myths we look at, so you can TL; DNR to the end and get a run down and conclusion. Though we encourage you to read everything. If you have more information you can send it to us, and we can revise our conclusions.
All the evidence, or at least a good majority of the evidence in the Urban Myth are true to the best of our research. Nothing is out of line or has a massive disconnect from Reality. There is a high chance these Urban Myths are true unless evidence comes to light to debunk them.
There are some grains of truth, but not all the evidence matches up and, in some cases, contradicts itself. Some of the evidence is hearsay and is nothing more than tall tales. Though not a complete fabrication, there needs to be a lot more research before a solid conclusion can be made.
There is little evidence and next to no real history. It might be a nice scary story or spooky item, but it is just that, a story. Many of these are knowingly fabricated by people as a scary story or for some marketing or PR stunt. Occasionally one will come around that hasn’t been created by an individual and it’s naturally formed within a community or social group.
[1] David Robson, Chilling and often disturbing ‘real life’ stories are still widely shared https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150126-how-to-create-an-urban-legend