User blog:Delnum/Why is it creepy?

What do you find particularly creepy, and why? I personally find surrealistic imagery unsettling because it reminds me of my nightmares. One particular emotion that I get when I look at dark surrealism is wistfulness, I presume.

I understand what people find creepy is a matter of perspective. I'm fascinated by what people find unsettling (rather then scary) and why.

I'd see someone creeped out by a spider, but to someone else they just come across as cute. I think a factor that plays into this is how the individual grew up, and another would be genetic memory (obviously). Most people would find millipedes creepy, for example. Not many people would find the colour orange creepy.

But why do we find things like manniquins, clowns, dolls, or skeletons creepy when they aren't a threat to us? I understand some of us don't find them unnerving, but generally people do (stereotypically) within the horror community, and are often used in movies and games. Did the fear of these things spring from the entertainment industry? Anyway, I'm rambling.