It started as an innocent selfie of six friends enjoying a nature hike.
Smiling faces, fresh air, and a picturesque backdrop in the Chilean wilderness, so what could possibly go wrong?
But what happened next has left thousands of social media users disturbed, with some swearing off hiking altogether.
The photo, which was shared on Reddit, is now going viral after users spotted something no one expected.
The group snap, which first appeared on the r/whenyouseeit and r/ghosts threads, shows six cheerful hikers posing in front of a forest trail.
At first glance, it appears to be a typical outdoorsy memory, complete with fellow hikers in the distant background and plenty of sunlight filtering through the trees.
But upon closer inspection, viewers noticed something that sent chills down their spine.
Between two of the women on the left hand side of the image, a faint but unmistakable seventh face seems to be lurking.
“I am not exaggerating when I say that when I finally saw it, I got goosebumps and felt genuine fear,” one Redditor confessed.
“What the f***. I believe in ghosts again now.”
The face appears subtly, shadowed between the women’s shoulders and partially obscured, which only adds to the eerie effect.
It doesn’t match any of the other visible friends, and its placement makes it appear almost as if it were peering through the group.
Some believe the strange detail has a logical explanation.
“It’s just a person that’s also in the group with their face being hidden in shadow by the two around it, and made to look creepy with that intense blue filter,” one user rationalized.
Another pointed out: “You can even see the top of the person’s head and hair illuminated normally by the daylight.”
But not everyone was convinced.
“It gave me chills, for sure. Usually, I just laugh these things off or assume the photo is doctored in a way I can’t really detect, but not this time,” a skeptical user wrote.
“Nothing else fits. It’s very clearly something or someone that doesn’t belong there.”
The viral image, allegedly taken during a casual hike in Chile, has now racked up tens of thousands of upvotes and reactions.
It’s also sparked debate on whether the ‘extra’ face is just pareidolia, the human tendency to see faces in random patterns, or something truly supernatural.
Still, as more people zoom in and find the seventh face, the reactions keep pouring in.
One person joked: “Left side between the 2 girls and ZOOM IN… then run!”
Another admitted, “I was looking at the red thing in the corner and didn’t see it—then BAM. I saw the face. I’m sleeping with the lights on now.”
Someone else simply summed it up: “Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.”
So, what exactly is hiding in that photo?
An extra hiker caught mid motion? A trick of the light? Or something we’re not meant to explain?
Whatever the case, it’s safe to say this group picture has officially become one of the internet’s creepiest viral mysteries.
Featured Image Credit: (Reddit)
