Content Warning
This article has themes of suicide.
Description:
Phenomenon 37 is a rare occurrence when a wanderer will be interrupted on their journey from one level to another, whether it was by no-clipping or by taking a well-known entrance or exit to a level. Instead of their intended/unintended destination, the wanderer will arrive at a level of a fixed size and appearance.
In even rarer cases, a wanderer will enter the Backrooms due to this phenomenon instead of Level 0.
A wanderer who has experienced Phenomenon 37 usually describes it as them suddenly appearing in or waking up in a room (described below). Those who were travelling with a group say they were separated, experiencing this phenomenon alone, until they exited the room and rejoined their group. Their group members don't recall them being separated, seeing them exit and enter levels at the exact same time.
It is unknown if only one person can experience Phenomenon 37 at a time1, or if multiple people experience it in parallel.
Discovery
Rumors of a "breather level" spread amongst wanderers, where one could safely gather supplies and rest. Conflicting rumors told of a place where wanders could peacefully die alone, and other rumors told of a room that gave wanderers items they needed to survive a dangerous level. Regardless, all three rumors had a few constants between them: a room with a window, dresser, and bed that smelled of lavender.
However, it wasn't until Erik Corbel, a veteran M.E.G explorer, exited an undocumented Class 4 level with a medical-grade tourniquet that efforts to document Phenomenon 37 could begin in earnest.
Since Corbel's initial log, the M.E.G has documented countless instances of Phenomenon 37, but has chosen three logs to represent it.
Room Details
The room is a small and plainly furnished bedroom with a window to the left, a door to the right, a bed behind the wanderer, and a wooden dresser next to the bed and under the window. On the dresser is a vase with sprigs of lavender sitting in Almond Water.
Window
The window is unable to be opened, but otherwise acts like a window from the Frontrooms. According to reports, the window has three “settings”: Morning, Night, and Midnight. During Morning, the window shows a typical suburban neighborhood in the United States, just before sunrise. At Night, it shows the same neighborhood at 10:00 pm, sometime in April2. At Midnight, the constellations’ positions have moved to be congruent with their positions at midnight in the Frontrooms.
Ambiance
Depending on the window setting, the level will evoke different emotions in wanderers.
| Morning | Night | Midnight |
|---|---|---|
| General sense of safety | Apprehension and unease, but still feels safe | A sense of finality, peacefulness, and acceptance |
Door
An unlocked door that will lead to the original destination level. Generally, it has features that hint to the next level: doorknob cold to the touch, sounds of water coming from the other side, etc. When opened, it takes the wanderer to the safest part of the original destination level.
Bed
The bed has minor anomalous properties. Wanderers report the sheets feel like they just came out of the dryer, regardless of how much time has passed. The sheets are the wanderer’s favorite color and faintly smell of lavender. Regardless of their circumstance, wanderers always report having the best sleep of their lives since entering the Backrooms.
Dresser
Depending on the window setting, different items may appear in the dresser's drawers. A short list of examples is below:
- Bottles of Almond Water
- Mundane first-aid kit
- Freshly laundered clothing that smell like lavender, custom-fit to the wanderer
- Shelf-stable foods, heavily featuring favorites of the wanderer
- Large camping backpack
- Personal hygiene products (toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.)
- Mundane objects of interest to the wanderer (such as toys, music CDs, etc.)
Frequency
Roughly 1 in 6000 wanderers will encounter Phenomenon 37. In addition, from interviews gathered from living wanders and posthumous memories, this phenomenon tends to happen most often to wanderers of the following demographics:
| Morning | Night | Midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 5 and younger | 80% | 1% | 19% |
| Ages 6 to 13 | 77% | 8% | 15% |
| Are in level 7 or higher | 30% | 60% | 10% |
| Are in level 100 or higher | 22% | 67% | 11% |
| Are in level 300 or higher | 13% | 42% | 45% |
Encounter Logs
Sophie Knowles, Age 8, Log 10
Interview conducted by Sasha Redfield
Redfield: You talk into the mic here.
Knowles: Uh, okay. Um… hi?
Redfield: So Sophie, can you tell me more about Phenomenon 37? [Knowles looks at her in confusion] …The room you appeared in.
Knowles: Oh! Well it was nice I guess. Felt like I was at a sleepover at Jane's, and I woke up first. Uh… it smelled nice?
Redfield: What about the dresser? What did you find there?
Knowles: A backpack! It's green! See? [Knowles holds up her backpack to Redfield]
Redfield: It's very nice. What else did you see?
Knowles: I saw… Mr. Monkeypants.
Redfield: Who is that?
Knowles: He's a friend. Mom gave him to me before she left on her trip. Said he was supposed to make me brave… I've been brave… When can I go home? I want to see mommy.
Redfield: We're… working on it.
[The interview was terminated, with Knowles going back to her foster parents, but it is unknown whether Mr. Monkeypants is a copy or the original from the Frontrooms. ]
Do’s and Don’ts:
Do:
- Take time to recover.
- Take the supplies provided.
- Rest in the bed.
- Take Memory Jars found in black boxes to M.E.G outposts.
Don’t:
- Open the door until you’re ready.
- Open smaller Memory Jars you find in black boxes.
- Intentionally throw yourself into danger to trigger this phenomenon.