Jodie Pitts, a victim of the phenomenon. Face censored on request, due to distrust.
Phenomenon 54 refers to the tendency for some individuals to spontaneously believe that humanity originated within the Backrooms, even if this is disproven to them directly. This occurs without warning, and is apparently irreversible.
Individuals who have fallen victim to the phenomenon are often suspicious of others who claim to have been born in the Frontrooms, expressing either confusion or outright distrust. It is not advised to discuss such matters with them directly, as this can result in distress after a varying period of time.
The intricacies and possible triggers of Phenomenon 54 continue to elude understanding, as the circumstances surrounding each victim's shift in beliefs remain inconsistent.
Discovery
Initial Posting
Note was first taken of this phenomenon when an intriguing excerpt from a conversation on the Office Terminal chat was archived on the General Public Database by a user by the name aglet_under:
░░█▀▄░█▀█░█▀▀░█░█░█▀▀░█░█░█▀█░▀█▀░░
░░█▀▄░█▀█░█░░░█▀▄░█░░░█▀█░█▀█░░█░░░
░░▀▀░░▀░▀░▀▀▀░▀░▀░▀▀▀░▀░▀░▀░▀░░▀░░░
░░░░░░█▀▀░█░░░▀█▀░█▀▀░█▀█░▀█▀░░░░░░
░░░░░░█░░░█░░░░█░░█▀▀░█░█░░█░░░░░░░
░░░░░░▀▀▀░▀▀▀░▀▀▀░▀▀▀░▀░▀░░▀░░░░░░░
BACKCHAT CLIENT
=== === === === === === === === ===
User Agent Info: Lvl4 // SN-01010110-0100 // BckOS v1.032, BuildDate 1/1/1802
User Account: aglet_under
Log Start: 8/8/2013
=== === === === === === === === ===
< interrealm-knife > SHIT i just had the most horrifying elevator ride
< thenewversion > Oh?
< sean > What happened?
< interrealm-knife > Basically i was running away from a hound.
< interrealm-knife > I wanted to use the elevator to get away but it was taking a while to show up.
< interrealm-knife > So the door opens and I get in and I'm just standing there paralyzed because THE HOUND IS IN THERE WITH ME
< sean > AH shit I would literally die.
< thenewversion > AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
< * aglet_under > oh. and it didnt kill u?
< interrealm-knife > Well, I stood still because I thought it was better to be quiet. It was sorta calmed down by the soft noise the motors made while the elevator moved. It licked my leg. It reminded me of my dog.
< thenewversion > ACK ACK ACK NO THAT'S GROSS
< sean > Your dog? Where did you get a dog?
< interrealm-knife > Don't interrupt the story!
< interrealm-knife > Anyway. I had to break open the elevator's roof and get out that way. I was horrified, it almost grabbed me, but I managed to wait it out. The elevator stopped, I watched the hound leave, and I let the door close. Then I went back in, selected another floor, and that was that.
< sean > Yeah but where do you get a dog though?
< interrealm-knife > Where do you come from that you don't have dogs???
< * aglet_under > yea thats interesting where u from
< sean > Uh, Level 4. Pretty boring.
< interrealm-knife > You were born in the Backrooms?
< sean > Huh?
=> User interrealm-knife left the chatroom
< * aglet_under > he means like. most people were born in the frontrooms
< sean > What are you talking about?
< * aglet_under > you've never found out about the frontrooms?
< sean > No? I don't think so?
< * aglet_under > ah.
=> User sean left the chatroom
< * aglet_under > lmfao what a bad liar
< thenewversion > Huh? Sure he wasn't just, like, backborn and never met anyone else?
< * aglet_under > well, who'd he learn english from then? and how would he know it's weird to have a dog? wouldn't he just… not know what a dog is?
< thenewversion > Fair enough. What a weirdo.
< * aglet_under > ill share it on the gpd XD
< * aglet_under > like, just in case.
< * aglet_under > after that i'll go. nice talkin to ya!
< thenewversion > Alright. Bye!
=> User aglet_under downloaded a chat log print. // Log Start: 8/8/2013
=== === === === === === === === ===
MESSAGE: █
This user's Database page, which has since been deleted, contained nothing but the chat log seen above, accompanied with a message reading:
lmao look at this guy
idk if he thought he wouldn't be caught out
guess it could be an arg but i think he just wants attention:P
hmu if u see anything similar, might be interesting
Response to the Post
The response from wanderers was slow at first, but a few came forward with similar stories on the GPD page discussion forum. This is archived below:
User: seventyseventyseventy
Hear me out. I don't think this guy is lying. It happened to my grandmother, something strange is going on.
So, basically, my gran was with me on Level 4, where me and my family lived for aaaaaaaages. It was a pretty sweet place to live, almond water enough to keep us fed and watered, and some people to keep us company a while if we were lucky. I'd recommend it to anybody. But I don't like to go back there anymore.
One day, my gran woke up and seemed completely normal. Then, my mom started talking about an experience she had back home. Something about a movie theater? I don't remember. But my gran started responding really strangely.
It was like, "Hey, wait, no, what are you talking about?", as if we had made our experiences back home up. She even said at some point "Just because I'm old, doesn't mean you can trick me!", and she ran off down a stairwell. I didn't follow her. I didn't even know she could run like that.
It's just like this guy. He knows some things about home, but he acts like we're weirdos for suggesting it's real.
User: aglet_under
OH that's fair enough
i guess it's good i posted this
User: holegecko
nah mate this guy isn't lying. he's sick with something.
i have no idea what it is but it's been sorta going around at my camp. i actually had to leave because everyone was talking such shit. they kept getting confused at any mention of the real world.
it just happens one day. it's like the backrooms is making them a part of itself? it's uncanny. nothing else about them will have changed, but where we came from being stripped off like old paint is super uncanny.
User: writing_the_past
That sounds like a tough camp to be in. You need any help?
User: The Basic
FINALLY somebody is TALKING about this!
My daughter caught this one day. I don't know if it's pathological, completely spontaneous, or what; all I know is I couldn't have seen it coming.
My daughter was born here. It was on Level 11, pretty standard. But I never kept the Frontrooms a secret from her! I wanted to give her the human right to participate in her parents' culture. As much as I could.
We celebrated St. Paddy's every year, and had a pretend march out in the street. It was such a little moment of joy for me and for her, we felt like we were back home. Well, at least I did. But she had fun.
But… then… one day, she just… changed. It was like a switch flipped. Everything I had taught her about the Frontrooms. Gone. In a second.
Can we do something about this?
User: writing_the_past
I'm so sorry to hear that. I wish you the best.
User: nothinginparticular
Ah, I'm not sure there's anything we could do. Take her to the M.E.G. if you haven't? Maybe they have doctors who could help her? Not sure.
User: tiger.crossing
NO! PLEASE do not brainwash her a second time!
Response from Victims
The victims of the phenomena soon began to respond with their own messages in the forum, archived below:
User: divboxwarrior
How do you know that the Earth exists?
I don't think it does. You're lying. You're all lying.
I've never seen anything to convince me otherwise. Stop lying to me.
User: writing_the_past
Well, I have a California driver's license?
User: divboxwarrior
FAKE. The Backrooms made it. Duh. Like the walls.
User: heaaaaadphone-actor
I'm sorry, but can you people not see your shared delusion?
We've broken free of it, and we're trying so hard to take you with us — show you the right way. We learned the truth of this place.
The Backrooms is unable to be escaped because it's all there is. Our memories — no, I've purged mine, so your memories… they're an imitation of a normality that doesn't exist. That's what this whole place is. Can't you see?
If you take it that these "Frontrooms" are real, then this place makes no sense. Because some of it would be a creepy, liminal horrorscape, but the rest of it is just fine. How does that make sense if the whole thing is the imitation of a real world?
They aren't real: this way it makes sense for some levels to be just fine, because they're all uncannily similar to our fake memories, or uncannily different from them.
Open your eyes!
User: holegecko
The Backrooms doesn't have to make sense.
The Frontrooms are real, and that's that.
User: stringbee_2121
if there's a real world then this is horrible
and we'd obviously never go back
i hate that. good thing you're LYING TO ME
User: nothinginparticular
Yoooo what's with the all caps? Cool it.
User: stringbee_2121
i'll cool it when you stop lying to us all
look around you
where is earth
Do's and Dont's
Do's
- Let go of affected individuals.
- Continue to remember where you came from.
- Recognize the victims' circular reasoning.
Don'ts
- Believe yourself if you begin to think that the Frontrooms are a myth.
- Try to convince victims of the Frontrooms' existence.
