death simulator top

For those who need something to have recurring nightmares about for the rest of their lives.

Plenty of attractions get their entertainment from an element of fear. Haunted houses; roller coasters; Splash Mountain; if our brains didn’t think, on some level, that we were going to die, then none of us would bother lining up for hours on end to experience any of them.

But one attraction takes that whole “close to death” experience a little too literally. A “cremation simulator” recently opened up in Shanghai, China, and it has the Internet all fired up.

The ride begins in a dystopian waiting room that looks like it could be some sci-fi adaptation of the afterlife, then a “lucky” participant gets called to enter the “cremation simulator” and is surrounded by virtual flames. Lastly, the participant is “reborn” into a mini ball pit so the next lucky rider can get their own death simulation on.

So now you might be wondering: why would someone want to do this?

Those who have been through the ride describe it as changing their mentality for the better, giving them a sense of being reborn, citing the whole thing as a positive and worthwhile experience. The organizers also claim that the ride lets the participants experience death so that they don’t have to be afraid of it.

Despite the positive reviews, riders are still warned that those with heart conditions or who suffer from claustrophobia should not subject themselves to the “death simulator” experience—it might just end up being a little too realistic for them.

Opinions on the ride are all over the place online, with some people finding the idea enlightening and others seeing it as downright disturbing. I don’t know about you, but every time I watch the person come out of the “cremation simulator” in the video, I can’t help but be reminded of this classic piece of cinema history from Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.

(Video may be a little NSFW.)

I think I would find a “rhino birthing simulator” much more terrifying, but hey, that’s just me.

Source: YouTube/Reuters via sky NEWS, RT
Images: YouTube/Reuters
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