An explanation for Slender Sickness?

Okay, so like a visual tracer. Those also exist; they glow under X-ray or blacklight or something. Either way, it would need to be something that glowed in either extremely low frequency or extremely high frequency light.

Time for science!

Infrared perhaps is one way Slendy could see you, if your theory is correct, but IR is basically only high enough in energy to put off heat. Slendy wouldn't be able to see you in a very hot room if it saw you in infrared/"thermal" vision. In the forest though? Yes, even on a warm summer day you're warmer that a sun-heated earth or tree, unless the object next to you is pitch black.

The other problem with IR is that it doesn't explain the SlenderSickness as a cause. It's too low in energy to affect your body's cells in a way that would cause illness. Infrared light causes molecules to rotate and vibrate, including those in your body, and that puts off heat, but won't break bonds or cause any sort of permanent structural damage. Even if you were constantly bathed in IR due to Slendy's influence, it wouldn't really do anything other than make you feel really warm. It can cause blindness if you're working with High-range IR, but AFAIK blindness isn't a symptom of SlenderSickness.

However, UV radiation, X-rays, and Gamma Rays can cause this kind of damage, so let's look at those.

UV light can induce cancer, cause eye damage with long-term exposure, and can suppress the immune system as a result. While the cancer and immunosuppression thing could be causes or even the true identity of SlenderSickness, I'm not really aware of any sort of cancer that makes you vomit or cough up blood, unless Slendy's inducing some sort of lung or gastrointestinal cancer, or multiple cancers at once. That, and cancer due to UV exposure takes way longer than the near-immediate effects Slendy causes in his victims. So UV light may also be too low in energy to cause the symptoms associated with SlenderSickness, but that depends if you're working with relatively low-energy or high-energy UV. Furthermore, Slendy's appearance does not exactly support him seeing in UV - Bees see UV for example, and they have compound eyes. You could argue he has eyespots or something, or that his head's one big eye, but eyespots are too primitive to see color and unless his head's one big compound eye, that may or may not work. UV seems a bit unlikely.

X-rays can cause an increased risk in cancer, but not unless you were exposed to them constantly. The same arguments for the UV radiation above still apply - Cancer takes a LOT longer than a few moments plus running to cause dangerous effects. Although, if Slendy does see in X-ray it could explain why he has no eyes - he might actually have them, but we can't see them, or our minds are blanking them out to prevent damage to sanity because we can't comprehend what they look like.

Gamma rays, however, now we're talking. Gamma rays are extremely high energy and can cause massive cellular damage. If Slendy is somehow putting off gamma rays, then yes, that would cause radiation sickness, which does mimick SlenderSickness. Or should that be vise versa? Radiation sickness can happen within 24 hours of exposure, lasting for months. It can cause nausea, vomiting, bleeding, fever, dizziness, headaches, and get this - abnormal levels of consciousness including blackouts. This can also be fatal if high levels of radiation build up or are experienced. So bingo, we may have an explanation for SlenderSickness, IF you are going based only on EM (Electromagnetic) Radiation.

Other possibilities to consider is if you're talking a radioactive material. Exposure to radioactive isotopes of materials like cesium or radioactive elements like uranium can cause these same effects, but may instead throw off alpha or beta radiation (depending on the element). Alpha radiation wouldn't make you sick unless you ingested it, since alpha particles can't even break through a single sheet of paper, but beta particles could - and in real life, do. That's why a nuclear meltdown's such a huge deal - it's the beta particles and gamma radiation people fear, because those cause radiation sickness.

DarkShadows wrote:

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I also think that the main protagonist gets sick because Slendy marks them with a beacon of sorts. This allows him to go to that person whenever he wants, but it makes them sick as it is radiation.

Ah, so like a radioactive tracer? Those do exist in real life; are you suggesting Slendy somehow physically marks someone with a radioactive patch, maybe when/if he touches them/grabs them/whatever? Or are you suggesting he does it like a small, invisible-to-the-naked-eye organic tracer actually put under the skin somewhere? Because if the protagonist found out s/he might try to cut the tracer out, but since nobody could see it...

Wow that is actually really kind of creepy. o.o I kind of like it. >

That's a supremely terrifying thought. Reminds me of the trackers and markers people put on animals.

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Time for science!

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Gamma rays, however, now we're talking. Gamma rays are extremely high energy and can cause massive cellular damage. If Slendy is somehow putting off gamma rays, then yes, that would cause radiation sickness, which does mimick SlenderSickness. Or should that be vise versa? Radiation sickness can happen within 24 hours of exposure, lasting for months. It can cause nausea, vomiting, bleeding, fever, dizziness, headaches, and get this - abnormal levels of consciousness including blackouts. This can also be fatal if high levels of radiation build up or are experienced. So bingo, we may have an explanation for SlenderSickness, IF you are going based only on EM (Electromagnetic) Radiation.

And then one of the victims Hulked out!

Just joking. This is good research.

Considering the research was gathered from my own knowledge of EM Radiation and some Wikipedia for backup, not really. XD But trust me, Chemistry's my major, I actually do know what I'm talking about which is why I asked if the guy meant actual ionizing radiation, as in alpha and beta emitting or gamma ray emitting elements and ions, or EM radiation, which covers everything from radio waves to visible light all the way up to gamma rays.

Yes, I find the idea of Slendy putting tracers inside of people really creepy too. I would love to see someone have a vlog or something where we're watching the protagonist try to find the tracer out, and they end up covered in bleeding cuts as a result, with a hundred-yard stare that just says, "I've seen him, he's watching right now... and he's laughing at me." It's creepy fun watching Slendy fuck with people, and I just realized that makes me a complete sadist when it comes to fictional characters. o_o Then again I've written a scene where Slendy's legit actually physically shot his tendrils into a man's ribcage and ripped him in half - and that short story's Slendy was actually relatively NICE when it came to stalking people.

Packfong wrote:

(I did several searches and didn't find anything on this topic-wise.)

The rule often goes that exposure to the Slenderman will cause illness in human beings. This could be an otherworldly effect, but it could also be purely scientific.

Sound:

According to tests done over the years, some paranormal experiences have been explained by the presence of infrasound, or low frequency sound, and how it affects sight, feelings, and the physical world.

Because of its low frequency, it cannot be heard. When subjected to infrasound, the individual can experience pain in the eardrums, anxiety, chills, and other feelings that create the sense of an otherworldly encounter. Objects can be seen moving/vibrating on their own. Under the right conditions it can vibrate the eyeballs and cause visual hallucinations (like seeing ghostly figures).

Sound at a higher frequency can also cause ailments.

But then wouldn't animals hear him coming, just as with volcanoes erupting and the like? I don't think I've read many Slenderblogs where the protagonist's pet starts acting oddly.

I don't know about the blogs, but near the very beginning of Marble Hornets it's mentioned that Alex's dog goes nuts at seeing Slendy in the distance.

If it is sound, it must be at either infrasonic or ultrasonic levels, so high we can't hear it... but it can affect us. There are real weapons that shoot sound at people to incapacitate and cause nausea, but I think they use audible frequencies...

Tigerhallam wrote:

Packfong wrote:

(I did several searches and didn't find anything on this topic-wise.)

The rule often goes that exposure to the Slenderman will cause illness in human beings. This could be an otherworldly effect, but it could also be purely scientific.

Sound:

According to tests done over the years, some paranormal experiences have been explained by the presence of infrasound, or low frequency sound, and how it affects sight, feelings, and the physical world.

Because of its low frequency, it cannot be heard. When subjected to infrasound, the individual can experience pain in the eardrums, anxiety, chills, and other feelings that create the sense of an otherworldly encounter. Objects can be seen moving/vibrating on their own. Under the right conditions it can vibrate the eyeballs and cause visual hallucinations (like seeing ghostly figures).

Sound at a higher frequency can also cause ailments.

But then wouldn't animals hear him coming, just as with volcanoes erupting and the like? I don't think I've read many Slenderblogs where the protagonist's pet starts acting oddly.

Well, I don't really read blogs. XD

Also, if he's just one small source, instead of, say, a tsunami or earthquake, the effect on animals may not be noticed. I doubt if the victim is going to know why a bird takes off just then, or that a squirrel is really freaked out right now.

No, but a victim is sure as hell gonna be at the very least suspicious and at the most very annoyed when their dog starts barking at nothing, growling at nothing, cowering, and finally running away.

True. It's just an idea, though. I've not encountered many animals in the stuff I watch.

This thread is gold. I'm attempting to incorporate as much of what you're saying into my blog, which has just updated btw. Yeah, that was a sly plug.

I have a theory that I've developed that is somewhat sciency as well, but it's a spoiler for the blog and it doesn't actually have a whole lot to do with slendersickness.

I am enjoying this thread though, keep it up.