History Main / MentalMonster

* ''VideoGame/{{Omori}}'' has several {{Nightmare Sequence}}s in which Sunny must [[FaceYourFears face his fears]] by fending off monstrous apparitions only identified as "Something." They are immune to attacks and can only be defeated by skills of cognition.

* ''VideoGame/{{Omori}}'' has several {{Nightmare Sequence}}s in which Sunny must [[FaceYourFears face his fears]] by fighting enemies only identified as "Something." They are immune to attacks and can only be defeated by skills of cognition.

* ''VideoGame/{{Omori}}'' has several {{Nightmare Sequence}}s in which Sunny must [[FaceYourFear face his fears]] by fighting enemies only identified as "Something." They are immune to attacks and can only be defeated by skills of cognition.

-->-- '''[[Creator/BenCroshaw Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw]]''' on ''VideoGame/SilentHill2''

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E13DoPrincessesDreamOfMagicSheep Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?]]", this is the origin of the Tantabus -- it was created by Princess Luna as a manifestation of her guilt to punish herself.

** ''VideoGame/SilentHill1'': The foggy town is infested with creatures ranging from spooky-yet-conceivable (e.g. [[PteroSoarer Airscreamers]], [[HellHound Groaners]]), to fantastical (e.g. [[BigCreepyCrawlies Twinfeelers]], [[MothMenace Floatstingers]]), to outright nightmarish ([[FlowerMouth Splithead]], [[EldritchAbomination Incubus]]). These creatures represent the fears in the disturbed mind of Allesa Gillespie, a young girl whose tortured life at the hands of [[ApocalypseCult The Order]] drove her mad, and with the mysterious powers of the [[GeniusLoci town]], are brought to life.

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[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys4 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_141_4.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''Peek-a-boo!''\\
[-From [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjDvoQA0UhA "The FNaF Timeline Illustrated]]" by [=NoodleBot=]-]]]

The monsters' designs and mannerisms typically follow the RuleOfSymbolism. For example, if a character suffers from depression to the point of suicidal urges and drowning their sorrows in beer, their monsters will tend to look and act just as suicidal, drunk, and miserable as them, sporting a metaphorical design that reminds you of several methods of suicide, and keen on driving them into killing themself, or giving them an IronicDeath by, for example, literally drowning them in alcohol. If they have suffered from bullying or abuse in the past, expect a twisted representation of the offender to haunt them at some point. If they feel ''exceptionally'' guilty over something they did, such as [[ILetGwenStacyDie letting Gwen Stacy die]], expect an utterly deranged specter of Gwen Stacy to chase them down with the intent of [[CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon cutting their heart out with a spoon and defecating in the empty cavity]], simultaneously subjecting them to an equally horrific guilt trip and screaming "WHY DID YOU LET ME DIE!?! YOU COULD HAVE SAVED ME!!! RAAAAAAAAAWR!!!!", [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and making them watch]] ''Film/ManosTheHandsOfFate'' as extra torture.

* ''{{Film/Inception}}'': The recurring antagonist, Mal, is a memory of Cobb's late wife who, due to his lingering regret, keeps appearing in the dream missions to sabotage them.
* ''Film/JacobsLadder'' is full of Freudian creatures that torment Jacob Singer's [[spoiler: dying]] mind. [[DemonicHeadShake Their heads twitch]] and they moan in agony, looking much like the victims of his unit after being attacked by Viet Cong in Vietnam. The film is also rife with MedicalHorror, with characters like the [[EyelessFace eyeless surgeon]] and his disturbing staff, representing [[spoiler: Jacob's inability to let go of his life and die peacefully as the war surgeons try to revive him]]. Ironically, [[spoiler:it's heavily implied these creatures are trying to ''[[HelpMistakenForAttack help]]'' Jacob, by forcing him to confront his own death and move on to the afterlife. When he finally accepts it, they disappear, and an image of his dead son appears to guide him to whatever's on the other side as he passes on.]]
* ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet'': The monster that killed most of the crew of the starship ''Bellerophon'' was formed by the equipment left by the Krell, evidently meant to be an improvement over their MatterReplicator technology that would allow them to give form and substance to anything they could imagine. [[spoiler:The equipment, however, also gives form and substance to irrationally evil and violent desires lurking deep in the subconscious imagination of every rational being, and the monster the protagonists face is really the Id of Dr. Edward Morbius]].
* ''Film/TheBabadook''

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'' implies that this is the case with the all the bosses in [[BonusDungeon Drustan's Labyrinth]], with all of them being manifestations of the Hero's animosities, rage, worst excesses, gluttony, deepest fears, fear of failure and self regard taking the forms of the Spectral Sentinels in reference to the SevenDeadlySins.
* ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin'': PlayedWith in regards to the many monsters Sebastian encounters. The SymbolicMutilation-ridden, zombie-like Haunted and Alter Egos [[spoiler:are in reality the twisted, corrupted minds of those trapped inside the [[LotusEaterMachine STEM system]]]]. Played straight with other monsters such as Laura, [[spoiler:who are born from the DarkAndTroubledPast of the BigBad in control of the system.]]
* In ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys4'', the twisted, nightmarish incarnations [[SuckECheeses Freddy Fazbear's Pizza's]] jolly band of murderous mascots are this to the game's child protagonist. [[spoiler:The latter appears to be terrified of the animatronic mascots, and is mercilessly bullied by his older brother and his lackeys, who all wear masks of Foxy, Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica respectively. Nightmare Foxy hides inside the closet during gameplay much in the same way the child's brother does to scare him, and Nightmare Fredbear's teeth are tinted red, alluding to how the real Fredbear accidentally bit down into the child's head after the bullies shoved him into the animatronic's mouth as a cruel prank. The incident left him in a comatose state, thus marking the beginning of his DyingDream, where the main gameplay takes place.]] Although ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation'' [[spoiler:shows an EasterEgg shows the child's bedroom in the hidden room on the cameras, implying that [[OrWasItADream something deeper is going on...]]]]

* ''VideoGame/OutlastII'' has sections set in the protagonist's childhood Catholic school, and is haunted by a Freudian creature resembling a [[FullFrontalAssault nude]], blood-soaked man, with [[FacialHorror no lips, nose, or lower jaw]], a pulsating OverlyLongTongue, and [[MultiArmedAndDangerous a dozen groping arms]]. As the story progresses, you come to find that [[spoiler: it represents Blake's guilt for not seeing the signs of his childhood friend Jessica's sexual abuse. The monster's image is drawn from her abuser, Father Loutermilch, a PedophilePriest who [[AccidentalMurder eventually killed her by accident]]]].
* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'':
** In ''VideoGame/Persona4'', a character's Shadow is a monster that represents and demonstrates all of the dark, unwanted, hidden sides of that character. While they initially look like humanoid exaggerations of those negative qualities, when denied ("You're not me!") they transform into terrible monsters that will attack the character. The only way to truly get rid of them is for the character to accept them as a part of themselves, at which point they transform into a Persona, a FightingSpirit that he or she can deploy during fights.
** ''VideoGame/Persona5'' introduces Mementos, which reflects the darker nature of everyone who isn't bad or important enough to get a full palace, thus serving as a reflection of the negative parts of society in general.
* As ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' is a game where you traverse inside the troubled minds of characters, naturally you fight many of these creatures in various instances. A notable -- [[SurpriseCreepy and unexpectedly scary]] -- example is [[spoiler: TheButcher: A hulking, Frankestinian caricature of [[DrillSergeantNasty Coach Oleander's]] father, who took the bunnies Oleander loved as a child and butchered them for food... '''right in front of his own son.''' While he never intended to traumatize Oleander like this, he nonetheless was responsible for Oleander's insanity as well as his StartOfDarkness.]]
* In ''VideoGame/TheMissingJJMacfieldAndTheIslandOfMemories'', the "Hairshrieker" which occasionally shows up to chase J.J turns out to be a manifestation of [[spoiler: her own suicidal urges; wielding a version of the razor she attempted to kill herself with.]]
* The bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}'' represent various fears that Vincent experiences in his nightmares throughout the game. The story focuses on Vincent's relationship with his girlfriend Katherine, but things get muddled when he meets (and wakes up next to) Catherine. As he and other random men in the city struggle to keep climbing each night [[YourMindMakesItReal just to stay alive]], Vincent is confronted by horrific amalgamations that represent his various fears such as committing to his relationship, losing his freedom by getting married, the unwanted possibility of being a father, the possibility that the child might not even be his, being confronted for cheating, and even his own insecurities with his obsessions with being a free man not being weighed down by a relationship. Since every man climbing has their own issues to overcome, they all experience different horrors.
* Most of the enemies in ''VideoGame/CryOfFear'' have themes of depression, suicide, and mental issues. This all reflects on the protagonist Simon who during the course of the story is writing a book about his issues and so the Simon you play as sees them as malformed monsters. This culminates into the FinalBoss [[spoiler:of the Good Ending, where the playable Simon has effectively become an embodiment of the real Simon's suicidal side and must be killed by the wheelchair-bound real Simon to avoid killing himself in real life. In the other endings, ''[[VillainProtagonist you]]'' play as Book Simon fighting and killing the wheelchair-bound Simon, representing the depression taking him over and his decision to go through with suicide alongside murdering his best friend and/or his doctor in the depths of his despair and/or spite depending on which of the two major choices he screwed up on.]]
* ''VideoGame/HellbladeSenuasSacrifice'': Senua is a Pict warrior traumatized by a Viking raid who is HearingVoices. Her journey into the underworld to [[RescuedFromTheUnderworld rescue her deceased lover]] Dillion is seen ThroughTheEyesOfMadness, and the hazards and monsters she faces may simply be manifestations of her traumas. The BigBad goddess of Hel, Hela speaks with the voice Senua hears in her mind, identified as The Shadow, [[spoiler:and The Shadow is the voice of Senua's [[AbusiveParents abusive father]] Zynbel.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' - in the episode "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep", this is the origin of the Tantabus - it was created by Princess Luna as a manifestation of her guilt to punish herself.
* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'': In the climax of the season 1 episode, "Metamorphosis Pt. 2", part of Simon Stagg's mind is inadvertently transferred into a giant lumbering monster that's driven by his innermost desires, namely his possessiveness towards his daughter Sapphire.

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI implies that this is the case with the all the bosses in [[BonusDungeon Drustan's Labyrinth]], with all of them being manifestations of the Hero's animosities, rage, worst excesses, gluttony, deepest fears, fear of failure and self regard taking the forms of the Spectral Sentinels in reference to the SevenDeadlySins.

** ''VideoGame/SilentHill2'' delves possibly the deepest into PsychologicalHorror, with its litany of [[OurMonstersAreWeird bizarre, anatomically impossible creatures]]. Such creatures include the [[ShesGotLegs leggy]] [[MurderousMannequin mannequins]], the membrane-bound [[BodyHorror lying figures]], and the rapey [[ImplacableMan Pyramid Head]], all having rather [[FreudWasRight sexual]] designs. [[spoiler:Most of them are manifestations of James's sexual frustration and increasing depravity ever since his wife Mary fell terminally ill, and the two Pyramid Heads originate from his guilt of murdering his wife the week before and later Eddie in self-defense, existing for the sole purpose of fulfilling James's desire for karmic punishment because of said guilt. Once he realizes he doesn't need the Pyramid Head to punish him for his sins, they promptly skewer themselves on their own spears.]]

* In ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys4'', the twisted, nightmarish incarnations [[SuckECheeses Freddy Fazbear's Pizza's]] jolly band of murderous mascots are this to the game's child protagonist. [[spoiler:The latter appears to be terrified of the animatronic mascots, and is mercilessly bullied by his older brother and his lackeys, who all wear masks of Foxy, Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica respectively. Nightmare Foxy hides inside the closet during gameplay much in the same way the child's brother does to scare him, and Nightmare Fredbear's teeth are tinted red, alluding to how the real Fredbear accidentally bit down into the child's head after the bullies shoved him into the animatronic's mouth as a cruel prank. The incident left him in a comatose state, thus marking the beginning of his DyingDream, where the main gameplay takes place.]]
** Although VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation [[spoiler: shows an EasterEgg shows the child's bedroom in the hidden room on the cameras, implying that [[OrWasItADream something deeper is going on...]]]]

* ''Film/JacobsLadder'' is full of Freudian creatures that torment Jacob Singer's [[spoiler: dying]] mind. [[DemonicHeadShake Their heads twitch]] and they moan in agony, looking much like the victims of his unit after being attacked by Viet Cong in Vietnam. The film is also rife with MedicalHorror, with characters like the [[EyelessFace eyeless surgeon]] and his disturbing staff, representing [[spoiler: Jacob's inability to let go of his life and die peacefully as the war surgeons try to revive him]].

[[caption-width-right:350:''Peek-a-boo!'']]

Subtrope of EnemyWithout. See also OurMonstersAreWeird, SurrealHorror. Can overlap with MonsterOfTheAesop.

* In the "Dream Sequence" arc of ''ComicBook/{{Finder}}'', the central character is, via brain-computer linkage, the human main server of the MMORPG that he runs. When a monster starts attacking his clients in the game, he eventually realises that it is the personification of his [[ArtistDisillusionment repressed anger]] at the fanbase, and defeats it by going way beyond ImNotAfraidOfYou and having sex with it.

** The Raw Shocks in ''[[VideoGame/SilentHillShatteredMemories Shattered Memories]]'' are a unique example. As part of the [[PlayingThePlayer psych profile system]], these monsters will actively change their appearance throughout the game according to the player's choices and behavior. For example, if Harry cheats on his wife with the women he meets on his journey, the Raw Shocks will adopt uncanny, feminine sexual traits. If he drinks alcohol and takes drugs without restraint, the monsters will look disgustingly rotten and decayed.