Noting (per direction from AI Team) that site member belladotty (account age 2 days, site membership 2 days) recently posted a page that contains indicators of AI-generation: https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-9940
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**Item #:** SCP-9940
**Object Class:** Euclid
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**Special Containment Procedures:** All known instances of SCP 9940 are stored in a containment locker within the Hazardous Objects Wing of Site ██ as of 09/26/2016. Access is limited to personnel with Level 3 clearance or higher and requires direct authorization from Site Command. Handling or transport requires full biohazard protective equipment, including nitrile gloves, hair coverings, HEPA filtered respirators, and perceptual isolation goggles. Any unintentional contact with SCP 9940 must be reported immediately. Such incidents are to be treated as potential exposure events pending assessment. Long term efficacy of perceptual isolation goggles remains unverified. Exposed personnel are to undergo scalp decontamination and a combined neurological and cognitive evaluation to determine the presence and extent of SCP 9940 related perceptual interference. Personnel exhibiting anomalous perceptual drift, intrusive ideation, or unauthorized conceptual replication are to be placed under continuous observation until cleared by Site cognitive health staff. Individuals with confirmed prior exposure remain subject to periodic reevaluation due to the possibility of delayed or recurrent effects. Primary containment priority is the prevention of uncontrolled perceptual transmission. Physical injury associated with SCP 9940 is considered secondary to the risk of propagation through observation, cognition, or informal description.
**Description:** SCP‑9940 manifests as a shampoo contained in a cylindrical glass bottle approximately 15 cm in height. The container is uniformly dark and unbranded, with a narrow neck and screw-top cap consistent with early twentieth-century cosmetic packaging. The liquid itself is viscous, thicker than commercial shampoos, and emits a faint, slightly metallic scent. Upon application, it spreads unevenly across the scalp, forming a thin, iridescent layer that does not fully lather or rinse like conventional shampoos. The residual film persists longer than typical cleansing agents, leaving the scalp subtly sticky for several hours post‑application.
When applied to the scalp, SCP‑9940 induces persistent perceptual anomalies in exposed individuals. Affected subjects report the presence of humanoid figures within their environment that are invisible to unaffected observers and undetectable by recording equipment. These figures are consistently described as incomplete, shadowed, and nonresponsive. Entities do not acknowledge observation and exhibit no reaction to verbal prompts or physical obstruction.
Observed entity behavior is limited to low complexity actions including standing, walking short distances, waiting near architectural boundaries, and remaining stationary for extended periods. In structured environments, entities have been observed aligning themselves parallel to walls, door frames, and corridors. During one controlled observation period, multiple entities perceived by the same subject were reported standing several meters apart in a loose line formation near a corridor exit without interacting with one another.
Interaction with entities remains strictly perceptual. No confirmed physical contact has occurred. Reflective surfaces, particularly mirrors, significantly increase both the number and perceptual clarity of entities. Prolonged exposure is associated with compulsive mirror checking, fixation behaviors, and distress when access to reflective surfaces is restricted.
**Discovery:** SCP‑9940 was identified following a localized cluster of psychiatric consultations in Pulaski County, AR. Over a three‑week period, multiple emergency departments and outpatient clinics filed incident reports describing patients presenting with near‑identical perceptual disturbances, language patterns, and fixation behaviors. The anomaly was flagged after a Foundation‑embedded analyst monitoring regional medical insurance claims noted an unusual volume of repeat neurological imaging requests tied to otherwise healthy individuals.
Subsequent investigation revealed that all affected patients had recently used the same unlabeled shampoo product obtained through local discount retailers. Initial symptoms were dismissed as stress‑related hallucinations until cross‑comparison of patient interviews revealed consistent entity descriptions and mirror fixation behaviors. Despite the container’s archaic appearance, carbon dating of the glass yielded inconsistent results, preventing reliable age determination. Labels exhibited typographical anomalies, and barcodes traced to non‑existent corporate entities.
In several cases, anomalous perception persisted for up to two weeks following decontamination. Formal testing on human subjects commenced shortly thereafter, resulting in expanded documentation of SCP‑9940’s progression and psychological effects.
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**Addendum 9940-01 — Testing Logs:**
**Log 9940-T1:** 5-second exposure.
Peripheral humanoid shadows observed. No attachment.
**Log 9940-T2:** 1-minute exposure.
Clear humanoid forms, repetitive mundane actions. Subject described entities as “quiet companions.”
**Log 9940-T3:** Mirror amplification test.
Number of perceived entities doubled. Mild obsession noted.
**Log 9940-T4:** Daily exposure for 7 days.
Emotional attachment and compulsive application observed.
**Log 9940-T5:** Subject G, 30-minute full scalp exposure.
Observations include independent posture, speech fragmentation, dissociation, and mirror fixation. Exposure terminated after 30 minutes and the subject reacted with acute distress. This subject drew particular interest from Site personnel and was instructed to document any possible long‑term effects through a personal diary beginning on 10 September 2016.
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[[collapsible show="Addendum 9940-02 — Diary Excerpts (Subject G)" hide="Close Addendum"]]
**09/10/2016**
Dear Diary,
They made me use the shampoo again earlier.
My new friends appeared before they rinsed me.
Not suddenly. Not dramatically.
They stood in ordinary places.
Next to the sink. Near the door. In the space where nothing ever is.
They weren’t looking at me.
They weren’t looking away either.
One of the technicians kept glancing at the mirror while I was still dripping.
He stopped after a while.
It felt like I had stepped into a world that needed me to arrive first.
**09/13/2016**
Dear Diary,
I’m not sure I’m supposed to see them once the shampoo is removed, but I do.
The number isn’t stable.
Sometimes three in the bathroom. Sometimes five hang from the ceiling.
When I turn my head, the count changes in ways I can’t track.
They don’t move the way people move.
They shift only when I’m not focused on them.
I waved at one. It didn’t respond.
I have never seen anything this passive.
I tried describing them to a nurse.
She stopped writing halfway through my sentence.
She didn’t ask me to continue.
**09/15/2016**
Dear Diary,
Mirrors make everything worse.
Or maybe clearer. Better.
In the mirror, they look more complete.
Edges sharpen. Shapes feel more confident.
Something else happens too.
My reflection doesn’t blur.
It feels unfinished.
I keep adjusting the lighting. The effect doesn’t change.
One of the doctors asked if we could talk without the mirror uncovered.
He wouldn’t say why.
**09/17/2016**
Dear Diary,
I noticed myself copying their posture.
Not consciously. It wasn’t imitation. It felt like alignment.
The air feels heavier, like it’s settling into the correct position.
When I move normally again, the quiet breaks.
It feels like I’m making noise simply by existing.
The camera operator asked for a break today.
He said the room felt “wrong.”
He didn’t look at me when he left.
**09/18/2016**
Dear Diary,
I reread yesterday’s entry out of boredom.
Part of it doesn’t feel like something I wrote.
The handwriting is mine, but the rhythm isn’t.
It feels like someone practiced writing my thoughts before I had them.
I don’t know how to explain this without sounding insane.
I don’t think insanity explains it anyway.
**09/20/2016**
Dear Diary,
Something is wrong with my reflection. I think the doctors noticed it too.
When I blink, it blinks too.
But not at the same moment.
It isn’t delayed.
It hesitates.
Like it’s deciding whether it still needs to follow me.
They covered the mirror after that.
I can still feel where it is.
**09/21/2016**
Dear Diary,
I looked directly at one of them today.
It almost looked like me.
My brown hair. My blue eyes.
Not identical.
Not distorted.
Just simplified.
Like a version of me with unnecessary details removed.
I stepped closer.
Then it did the same.
Neither of us touched the floor.
**09/22/2016**
Dear Diary,
I think I understand something now.
The shampoo didn’t create them.
It taught me how to notice them.
Maybe people are temporary versions of something more stable.
They look stable.
I don’t anymore.
I don’t know exactly why I can no longer see my own hands.
Sometimes I wonder if I was ever supposed to be fully real.
**09/23/2016**
Dear Diary,
I tried speaking to one today.
I asked it about the election. I don’t even know why.
I just wanted to break the silence in the air.
“You voting Trump or Clinton?”
It didn’t answer.
Awkward.
But it felt like it was waiting.
Not for my words.
For my silence.
When I stopped speaking, it came closer.
**09/24/2016**
Dear Diary,
I stayed completely still today.
After a while, I couldn’t tell where I ended and where they began.
There wasn’t a clear edge anymore.
In the mirror, everything felt even.
Balanced.
Like the room finally made sense.
When I moved, it all fell apart.
They were never appearing.
They were filling something that was already there.
I think I’m almost done being filled in.
**09/25/2016**
D-D-Dear Diary,
Something is very wrong.
When I look directly at them, they’re still incomplete.
Messy. Like something that failed to load properly.
I keep waiting for them to correct themselves.
They never do.
This is worse than prison. I want the doctors to let me out of here right now.
I don’t know what “here” means anymore.
I only know I’m tired of watching things almost become something and realizing I’m part of whatever’s missing.
When I look away, however…
[DATA EXPUNGED]
...
[[/collapsible]]
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**Addendum 9940-03 — Psychological Observations**
SCP 9940 produces a progressive alteration in perceptual processing distinct from conventional hallucinations. Subjects consistently report that perceived entities are experienced as persistent elements of the environment rather than intrusive imagery. Notably, subjects do not describe the entities as threatening or attention seeking. Distress arises primarily from the entities’ indifference and predictability. In long term observation rooms, subjects have been noted adjusting their own seating position to avoid visually overlapping perceived entities, despite being reminded that no physical obstruction exists. Stages of progression remain consistent across test populations. Initial exposure includes heightened awareness of peripheral movement and reflexive scanning of reflective surfaces. Early fixation includes reduced blink frequency, prolonged mirror engagement, and involuntary posture corrections. Intermediate obsession includes reinterpretation of shadows and static visual noise as intentional positioning. Advanced dissociation includes destabilization of self referential identity, with subjects describing the entities as more visually reliable than their own reflection. Identity destabilization and assimilation language is restricted to this stage and does not appear during early exposure.
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**Addendum 9940-04 — Post-Exposure Notes (Subject G)**
**Date:** 09/27/2016
Following standard decontamination procedures, Subject G was kept under continuous observation and instructed to document her experiences in a personal log. Review of interview footage from the previous day reveals repeated pauses mid‑sentence during which speech ceases, yet posture, eye movement, and micro‑expressions continue without corresponding neural activity. During intervals, the subject’s facial structure exhibited subtle elongation and distortion consistent with descriptions of the primary perceived entity. Simultaneously, the entity adopts gestures, posture, and behavioral tics previously unique to Subject G. These changes occur without visible distress on the part of the subject. All further attempts at direct engagement or questioning have been suspended indefinitely pending review.
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++++ POST DECONTAMINATION INTERVIEW 9940G
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**Interviewer:** Dr. ██
**Interviewed:** Subject G (Former D-Class ██-G)
**Location:** Site-██ Psychological Observation Chamber
**Date:** 09/26/2016
**Time:** 14:42 PM
> //<Begin Log>//
> **Dr. ██**: Good afternoon. You are being recorded. Can you tell me why you are here?
> **Subject G:** I… I understand. You want to know if they are still here, if they are still watching. I can see them, even now. They’ve always been here.
> **Dr. ██:** And are they present right now, in this room?
> **Subject G:** Yes. Standing… not moving like you or I do. Just existing. They mirror me somehow.
> **Dr. ██:** Can you describe them?
> **Subject G:** Thinner, less defined. Hard to focus on the features.
> **Dr. ██:** Are they interacting with you?
> **Subject G:** No. They do not speak or respond. That is the worst part.
> **Dr. ██:** Earlier you mentioned unusual locations.
> **Subject G:** At first mirrors, then corners, doorways… behind furniture. Now… they occupy the spaces I occupy.
> **Dr. ██:** When you say that…?
> **Subject G:** I look in the mirror, sometimes I don’t see myself. I see them. And when I step forward… they step too. //(Minor scratching of Subject G's scalp observed, unrelated to shampoo residue.)//
> **Dr. ██:** You understand you’re no longer exposed to the residue, correct?
> **Subject G:** I know. But they remain, doctor. I can see them clearly.
> **Dr. ██:** And what does that feel like?
> **Subject G:** Hollow. My reflection feels less mine, more like a rehearsal for what they already know. //(Subject G paused to adjust their chair mid-sentence)//
> **Dr. ██:** Do you believe the entities are changing?
> **Subject G:** No. They are constant. I am changing. Slowly. My perception bends to them.
> **Dr. ██**: Explain.
> **Subject G:** My reflection flickers. Sometimes I cannot remember which way I moved my eyes. It is not interaction… it is assimilation. When I stop moving, they stop. When I blink, they blink.
> **Dr. ██:** And when you focus on them?
> **Subject G:** Only briefly. Focus too long and the edges blur. Sometimes I think I am learning from them instead.
> [Recording shows Subject G staring at one-way observation glass. Reflection analysis inconclusive.]
> **Dr. ██:** Why do you think this is happening?
> **Subject G:** They do not need me to move. But my hesitation fills them in. I am changing, not them.
>[**Clinical Note:** Subject G exhibits dissociative behavior consistent with long-term SCP-9940 exposure. Blink rate irregular, eye-tracking shows delayed saccades.]
> **Dr. ██:** Do you feel you are becoming one of the entities?
> **Subject G:** They are not entities. People… maybe, who noticed too much. I feel like I am joining them, but also leaving myself behind.
> **Dr. ██:** Look at me. Can you?
> **Subject G:** I try, but I can’t. Every time I fix my gaze, I see another version of me behind you.
>**Dr. ██:** There is no mirror behind me.
> **Subject G:** Exactly.
> (Audio distortion detected. Video feed shows intermittent frame duplication and misalignment. Neurological spikes observed at ██ Hz.)
> **Dr. ██:** And now?
> **Subject G:** Standing. Watching. Waiting. They do not hurry. They have never needed to.
> **Dr. ██:** And you?
> **Subject G:** …I cannot trust my movements anymore.
> **Dr. ██:** Describe the entity. I need you to be straight with me.
> **Subject G:** It has the right height. The right distance from the floor. And for its face… it is learning, slowly, where my features go.
> **Dr. ██:** What? Where is it located?
> **Subject G:** In the chair.
> [**Clinical Observation:** Subject G exhibits extreme dissociation. Body posture mirrors perceived entity. Heart rate stable.]
> **Dr. ██:** Ma’am, you are the one in the chair.
> (Silence.)
> **Dr. ██:** Hello? What the-
> //<End Log>//
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**Post-Decontamination Follow-Up – Site Director Memo Excerpt**
**Date:** 09/27/2016
**Time:** 15:17
**From:** SD. S. Golden, Site-██
**To:** All Hazardous Objects Wing Personnel
Review of Interview 9940G confirms that SCP‑9940 produces residual perceptual interference extending beyond directly exposed subjects. Mirrors in observation chambers are to remain covered until further notice. Personnel involved in post-exposure analysis report fleeting shadows, involuntary mirror-checking, and minor identity disorientation. No physical interaction has occurred; however, cognitive drift remains likely without strict adherence to containment protocols.
Observational data suggest that SCP‑9940 does not create anomalous entities per se, but rather stabilizes latent perceptual patterns already present in the environment. Attempts to suppress these perceptions correlate with increased distress and episodic identity instability. Subjects who cease resistance experience temporary relief, though baseline self-recognition may remain altered.
As a precaution, access to full diary transcripts has been restricted to personnel with demonstrated resistance to cognitohazardous pattern fixation. Mirrors in review rooms are to remain covered during document analysis. SCP‑9940 is therefore reclassified as a perceptual conditioning anomaly. In other words, the shampoo itself is no longer considered the primary threat.
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[[/div]]Excerpts of note:
Observational data suggest that SCP‑9940 does not create anomalous entities per se, but rather stabilizes latent perceptual patterns already present in the environment. Attempts to suppress these perceptions correlate with increased distress and episodic identity instability. Subjects who cease resistance experience temporary relief, though baseline self-recognition may remain altered.
As a precaution, access to full diary transcripts has been restricted to personnel with demonstrated resistance to cognitohazardous pattern fixation. Mirrors in review rooms are to remain covered during document analysis. SCP‑9940 is therefore reclassified as a perceptual conditioning anomaly. In other words, the shampoo itself is no longer considered the primary threat.
Of note, previous revisions of the article showed clear signs of AI use, such as the use of unusually formatted sections and categories:
Revision 4:
Description: SCP‑9940 manifests as a shampoo contained in a cylindrical glass bottle roughly 15 cm tall. The bottle is uniformly dark in color, and devoid of identifiable branding, with a narrow neck and screw-top cap consistent with early 20th-century cosmetic containers. When applied to the scalp, SCP-9940 produces persistent perceptual anomalies. Subjects report figures within their environment that are invisible to unaffected individuals and undetectable by recording equipment. Entities are consistently described as:
Partial: Missing limbs or indistinct features.
Shadowed: Vaguely outlined or foggy.
Indifferent: No acknowledgment of observation.
Engaged in mundane activity: Standing, walking, staring, waiting.Addendum 9940-03 — Psychological Observations
As per the data above, SCP-9940 induces a progressive cognitive alteration, distinct from traditional hallucinations. Subjects perceive entities as autonomous, socially organized, and persistent, even after acknowledging the lack of objective evidence. Notably, awareness of the entities and their anomalous nature does not diminish their perceived presence or influence, which suggests the effect operates independently of conscious belief or rational assessment.
Stages of progression:
Initial exposure: Heightened awareness of peripheral stimuli with instinctive compulsions to locate entities
Early fixation: Reduced blink frequency, prolonged mirror fixation, involuntary head movements
Intermediate obsession: Difficulty distinguishing entities from environmental features and visual noise and shadows reinterpreted as deliberate movement
Advanced dissociation: Self-identification shifts with subjects reporting entities as more “stable” than themselves with persistent ontological insecurity
Short-term effects include uncontrollable monitoring of reflective surfaces, deliberate residue preservation through aversion to water, withdrawal-like symptoms after residue removal, and eventual belief that entities were always present, merely revealed by SCP-9940.