Why does creepiness exist? When we feel safe, we're calm, composed or happy and excited. When we're in danger, we feel scared and, at the same time, active. Yet, when we see something creepy, we only feel cautious, wary and unsafe, but never to the point that the mind decides between running or fighting. Why is this?
According to several studies, it's because the mind can't decide whether it is in danger or not. It does this when it finds something that it cannot define the intentions of. For example, if you saw a bunny running away from you, there would be no reason to be afraid and the mind would be at ease. If a bear is trying to kill you, the mind would easily identify the bear as an enemy and react as it would if it's in danger. However, if you see a man staring at you from outside your house at night from a distance, you would most likely just be spooked and uncomfortable, but not in any overwhelming fear.
This is because the mind can't decide whether the man is a threat or not. Will he try to enter your house? Will he just continue walking down the road? The mind doesn't know and so it invokes the emotion of creepiness. This puts you on edge without forcing you to make a decision, simply getting you ready for anything that might happen. This is why masks can make us uneasy. If you search just 'mask' in google images, most of the pictures that appear make you slightly uncomfortable. No fear is involved but it does put you in a position of slightly more caution.
As said before, it's because masks can hide the wearers emotions. If somebody wears a mask, you can't tell if this man is angry at you or neutral because his expressions are hidden. This forces the mind to be cautious and invokes creepiness.
More information here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEikGKDVsCc
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