Wikipedia baseline:CERN ritual hoax

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2016 found footage video

Frame from the video depicting people in cloaks gathered around the statue of Shiva

The CERN ritual is a found footage video that depicts an occult ritual occurring in the grounds of CERN, the intergovernmental organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. The video became popular in August 2016 and shows several people dressed in black cloaks surrounding a statue of the Hindu deity Shiva and apparently performing a human sacrifice, which suggest that CERN aims to use the Large Hadron Collider to create a portal to hell, summon the antichrist, or destroy the universe.^[1] The video ended with the person filming crying out and running away.^[2]

Reactions

A CERN spokesperson stated that the video was a prank and that no one was actually harmed.^[3] CERN stated in its FAQ that the video was "fiction" and the actions were outside its professional guidelines and without any official permission.^[4] CERN stated that it "doesn't tolerate this kind of spoof" and that it can "give rise to misunderstandings about the scientific nature of our work".^[5]

References

^ LaCapria, Kim (17 August 2016). "Fact Check Fauxtography Was a Human Sacrifice Captured at CERN?". Snopes. Archived from the original on July 27, 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
^ "Fake human sacrifice filmed at Cern, with pranking scientists suspected". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. August 18, 2016. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
^ Thompson, Avery (2016-08-18). "CERN Scientists Under Investigation After Fake Human Sacrifice". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on July 16, 2026. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
^ Mazza, Ed (2016-08-19). "Video Of 'Satanic Ritual' At World's Most Famous Physics Lab Is A Hoax". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on February 8, 2019. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
^ Griffin, Andrew (August 18, 2016). "Video shows 'human sacrifice' taking place at home of the God Particle". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 2, 2026. Retrieved 2026-08-18.

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[1] LaCapria, Kim (17 August 2016). "Fact Check Fauxtography Was a Human Sacrifice Captured at CERN?". Snopes. Archived from the original on July 27, 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2018.

[2] "Fake human sacrifice filmed at Cern, with pranking scientists suspected". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. August 18, 2016. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-08-18.

[3] Thompson, Avery (2016-08-18). "CERN Scientists Under Investigation After Fake Human Sacrifice". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on July 16, 2026. Retrieved 2018-07-29.

[4] Mazza, Ed (2016-08-19). "Video Of 'Satanic Ritual' At World's Most Famous Physics Lab Is A Hoax". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on February 8, 2019. Retrieved 2018-07-29.

[5] Griffin, Andrew (August 18, 2016). "Video shows 'human sacrifice' taking place at home of the God Particle". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 2, 2026. Retrieved 2026-08-18.

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