The Death of Elisa Lam meme originates from the haunting 2013 surveillance footage of Elisa Lam in the elevator of the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. While the case itself is a tragic and widely discussed mystery, internet culture has repurposed stills from the video to convey a sense of 'uncanny' dread or bizarre, inexplicable behavior. It is often used in social media posts to represent extreme social anxiety, the feeling of being watched, or reacting to something paranormal. The meme typically thrives in communities focused on 'disturbed' or 'creepy' aesthetics, serving as a visual shorthand for situations that feel unsettling or detached from reality.