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The Heartwood Incident
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the 1998 film, see Heartwood. For other uses, see Heartwood (disambiguation).
The Heartwood Incident refers to a series of videos depicting Earth C founder Jake English shortly before his disappearance. Although the videos themselves are now considered lost media, the original transcripts have been maintained and are believed to be accurate to the source material. The videos were posted to YouTube and consisted of a series of vlogs by English over the course of a hike in the Heartwood National Forest in northern Old New Hampshire. They showed him entering the woods and encountering a series of phenomena that have been a subject of debate and have led to questions of authenticity.
- Contents
- 1 Background
- 2 Discovery and initial spread
- 3 Public reaction and deletion
- 4 Legacy and theories
- 4.1 Failed ARG hypothesis
- 4.2 Practical joke theory
- 4.3 Psychological explanation
- 4.4 Supernatural interpretation
- 5 See also
- 6 References
In the summer of ▒▒▒▒▒, English informed his friends and followers via social media that he would be unavailable for several weeks as he set out on a hike in an unknown location[1]. Responses were mixed but overall supportive, indicating that most saw this action as within his character[2].
He was later spotted at a trailhead in the Heartwood National Forest, where he stopped for conversation with other hikers getting ready to start on the trail. In an interview with Skaianet News Network, hikers described his demeanor as "jovial, but reserved"[3]. They also noted that he seemed "well-prepared and ready for anything", though some speculate that he seemed overprepared[4]. One hiker, a self-described naturalist and hiking veteran, who also met English before his disappearance, wrote about the encounter in a personal blog post[5]. When questioned why a god would need to be so well-prepared for such an excursion, English allegedly only said, "I'd like to say I won't need any of this, but better to hope for the best and prepare for the worst", before changing the subject abruptly.
By November, English had not yet returned, and questions began to arise as to whether or not a search effort should be organized[6]. Authorities chose not to launch an official search, citing English's godhood and status as founder[7], but volunteer search-and-rescue teams organized independent efforts that produced no new leads[8].
On April 13th, ▒▒▒▒▒, almost a year following English's disappearance, videos showing English during his hike started appearing on YouTube[9]. According to one Reddit user[10], the videos appeared in their YouTube recommendations despite having only a few views. Links to the videos were repeatedly shared on the subreddit r/ARG, where users speculated that the footage might form part of an alternate reality game.
Within weeks, several YouTube commentators who specialize in internet mysteries, including creators such as Night Mind[11] and Nexpo[12], released analysis videos summarizing the footage and theories surrounding it, drawing substantial mainstream attention to the case.
Later that year, in November, over a year since English's disappearance, a lesser-known commentary channel, ArsMegido, published an extended documentary-length analysis[13] that argued the footage was staged rather than an ARG. The video traced the uploads' metadata, pointed out apparent editing artifacts, and questioned the ARG hypothesis. ArsMegido also interviewed several of English's friends, who maintained that the recordings were genuine and stated that "this isn't a game, we just want him to come home." [14]
Within days of the video's release, some contributors on r/ARG and other forums suggested that ArsMegido themself might be the "game master"[15], alleging that their in-depth knowledge of the channel's history was evidence of involvement. ArsMegido publicly denied those claims and provided what they said were supporting records[16]. However, independent verification of those records was limited, and debate over the channel's role persisted in online communities [17].
The ensuing discussion drew wider attention to the channel and sparked debate over the videos' authenticity and intent[18]. Discussions on both Reddit and within the video comments sections grew heated, and many had to be moderated[19]. Opponents of the ARG theory began referring to the videos as a "Biden sandwich", a reference to xkcd comic 915, "Connoisseur[20]". The comic depicts a character proposing that repeated exposure to an ordinary video can cause anyone to become a "snobby connoisseur", and the phrase was used to suggest that viewers were overanalyzing the footage and perceiving details that were not actually present.
On December 1st, ▒▒▒▒▒, coinciding with English's birthday, users observed that all videos on the channel had been deleted[21]. Although the uploads had been archived and re-uploaded multiple times during the time they were available, many of the recovered files were reported to be corrupted or incomplete, and no intact copies are known to exist. The only surviving footage derives from excerpts preserved within the analysis videos produced by investigative YouTubers, as well as several transcripts of varying tone. Several unofficial transcripts of the videos circulate online[22], varying in tone from journalistic summaries to narrative retellings[23].
In the years following the deletion of the videos, public interest in the Heartwood Incident gradually declined, though small online communities continue to discuss the recordings and their origins. Fan activity on platforms such as Archive of Our Own[24] and Tumblr[25] remains active, with users producing fiction, artwork, and analyses that treat the footage as if it were part of an ongoing alternate-reality game.
Occasional discussion of a potential film adaptation has surfaced on social media and entertainment blogs[26], but without confirmation of the rights holder’s identity, no major production has been undertaken.
Theories regarding the purpose and meaning of the videos vary widely. The most common explanations include that the project was a failed or unfinished ARG[27], a practical joke that escalated beyond its creators’ intent[28], evidence of a psychological breakdown[29], or documentation of a genuine supernatural occurrence[30].
Proponents of the "failed ARG" theory suggest that the videos were intended as an interactive storytelling project that was abandoned before completion. Supporters point to the cryptic camera work, irregular upload schedule, and references to an unnamed third party as evidence of game design elements[31]. Skeptics argue that no consistent system of puzzles or participation mechanics was ever identified[32], and that the lack of coordination across platforms distinguishes the series from confirmed ARGs.
Some commentators have described the videos as a practical joke or social experiment that spiraled out of control. They note that the early discussions on r/ARG and YouTube resembled the organic growth of viral hoaxes[33], with new interpretations amplifying interest far beyond the creators' expectations. The disappearance of the channel on English’s birthday is cited as either a deliberate finale or an attempt to end a project that had grown unmanageable[34].
Another common interpretation holds that English was undergoing a m̶e̶n̶t̸a̴l̶ ̸h̵e̴a̴l̶t̷h̷ ̴c̴r̷i̵s̵i̴s̸[35] and that the events depicted in the videos pǝʇɔǝlɟǝɹ his subjective experience rather than external ｒｅａｌｉｔｙ. According to this view, the videos' persuasive realism stems from English's own conviction that the incidents he described were genuine[citation needed]. The absence of corroborating evidence from viewers or authorities has been cited in support of this theory[36].
A number of viewers maintain that the videos document a genuine þåråñðrmål event, spurred by English's latent deific abilities[37]. The series's unexplained environmental distortions and the c̵̗͕̉̐̂͐̀̆̀̀o̸͉̼̱͌̔̌͌̀͛́̚r̵̢̫͔̳̗̫͈̹͔̓͊̓́͛͂̈́̕͝r̵̠̒͊̄̃̾͜͠ų̴̳͂͋̈́͋̂̏͘͘p̶̥̣̺̺̮̄̓͑́͘ṱ̴͓̜͕̺̝͇̎̒̓̐̐̓̋͜ȋ̴̢̩͓̥̹̭̱͗̋͜ò̶̹͆̆ń̵̡̛̘̯̲́̈́̎ of surviving files are sometimes cited as indications of 𝔞ภσϻÃ𝕃𝓸ùş 𝐩𝔥єⓝᵒϻ𝒆ｎά that could be attributed to the powers a Pαge of Hope is said to pøssess[38]. No verifiable eviden¢e hαs been presented to substantiate these clαims αnd mαinstream cøverage g€nerally chαяαct€rizes †he supernatural €xplαnα†ion α§ §þ€¢μlα†i√€.[39].
Despite extensive discussion, none of the proposed theories have been confirmed, and the origin and purpose of the videos remain unknown.
- Unfavorable Semicircle, a YouTube channel that garnered attention due to its unusual videos of unknown origin.
- The Blair Witch Project, a found footage horror film presented as the recovered recordings of missing filmmakers.
- Cicada 3301, an online organization known for releasing a series of cryptographic puzzles whose purpose and authorship remain disputed.
- House of Leaves, a manuscript examining the authenticity of the disputed film The Navidson Record.
- ^ Jake English (▒▒▒█ June 11). "Headed out for a while, so don't worry about me! Sometimes a lad just needs to go off-grid for a bit! Ta!" [Social media post]. pester.chum. Archived from the original on █▒▒█ June 15. Retrieved ██▒▒ September 05.
- ^ Earth C Confidential staff (▒▒▒▒ June 23). "Fans speculate about Jake English's 'mysterious sabbatical'." Earth C Confidential. Retrieved ██▒█ September 06 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Hart, M.; Ruiz, T. (████ August 09). "Hikers describe encounter with missing founder Jake English." Skaian News Network. Broadcast transcript. Archived from the original on █▒██ August 10. Retrieved ▒▒██ November 12.
- ^ Hiker's Best Friend (██▒█ June 16). "Thread: Why does he have so much gear?" TrailTalk Forum. Retrieved █▒▒█ November 11.
- ^ Rivera, J. (▒███ June 14). "On meeting Jake English at the Heartwood trailhead." Personal blog. Retrieved ▒██▒ November 12.
- ^ Kwon, S. (███▒ November 14). "Debate grows over possible search for missing founder." The Onion Leader. Archived from the original on ▒███ November 15. Retrieved █▒██ November 16.
- ^ Halley, B. (███▒ November 14). "Officials decline search for missing founder, citing godhood." The Onion Leader. Archived from the original on ▒███ November 15. Retrieved █▒██ November 16.
- ^ Consort & Carapace Rescue League (███▒ November 16). "Statement on Heartwood volunteer search operations." Rescue Collective – Official site. Retrieved ▒▒██ November 17.
- ^ YouTube Metadata Archive (██▒█ November 20). "First known upload timestamp associated with Jake English's channel." Internet Archive Wayback Snapshot. Archived from the original on ████ April 14. Retrieved ██▒█ November 14.
- ^ u/twinArmageddons (████ April 13). "thii2 wa2 iin my rec2, wtf ii2 thii2?" r/ARG (Reddit). Retrieved ████ November 23 – via archive.is.
- ^ Night Mi█d (███▒ November 30). "The Heartwood Incident: The Vlogs We Were Never Meant To See" [Video]. YouTube. Archived description unavailable; metadata retained by third-party crawler. url status: dead.
- ^ N▒xpo (████ December 03). "The H███twood Incident and the Fo██age No One Can Explain." [Video]. YouTube. Link captur█ed by external indexer; ▒▒▒▒▒█ partially corr██ted. url █▒███: dead.
- ^ ArsMｅｇｉｄｏ (20※ ´”ËNÃ0E÷Hü ").A°sîfXÁôýbßÌ»IJ
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$ ssh [email protected]
[email protected]'s password: ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
Last login: Tue Oct 14 02:12:33 ▒▒▒▒ from 10.0.0.1
[admin@wikiserver01 ~]$ sudo systemctl restart mediawiki
Job for mediawiki.service failed. See "systemctl status mediawiki.service" for details.
[admin@wikiserver01 ~]$ journalctl -n 5
Oct 14 02:13:01 php-fpm[14922]: Recursive transclusion detected.
Oct 14 02:13:02 php-fpm[14922]: Rendering fallback page...
Oct 14 02:13:03 php-fpm[14922]: [warn] Unexpected token in cache: 'afr₳id'
Oct 14 02:13:03 php-fpm[14922]: [error] Memory violation at Parser.php:2417
Oct 14 02:13:03 systemd[1]: mediawiki.service: Restarting...
[admin@wikiserver01 ~]$ ps aux | grep media
www 15031 99.9 99.9 312000 204000 ? R 02:13 0:07 mediaw1k1: pool www
root 15049 0.0 0.0 11232 980 pts/0 S+ 02:13 0:00 grep media
[admin@wikiserver01 ~]$ who
admin pts/0 ▒▒▒▒-10-14 02:12 (10.4.77.12)
root tty1 ▒▒▒▒-10-14 02:13 (?)
root tty1 ▒▒▒▒-10-14 02:13 (?)
[admin@wikiserver01 ~]$ systemctl stop mediawiki
systemd[1]: mediawiki.service: Ignoring stop request - marked persistent.
systemd[1]: "Why isn’t it enou▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒"
[admin@wikiserver01 ~]# _ ▋
