Truthfully, some of these are downright gut wrenching. You’ve been warned. Compiled by Bored Panda, this series of illustrations was designed to get us to think differently about the way humans treat animals by having us trade places with them, creating a horrific parallel universe where humans are caged, tortured, and slaughtered.

It’s a terrifying premise, but sadly, also represents the reality for hundreds of millions of animals each day.

These images have the potential to open up so many discussion topics which perhaps people are already thinking about but have never dared explore out loud. These are the uncomfortable truths that hide just beneath the surface of world. We use animals for our entertainment, we eat them, we wear them, we experiment on them, and we use them to curb our own loneliness.

People can argue for and against animals rights ’till the cows come home, but that doesn’t change the fact that we as a species see animals as ‘less than’ or as inferior to us. There is plenty more I could say on this issue, but for now, let’s just have a look at these images and take some time to reflect on how they make us feel. If you are uncomfortable, it may because they hit closer to home than you’d like.