The Remarkable Basilisks

>has evolved in modern literature to any item [which can] cause death when an image of them is mentally constructed

The excellent and memorable science fiction short story BLIT [0], by David Langford, is what I think of. In the story, a mathematical process called the Berryman Logical Image Technique produces images that cause segfaults in the primary visual cortex when viewed, and thereby irrevocably crash human minds.

I was introduced to the concept by the excellent The Laundry [2] series by Charles Stross ('cstross here on HN!), which features a dangerous fractal referred to as the Langford Death Parrot.

[0] http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/blit.htm

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLIT_(short_story)

[2] The Laundry is itself worth reading, being a ha-ha-only-serious examination of a fictional British occult secret service in a world where sufficiently advanced mathematics is indistinguishable from Lovecraftian magic, and the ever-increasing density of transistors on CPUs brings the world ever closer to CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN. The viewpoint character, for much of the series, is a sysadmin.

As mentioned in that Wikipedia page, it is pretty much certain that the many ancient stories about African reptiles (for whom various names were used, including "basilisk"), which cause death to those gazing at them, were all based on the spitting cobras, which will spit venom in the eyes of those who harass them and who look at them, causing great pain and even sometimes blindness or death.

I thought it was going to be about information hazards like Roko's basilisk.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roko%27s_basilisk

Just reading the name evokes vivid images of its Baldur's Gate incarnation in my mind:

https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Greater_Basilisk

https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Lesser_Basilisk

It looks surprisingly similar to that woodblock print in the Wikipedia article