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The Mandela Effect is a theory that tries to explain why some memories of past details are discovered to be false. Affecting a large number of people, it is unknown what causes the effect and theories range from time manipulation, interaction with other parallel universes, false/contaminated memories, to an Internet hoax.
Name[]
Coined by paranormal enthusiast Fiona Broome, the name "Mandela Effect," refers to her experience meeting people who vividly remembered (as she did) news reports about former South African president Nelson Mandela dying while he was in prison in the 1980s instead of in December 2013.
Examples[]
This is not an exhaustive list.
The first option is the correct version. The other option(s) is/are what many people remember.[1]
General[]
- Nelson Mandela died in December 2013 vs. in prison during the 1980s
- The space shuttle Challenger explosion happened in January 1986 vs. 1984 vs. 1985
- The World Trade Center attacks happened on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 vs. Monday, Sept. 10, 2001 vs. not at all
- Jif/Skippy peanut butter vs. Jiffy peanut butter
- 50 states in the United States vs. 51 states vs. 52 states
- Billy Graham is alive vs. his funeral on TV
- Chartreuse is yellow-green vs. pink or reddish
- Henry VIII portrait never had turkey leg vs. with a turkey leg
- Lindbergh Baby found vs. never found
- Mother Teresa vs. Mother Theresa
- New Zealand is southeast of Australia vs. west/northwest vs. another land mass
- Froot Loops vs. Fruit Loops
Literature[]
- Berenstain Bears vs. Berenstein Bears vs. Berenstien Bears
- Curious George without a tail vs. with a tail
Films and TV[]
- Star Wars: "No, I am your father." vs. "Luke, I am your father."
- Star Wars: C3PO's right leg is silver/aluminum/steel vs. gold/brass
- Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves: "Magic Mirror on the wall..." vs. "Mirror, Mirror on the wall..."
- Forrest Gump: "Life was like a box of chocolates..." vs. "Life is like a box of chocolates..."
- Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: "It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood..." vs. "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood..."
- Interview with the Vampire vs. Interview with a Vampire
- Jaws: "You're gonna need a bigger boat." vs. "We're gonna need a bigger boat."
- TAPS vs. Ghost Hunters
- Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?: Red trench coat vs. a yellow one
- Gremlins: Character named Stripe vs. Spike
- Looney Tunes vs. Looney Toons
- Sex and the City vs. Sex in the City
Bible Scripture[]
- Isaiah 11:6 - "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb..." vs. "The lion and lamb shall lay down together..."
- Wine bottles vs. wineskins
Theories[]
- Please add to this list. -[]
Time Manipulation[]
One theory is that time was changed in the past somehow that resulted in such minute changes that much of the effects are changes in the names of products, last names, the dialog in films, costuming in movies, illustrations in children's books, etc.
Multiple Universes[]
A theory many believers hold is that there is a connection to the research with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Switzerland. They believe this effect is an interaction with a parallel universe that is like ours, but only slightly different and that the false memories are memories of our "home" universe or timeline.
False/Contaminated Memories[]
The most likely of the theories is that what we remember is often incorrect. People tend to continue to misquote movies and pop culture, and when others do this, it confirms our memory of the quote, word, or scene. Our brains do not remember what we experience - when we remember, we only remember the last time we remembered something. This phenomenon makes the memory malleable, and small things can influence it.
Internet Hoax[]
Thanks to social media and YouTube, this concept spread far and wide as an internet meme in spring 2016. However, websites and forums dedicated to researching the Berenstain/Berenstein Bears alternate reality/parallel universe theory for years before its popularity.