What is the Mandela effect?
The Mandela effect is a phenomenon in which a group of people consistently misremember the same events, facts or other circumstances. The term was crafted by paranormal researcher Fiona Broome after learning she and many others falsely believed that Nelson Mandela died while serving jail time in the 1980s.
Nelson Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist. He was imprisoned for a total of 27 years for opposing the apartheid system and fighting for equality in South Africa. Released from prison in 1990, he went on to become the first elected president of South Africa four years later.
Nelson Mandela passed away in 2013. However, many mistakenly still share the belief that he died during his imprisonment. So the “Mandela effect” remains a relevant term for Mandela’s history as well as other common misconceptions.
The visual Mandela effect is an internet phenomenon in which many people share the same false visual memory of a person, idea or other situation.
Understanding the Mandela effect meaning
Several studies have been conducted on the meaning behind the Mandela effect.
A study published in Psychological Science in 2022 supports that false memories exist among large populations. Researchers Wilma Bainbridge and Deepasri Prasad hypothesized that people just weren’t paying close attention to details when asked to remember the attributes of a given logo, character or idea.
To test the hypothesis, researchers had study participants look at a photo of a given character or logo and then draw it from memory. They found that the same errors were made among the participants individually, without anyone being coerced.
Another experiment asked participants to look at three versions of popular visuals and select the “real” images. One version was correct and the other two had errors. The incorrect pictures were manipulated with different colors or an added or subtracted feature for differentiation.
As expected, individuals mistook the incorrect versions for the accurate images. But the significance of the experiment is that even though they were wrong, the participants reported their confidence and familiarity with the visuals as medium to high.
Some experts are still searching for the true causes and meaning of the Mandela effect. But others have stated that these false memories are all about what our brains want to see or remember. Basically, the human brain processes information in a way that is logical to us personally, even if it’s untrue.
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Examples of the Mandela effect
There are several popular concepts that are widely misremembered. Of course, there is the belief that Nelson Mandela died in prison. Additional ideas range from misquoted movie dialogue to misconceptions about popular logos and fictional characters.
One such quote is from the movie Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back. The famous quote, “No, I am your father,” is consistently remembered as, “Luke, I am your father.”
Another common example of the Mandela effect is a movie about a genie called Shazaam that stars actor Sinbad. Many recall the film even though it never existed. It’s possible this is confused with the movie Kazaam that starred Shaquille O’Neal.
And when it comes to visuals, there are a number of misbeliefs. Some popular examples of the visual Mandela effect include:
- Mr. Monopoly – Many believe the Monopoly board game mascot wears a monocle. However, he does not wear any eyewear.
- Fruit of the Loom logo – Some recall this logo including a cornucopia. While it features fruit, it does not include a cornucopia.
- C-3PO – Star Wars’ C-3PO is often remembered as being completely golden. However, his right lower leg is actually silver.
- Pikachu – It’s commonly believed that this character from the Pokemon series has a black stripe on his tail. But his tail is just yellow.
- The Berenstain Bears – The spelling of this children’s book series is often recalled incorrectly. Many remember it as The Berenstein Bears with an “ei” at the end instead of the “ai.”
- Jif peanut butter – Some people believe that the label on this peanut butter jar says “Jiffy.” However, the brand is called “Jif.”
What causes the Mandela effect?
Researchers and psychologists still aren’t entirely sure what causes the Mandela effect. But there are several possible explanations they believe are most likely. These include:
- Confabulation – When you give a false explanation of a memory without intending to be deceitful. Confabulation, also called “honest lying,” can be a sign of dementia and other memory-related conditions.
- False memories – When the memory of an event is misrepresented or exaggerated in your mind. Some false memories are completely incorrect, but others may be partially true.
- Priming – When an object is mentioned and a person automatically associates related objects to it. For example, if you hear the word “garden,” you are likely to visualize flowers or vegetables.
- Personal bias – Misremembering an occasion due to how it affected you emotionally. Some circumstances may be remembered fondly by some and negatively by others, depending on how they were impacted.
While not scientifically based, another possible explanation is the parallel universe theory. This is the idea that there is an alternate universe, and events within it cross over to the one we are currently living in. Even though it’s not scientifically “legitimate,” many find the concept very intriguing.
For those who favor the parallel universe theory, Dr. Wilma Bainbridge of the University of Chicago has an explanation. She pointed out some findings in the 2022 study published in Psychological Science.
In the experiment, people were shown pictures of characters like Pikachu or Mr. Monopoly and asked shortly after to recreate them. Even those who were unfamiliar with these characters added a black stripe to Pikachu’s tail or a monocle to Mr. Monopoly.
Impact of the Mandela effect on perception
Certain ideas, whether fictional or not, are easily spread throughout society. It’s natural to conceptualize in similar ways as your peers and reinforce these falsehoods among each other. And it’s even more powerful in the age of the internet.
Thoughts and stories are constantly passed down and remembered differently across each generation. It happens for many reasons — a personal bias or emotional tie to something can be an influence on the so-called truth.
The Mandela effect can have an impact on society’s perceptions as a whole. Some examples are harmless, such as the shared thought that the Monopoly man wears a monocle. Whether there are more negative consequences is still up for debate as the topic continues to be researched.
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