Have you ever been positive you remembered something correctly, only to come across "proof" that your memory was false?
If you have an interest in conspiracy theories or know people who do, you may have heard someone asking, "What is the Mandela Effect?" — and the answer could explain what happened to you in that instance, as well as why you are probably far from the only person to make the same mistake.
According Know Your Meme, the Mandela Effect "refers to a phenomenon in which a large number of people share false memories of past events, referred to as confabulation in psychiatry. Some have speculated that the memories are caused by parallel universes spilling into our own, while others explain the phenomenon as a failure of collective memory."
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The term was coined in 2009 by author and paranormal researcher Fiona Broome "to describe a collective false memory she discovered at the Dragon Con convention, where many others believed that former South African President Nelson Mandela died during his imprisonment in the 1980s."
Broome recalls the origins of the theory during conversations at Dragon Con as follows:
"Between speaking to audiences, many of us would start discussions about quirky, fun topics. It was a way to relax... The discussion started when Shadow [then a Dragon Con security manager] mentioned that — like me — other people remembered Nelson Mandela’s tragic death in a South African prison, prior to late 2009. (In this reality, Mandela died [on December 5], 2013.) Apparently, others in the green room shared that memory. Many others joined the conversation. It was a fascinating discussion that spun into weird and hilarious tangents."
Broome's writings about this theory obviously struck a chord with the global community, so much so that as of this date there are 76,044 subscribers on Reddit's r/MandelaEffect, and an entire episode of "The X-Files" revolves around an instance in which agents Scully and Mulder "fall victim to the Mandela Effect."
Some believe the Mandela Effect is the result of a parallel universe, others believe these memories we have are real, and the facts have since been change in the course of government cover-ups, and still others believe our memories simply play tricks on us over the years, similar to the way our words change while playing a game of "Telephone."
Whatever the real reason is, what’s most fascinating about the Mandela Effect is that so many individuals all over the world share the same false memories from a variety of time periods, and in such a wide variety of categories.
Here are just 27 of the hundreds of known Mandela Effect examples to explain the phenomenon (and possibly cause you to question everything you think you know).
1. You've never watched Sex in the City.
It’s Sex and the City, but many people insist they remember it being “in the” at some point.
2. Rich Uncle Pennybags, AKA the Monopoly man, has never worn a monocle.
Actually, he doesn't, and he never has.
It's possible that people are just confusing him with Mr. Peanut, the Planters peanut mascot, who also wears a top hat and carries a cane with him.
3. The Queen in Snow White never said, "Mirror, mirror on the wall."
This line from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney's first animated feature film, is probably one of the most iconic of all time. A movie based on the class Brothers Grimm tale released in 2012, was even called Mirror Mirror after the famous line.
But what if I told you we've all been remembering it wrong?
That’s right! n the 1937 movie, she clearly says, “Magic Mirror on the wall.”
And yet, I have never met one single person who remembers it that way.
4. If you think "life is like a box of chocolates," think again.
In the 1994 movie Forrest Gump, the title character made famous by Tom Hanks says, “My momma always said life is like a box of chocolates.” Or does he?
Well, if you go back and watch the opening scene (see below), Forrest actually says, "My momma always said life was like a box of chocolates.”
That doesn’t even sound right!! But it is.
5. Darth Vader never said, "Luke, I am your Father."
Although this statement is one of the most iconic in film history, was Darth Vader actually says to Luke Skywalker in 1980's Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back is,“No. I am your father.”
You definitely shouldn't be too hard on yourself for getting this one confused, considering Darth Vader himself, James Earl Jones is right there with you.
6. "We Are The Champions" does NOT end with "of the world."
Most people singing along to the 1977 song from Queen distinctly remember the last line as, "We are the champions... of the world."
It is not.
7. There was no movie called Shazaam starring Sinbad.
Or was there? This may be one of the most perplexing, if not THE most perplexing, examples of all.
Many have sworn that they saw a movie starring comedian David Adkins, aka Sinbad, as a genie named Shazaam at some point in the 1990s, but this would have been impossible given that such a movie was never made.
Many believe this is actually a case of confused memory, since there was a movie called Kazaam made in 1996 starring pro basketball player and sometimes actor Shaquille O'Neal.
But Sinbad may have cleared this all up for us on Twitter in 2016.
Keywords: conspiracy theory, definitions, nelson mandela, Conspiracy
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