Conspiracy Theory: The Mandela Effect
Conspiracy theories are scattered throughout the internet. Some theories are truly convincing, whereas others can be wildly out there.
The Mandela Effect is one of the most widely believed conspiracies across the internet. The Mandela Effect is essentially a large group remembering something that is not true or slightly incorrect.
This phenomenon coined its name when it was revealed that Nelson Mandela was still alive in 2010, even though a large number of the population swore that he passed while in prison in the 1980s.
After this event, many other accounts shared false memories started to surface:
The Berenstain Bears:
This is one of the most popular Mandela Effect shared on the internet. Many people remember the spelling of this popular children's book/ television show being “The Berenstein Bears”. But in reality, the spelling is “stain” and not “stein”.
Sex and the City:
Sex and the City was a popular show in the late 1990s. Many people swear that the series was named “Sex in the City” and have no recollection of “and” being in the title.
The Monopoly Man:
The Monopoly Man wears a suit, a top hat, holds a cane, and has a monocle right? Well think again; the Monopoly Man does not have a monocle and never has had one.
Star Wars:
One of the most popular lines from the massive franchise Star Wars is commonly remembered as “Luke, I am your father,” but in the movie, Darth Vader actually says “No, I am your father”.
Forrest Gump:
This popular movie from the 1990s has many popular quotes that people commonly reference almost thirty years later. One of the most famous quotes is remembered as “Life is like a box of chocolates”, but the true quote is “Life was like a box of chocolates”.
Curious George:
The popular mischievous monkey George is commonly remembered as having a tail, but look again and you will notice that he does not and never has had a tail.
There are so many other unexplainable Mandela Effects scoured across the internet with little explanation as to why so many people remember the same things wrong.
Is this phenomenon due to humanity crossing into parallel universes? Or is it just an unexplainable account of everyone having a bad memory?
Personally I have fallen deep into the rabbit hole of this topic and have heard some wild explanations for the effect, but I honestly do not know what to believe. Are all of the shows and movies from my childhood a lie? Or do I just have a bad memory along with tons of others? Whatever the cause is, this is still an eerie topic to think about.
