Have you ever shared a vivid memory of something with many people, only to realize that event never happened? You may be experiencing the Mandela Effect.
The Mandela Effect is one of the internetâs recently popular conspiracy theories that has been messing with all of our brains. This phenomenon is when thousands of people with no relation to each other have the exact same collective misremembering of the same event. The name, coined by Fiona Bloome, came about in 2013 when human rights activist Nelson Mandela died. Many people from all over the world were confused because they all had the same vivid memory of him dying in prison during the 1980âs. People have even found old textbooks and biographies that state that Nelson Mandela did die in the 80’s. Since then, many other collective false memories have sprung up and shaken up our reality.
There are a lot of different theories for why the Mandela Effect exists. Many believe that it is a result of time travel. Possibly some person who will live thousands of years from now traveled back to our time and changed little things in the middle of our lifetime. Others think it may be due to the shifting of parallel universes. Perhaps we all once lived in a universe where things were slightly different and we still remember it that original way but are now in a reality where things are different. Some people have even gone as far to say that the ending of the world in 2012 didn’t seem to happen because it was simply the end of our current universe and we all shifted into a new one. Psychologists credit the Mandela Effect to confabulation, the clinical term for memory defects. However, the fact that large numbers of people who have never met all have identical false memories continues to stump even the most educated psychologists. No matter what the reasoning is, the Mandela Effect will make you question reality and send shivers down your spine. Here are just a handful of examples that you are sure to identify with.
1. The Berenstein Bears
This popular childrenâs book and television show series was loved by many for years. Anyone you ask will tell you that the way I spelled âBerensteinâ above is the correct spelling. What if I told you thatâs wrong? Thatâs right, itâs actually called the âBerenstain Bearsâ. If you go back and look at your old VHS tapes or books, it will say âBerenstain.â There is no record of it ever being called âBerensteinâ. Personally, I have never met a person who remembers it being spelled that way. This Mandela Effect example is one of the most popular because so many people vividly remember it being âBerenstein.â Have we all just been remembering it wrong? Perhaps, but there is some evidence that it was once spelled âBerenstein.â The photo above is of a VHS tape that one Reddit user found in their attic. On the actual tape, âBerenstainâ is printed, but on a sticker on the side (something likely added by the VHS manufacturer or distributing company) it says âBerenstein.â Many people have used this as proof of the Mandela Effect because it shows that, at one point in time, it was âBerenstein.â Perhaps because that sticker was not owned directly by the company, it did not change when time travel or the shifting of the universe occured. People have also found old TV Guides and news articles that refer to the program as âBerenstein Bears,â further enhancing the proof for this example.
2. The Flintstones
This one has tended to shift in and out of reality, which has freaked me out throughout my research. Just under one week ago, the “Flintstones” was spelled without a “T” as the “Flinstones.” Today I went to google it, and saw that it changed from “Flinstones” to “Flintstones” and was back to its original spelling. I might sound crazy saying that, but I’m not the only wannabe Mandela Effect expert that has kept up with it and noticed the constant shift. I am glad that the “t” is back because in my childhood I vividly remember it being spelled “Flintstones.” Most remember their last name being âFlintstones,â which makes sense because flint is a type of rock and the family lives in the fictional town Bedrock, where everything is made of rock. However, if you went back and watched it last week, their last name was actually âFlinstone.â Today, it is once again “Flintstone.” This example firmly backs up the theory of shifting parallel universes because it changes constantly. If you google “Flintstones Mandela Effect,” you will see that many other people have also noticed it switching.
3. Oscar Meyer
âMy bologna has a first name. Itâs O-S-C-A-R. My bologna has a second name itâs M-E-Y-E-R.â Everyone remembers this cutesy song from the Oscar Meyer commercials of our childhood. The commercial even spelled out the last name in the song. If you look back now, it isnât âOscar Meyer,â it is âOscar Mayer.â The way that people pronounce the companyâs name is âMeyer,â so it being âMayerâ makes no sense. It isnât pronounced âOscar Mayerâ like âJohn Mayer,â itâs pronounced âOscar Meyer.â The pronunciation of the company name and the song just show that it once was âMeyer.â
4. “Mirror Mirror On the Wall”
This line from Snow White is probably one of the most famous of any Disney movie. Itâs on t-shirts and has been referenced in other shows and movies. There is even a Snow White spin off movie released in 2012 that was called âMirror Mirrorâ after the famous line. What if I told you we were all remembering it wrong? Thatâs right, it isnât âmirror mirror on the wall.â In the movie, they say âmagic mirror on the wall.â I have never met a person who remembers it this way. I even remember watching Snow White as recently as four or five years ago and it said âmirror mirror.â Why would there be so much merchandise that says âmirror mirrorâ and a spin off movie with that name if it never was âMirror Mirror on the Wallâ?
5. Sex in the City
The beloved show about a woman named Carrie Bradshaw and her friends living in New York City is known by most who were original fans of the show as âSex In The City.â Now, if you go back and watch the show it is called âSex and the City.â The producers never changed the name and there is no record left of it ever being called âSex in the City.â This instance also has some proof that it once was called âSex in the City.â Above is a montage of clips from award shows where all of the presenters called the show âSex in the City.â It is highly unlikely that every single presenter got the showâs name wrong.
6. “Life is like a box of chocolates.”
This one is another famous line. In the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest says, âMy momma always said, life is like a box of chocolates.â That is a famous line that everyone who has ever seen the movie would know. Well, if you go back and watch the movie, it says âlife was like a box of chocolates.â That doesnât even sound right with the quote or in the context of the movie. Iâve never met somebody who remembers it saying âwas.â If you go on google and type in the beginning of the quote and stop at âlife,â the next suggested word is âis,â not âwas.â
7. “Itâs a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”
In the childrenâs show, âMister Rogersâ Neighborhood,â he always sings a song with the line âItâs a beautiful day in the neighborhood.â Everyone who watched this show as a child remembers it this way. Well, now the song says âItâs a beautiful day in this neighborhoodâ. That doesnât even sound right in the song and nobody remembers it this way that I know.
8. Interview with a Vampire
This 90âs movie with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise is pretty famous, and most people remember it being called âInterview with a Vampire.â If you type in on google âinterview withâ the suggested ending is âa vampire.â Surprisingly, the movie is actually called âInterview with the Vampire.â Again, this doesnât sound right.
9. Looney Toons
Another childrenâs cartoon, the âLooney Toonsâ was loved by many. Its name, âLooney Toonsâ makes sense because âtoonsâ is the ending of cartoons. The show is actually called âLooney Tunes.â âTunesâ doesnât make any sense in the context of the show. I personally loved this show as a child and have vivid memories of the title screen saying âtoonsâ.
10. Fruit Loops
This one is what started my interest in the Mandela Effect. Iâve always been a big fan of âFruit Loopsâ and used to eat them often as a child. One day, I was walking through the grocery store only to see a box that said âFroot Loopsâ on it. While âfrootâ makes more sense with the shape of the cereal and the word âloops,â I had never remembered seeing it this way.
11. Febreeze
A popular household air freshener, âFebreezeâ is seen by a lot of people every single day. Since when was it spelled âfebrezeâ with only one âeâ?
12. “Luke, I am your father.”
One of the most famous movie lines of all time is this one from Star Wars. The phrase âLuke, I am your fatherâ can be found on t-shirts, hats, phone cases, and anything else in between. With the recent re-popularization of Star Wars, this phrase has been everywhere. However, if you go back and watch Star Wars now, youâll see that Darth Vader doesnât even say this, he says âno, I am your father.â This one is insanely obvious that it once, whether in another universe or in our same reality before it was changed, was âLuke, I am your father.â People who havenât even seen Star Wars all know this famous line. It has been quoted more times than I could ever count and referenced so many times.
13. Sketchers
This well known sneaker brand has been word by many people for years. I specifically remember the brand name being spelled âSketchersâ but now it is actually âSkechersâ.
14. Chic-Fil-A
This one is an example that I vividly remember. As a child, I used to go to Chic-Fil-A with my dad sometimes before he had work. After we stopped doing that, I had not been for while until high school, when I realized it was now spelled “Chick-Fil-A.” I noticed this because I constantly spelled it wrong on texts when I would ask my friends to meet me there. I’m not the only one who remembers it this way. The spelling “Chic-Fil-A” is a common google search and is often used by people on twitter. There are many people on Reddit who also recall “Chic-Fil-A” and remember joking around and saying that the chicken must be “chic” and fashionable.
If you are a regular human being, you were probably caught off guard by at least one of these changes. The Mandela Effect is crazy because so many people strongly remember these things the wrong way. You may identify with some examples and not with others. This could be another explanation to back up the “shifting realities” theory because all of us could be in different realities at this very moment. There are many other Mandela Effect examples, like the placement of the country New Zealand and the absence of a famous portrait of King Henry VII of England holding a turkey leg, that you can find on the internet that many people also remember incorrectly. The ones listed here are examples that have personally effected me, but there are many more that other people have noticed in their realities. Considering all of these different instances, it would be too much of a coincidence if the Mandela Effect was a simple case of confabulation. The next time you do a double take after seeing something you remember differently, just know that our perception of reality may not be as straight forward as it seems.
Disclaimer: I am not stating that the Mandela Effect is 100% real because that can not be proven with today’s technology. It is just an interesting theory that I enjoy researching.
âźIf you like our article, give Conscious Reminder a thumbs up, and help us spread LOVE & LIGHT!âź
1 comment
Froot loops also flip flopped like Flintstones. It was one of the first mainstream ME. It was still fruit not so long ago.