A Stretch or a Reach: Mandela Effect

There are so many things our memories can do for us, and one of those is to mix up the things we swore we knew. Some say they have a perfect memory. Do you?

Nelson Mandela died in Dec. 2013, though many people claim to have vivid memories of him dying in prison decades earlier. Thus, the Mandela Effect is named after him.

The Mandela Effect, commonly known from the widely famous Nelson Mandela, proves that our memory isn’t always correct. A lot of people vividly remember Mandela dying in prison back in the ’80s. However, he died in December of 2013.

Others say that there are certain aspects of the past that just do not match up with how they are today in the present. Take, for example, the location of Disney World’s castle—so many people remember it being the entrance to the park. It’s not.

Or even everyone’s favorite forest fire informant, Smokey the Bear. Wait…that’s not right, it’s Smokey Bear. His name never changed, but people’s memories just put “the” in there.

Proof that it was never Smokey the Bear, but rather Smokey Bear. Courtesy of Man Comics.

A lot of these Mandela Effects come from one small memory infraction and by word of mouth, they spread.

One of the favorite effects I experienced is the number of states in the U.S. I remember learning that there are 52, when in fact there are only 50. It is these little things that many people come to realize simply aren’t true.

A classic line from “Star Wars” is another common misconception: “Luke, I am Your Father.” But what is really said? “I am Your Father” is the famous line stated by Darth Vader.

There are a lot of others throughout history, too. What matches up with your memory? Here is a link to some of the most common ones: Mandela Effect Examples

Featured image: brain-stock-photo