What is Mandela Effect? Here are 20 Examples That Prove Alternate Realities

If you’ve ever placed a wrong interpretation on memories about yourself, other people or the world without consciously intending to mislead, then it appears you’ve experienced the effect called Mandela Effect.

What Is Mandela Effect?

Mandela effect is said to occur when a lot of people appear to remember things or events wrongly without any intention to deceive others. It is a phenomenon in which many people share wrong memories of past events also known as confabulations in psychiatry.

Origin of Mandela Effect

The phenomenon was named by Fiona Broome, an old head in paranormal research after she found out that just like her, many people misremembered that Nelson Mandela died in prison in the 90s while in reality, he was freed then and he died in 2013. The incident first happened in 2010 and a lot of people on the internet wrongly remembered they remember watching videos of Mandela’s burial on TV.

There are many speculations as to why this phenomenon occurs. Some have rumored that it results from collective failure of memory, others think parallel universe spilling into our own. But there is no confirmed or verified reason backing these suggestions.

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Here are 20 Examples That Proves Alternate Realities

McDonald’s or MacDonald?

How do you remember the famous American fast food? Many would, on one hand, say it is McDonald, without having to check it up online. Yes, it was founded by McDonald siblings in 1940 but the restaurant has always been McDonald’s.

Billy Graham’s Death Didn’t Happen in the 80’s 

The latest and most widespread Mandela effect happened during the death of Billy Graham. Maybe many are confusing it with Billy Graham’s retirement or perhaps the funeral of his wife shown on TV messed up a lot of people’s memory but many thought Billy died a long time ago while he died in February 2018.

Pikachu’s tail doesn’t have a black tip.

Many who are familiar with Pikachu believe its tail had a black mark, but looking at the character now, there is no such mark. It is surprising how everybody seems to remember the non-existent black mark that was never there.

It Isn’t Mirror Mirror On The Wall

It may shock you to know that a lot of people who grew up watching snow white still believe the evil queen said “Mirror mirror on the wall”, who is the finest of them all when in actuality, the self-admiring queen said “magic mirror on the wall“.

If you call them Berenstein Bears, then you are wrong

This is another well-referenced Mandela effect. Apparently, everybody remembers the family of bears in the book series as being The Berenstein Bears when in reality it is Berenstain Bears.

Oscar Meyer” isn’t the right spelling

The popular hot dogs and lunch meat company is called Oscar Mayer and not Oscar Meyer as many people always incorrectly recall it to be in the catchline of its commercials with the lyrics “My Bologna has a first name, It’s Oscar and My Bologna has a second name, it’s Meyer. The Meyer is Mayer and not any other way.

It Is Kitkat Not Kit-Kat

We all love this candy and we all have taken it at some point in our lives. But not all of us know that there shouldn’t be a hyphen in the logo separating the first and second word. The name is written together and shouldn’t be unattached.

Sex and The City and Not Sex In The City

This has been a consistent cause of Mandela effect debate and even those who are big fans of Carrie Bradshaw still have some hard time recalling that the sequel title is Sex and the City and not Sex in The City.

The Monopoly man, Rich Uncle Pennybags Does not have a monocle, does it shock you?

Maybe Mr. Peanut who also uses a top hat and a cane makes the situation even more complex but many stills struggle with the fact that Monopoly man does not have monocle as we all believed he did.

ET

The extra-terrestrial creature in the 1982 science fiction film doesn’t say ET phone home when he wanted to contact his home. It actually says ET home phone. Weird right?

We Are the Champions” by Queen didn’t end as many thought it did. 

If you know this song by Queen, then you are probably among those who remember the ending part of its lyrics as being No time for losers cause we are the champions ….of the world. But shockingly, the song ended at champions without of the world or any other planet whatsoever. Many are yet to come in terms with this fact because they believe they clearly heard...of the world.

The right spelling is Chick-fil-A and not Chic-fil-A, or Chik-fil-A.

Many still wrongly remember the famous fast-food chicken restaurant as Chic-fil-A, while others believe it was Chik-fil-A. But the company has always been Chick-fil-A and not any of those.

Rubix or Rubick’s cube? None

The Rubik cube is one of the best-selling toys of all time but this fact hasn’t stopped people from giving it a wrong name. Many still think it is Rubick’s or Rubix cube but the true spelling is Rubik’s cube.

Didi Curious George lose his tail? 

Looking at curious George now, you will notice that he doesn’t have a tail and he never did but many believe they saw a tail on him in the past.

Jiff peanut butter or Jiffy peanut butter? 

Sorry to burst your bubble but neither of the two is correct even though many people keep misremembering the peanut butter since its emergence in the market in 1958. In reality, it is Jif Peanut Butter and it is a super tasty snack that is easy to whip up.

Fruit Loops no, Froot Loops, yes.

There have been varying suggestions concerning the real name of Froot Loops and since it is a collective mistake, it becomes a Mandela effect. Truth is, it was never Fruit loops but Froot Loops given that the company seems not to have made any changes in its name since its introduction.

Forrest Gump

The popular Forrest Gump line my mama said life is like a box of chocolate is not what it seems. Surprisingly,  Forrest says life “was” like a box of chocolate and not IS as initially thought.

Darth Vader (Star Wars)

Everybody is a culprit when it comes to the famous line used by Dart Vader in Star Wars franchise Luke…I am your father. However, the actual thing Vader says is No, I am your father‘.

C-3PO

C-3PO is another remarkable star wars character who has not escaped the Mandela effect. Everybody remembers the robot as donning 100 percent gold but the fact is, the character wears a silver leg.

Hello, Clarice was Never A line Used By Hannibal Lecter

If you remember the 1991 horror thriller The Silence of the Lambs, then you probably remember the line Hello Clarice, but for real,  it was never a line in the film.  Hannibal Lecter says good morning when he first met Clarice not hello Clarice as widely believed. How everyone believed it was Hello Clarice is still driving many crazy.

Angela Lee
Angela Lee
Angela is a New York City-based writer with a passion for entertainment, lifestyle, and human-interest stories

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