The Truths of Collective Illusion

Have you a memory of something being a certain way, and then you ask other people if you’re making a mistake, and they say you’re right? Well, this is exactly that, but not in the way you imagine.

What I mean is that memories aren’t an accurate representation of reality, but an amalgamation of many factors. When something happens, and you need to record information, the brain stores it in the hippocampus for later use, but everything in the brain is connected, so this information can change over time due to a variety of factors:

• - External stimuli;
• - Presuppositions;
• - Believes and so on...

Origin of the Term

This term was first coined by a paranormal researcher and author, Fiona Broome, in 2009. This came to be because she thought Nelson Mandela had died in prison but assumed it was just from her, but she was not the only person with that idea. After a while, she talked to other people and curiously they had a similar false recollection of that event.

Naturally, she found that to be very interesting and strange, so she decided to create a website to write about what she called the “Mandela Effect” and various examples she found that could relate to this phenomenon.

Some Examples

An interesting aspect of this phenomenon is that it can happen to so many people at once, seeming to be unbelievable, being especially common when we talk about more mainstream information like pop culture and stuff of that nature.

• Mandela didn’t die in prison, but rather after he got out in 1990;
• Many people remember the Monopoly guy wearing a monocle, but he never had one;
• “Luke, I am your father” → The actual line from Star Wars is “No, I am your father”;
• Pikachu never had a black-tipped tail, but rather a complete yellow;
• Sometimes people remember the famous song of the Queen “We Are The Champions” with the ending “of the world”, but it doesn’t.

Reasons For This To Happen

Because the mind is too susceptible to external stimuli, the reasons why this would happen can be numerous, but I will give you three of the most common ways for this to happen:

• The brain often fills in gaps in your memory (confabulation) and in what you see using pre-existing knowledge to try and make sense of that information. However, sometimes this can lead to distorted conclusions;
• We are surrounded by so much information, some of which is wrong, that can influence people’s memories negatively;
• Sometimes the mind can confuse fiction with reality, changing existing memories to fit into your mental paradigm.

Implications Of This Phenomenon

Since this phenomenon is related to memories, it can be very concerning in specific situations where recall is essential. It can also be very important when it comes to controlling people.

What do I mean by this? Throughout history, many bad people have used their oratory abilities to induce fear or control, and in some cases, to “implant” false memories by manipulating people’s emotions.

• During a criminal trial, eyewitnesses are essential to ensure justice, but this raises questions about the reliability of their testimony in court cases;
• It’s not unknown that the media always tells its side of the story, which can sometimes lead to ideas that are slightly different from reality if not fact-checked;

Researchers develop a test to find what happens → “In one list, for example, you might have the words “bed, rest, awake” — all associated with the word “sleep,” which wasn’t listed. Despite not being included, 40% of the time, people remembered the word “sleep” being on the list → [5]

Other Theories

The vast majority of researchers think this phenomenon is due to the way the brain interprets and stores information, but some others, have more exotic ideas.

• Since quantum mechanics accepts the existence of alternative universes, some researchers speculate that what people remember is alternative information from another reality;
• Not only another universe, but also the information could be from another timeline.

Conclusion

This effect is an incredible example of how the brain works. With some words of encouragement, enough repetition, or even just closely related information, we can trick our brains into changing existing memories or creating new ones entirely.

That’s why it is now more important than ever to fact-check everything you read or see online, as well as what people tell you. The world of neuroscience is fascinating but also complex because there is so much to it, and a slight change can induce enormous consequences.

If you enjoyed the article, give me a huge heart and comment. I want to know what you think about this and any personal examples you have had!

Thank you,

Fernandes.

References

• https://www.simplypsychology.org/what-is-the-mandela-effect.html [1]
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/mandela-effect [2]
• https://www.britannica.com/science/Mandela-effect [3]
• https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/18/world/mandela-effect-collective-false-memory-scn/index.html [4]
• https://health.clevelandclinic.org/mandela-effect [5]
• https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0278-7393.21.4.803 [6]
• https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/mandela-effect/ [7]