memory: Mandela Effect: What Is It, How It Works & More

The Mandela effect is a false memory that happens when numerous people have the wrong recollection of the same thing.

It comes from the widely held misconception that Nelson Mandela, a South African human rights activist who would one day become president, passed away in jail in 1980s. In reality, he passed away in his home in 2013. Many shared the same wrong memory, while some also remembered reading news reports about his passing. How could there be such a large number of people with the same false memory?

A few well-known instances of the Mandela effect concern the spelling of the children's books featuring the Berenstain Bears, which some claim should have been spelled Berenstein.

Then there's the misconception that Curious George has a tail (which he does not) or that "Looney Tunes" is spelled T-O-O-N-S instead of T-U-N-E-S. The degree to which people are certain of their beliefs and the extent to which those beliefs have spread make these examples particularly startling.

What is the Mandela Effect?

The Mandela Effect's three distinguishing characteristics are as follows:

Remembering complete incidents that just did not occur
Having distorted recollections, some of which are partially or completely fake
Many unrelated individuals have similar distorted or false memories.

Researchers now consider the Mandela effect to be an example of false memory. Although false memories have been the subject of decades of psychological study, their cause remains a mystery.

One conclusive instance concerns a survey conducted in 2010 about the clock at Bologna Centrale train station in Italy. The clock was broken as a result of the station being bombed in 1980, but it was swiftly fixed. In memory of the bombing, it was afterwards set permanently at that time, yet 92% of those polled were certain that the clock has been damaged ever since. The conclusion is that human memory can be flawed and unreliable.

As humans frequently fabricate memories of events, research has demonstrated, for instance, that eyewitness testimony cannot be completely believed. Due to the limitations of our mind, we act unintentionally. Other research has demonstrated that it's quite east to intentionally implant false memories into people, with researchers being able to persuade experimental participants that they could recall events that never happened.

How the Mandela Effect Works?

Our brain can confabulate memories. (Image via Pexels/David Cassolato)

Is the Mandela effect related to how the brain functions? It's critical to comprehend how the brain uses memory to comprehend how a particular event might take place.

Observations and experiences that come from the outside world are often processed in the brain as memories. That way, you can access these memories in the future. New memories form in the hippocampus.

Furthermore, as memory is reconstructive, many factors affect how we recall things. Different biases, perceptions, prejudices, and expectations have an impact on memory, which implies that memory can be altered as a person learns additional details about what occurred.

The Mandela effect can also seep into our everyday life. Consider a memory you may have of a particular incident that happened while you were on vacation with a friend. Based on your perspectives and attention to certain details, each of you might recall a different aspect of what happened during your trip.

Impact of the Internet

The Mandela effect theory is still gaining popularity. The Mandela effect, according to some of blogs, is proof that there are numerous universes.

Others disseminate conspiracies and false information via the Mandela effect. The internet is a formidable tool for disseminating information, but with that also comes the opportunity for falsehoods and misconceptions to propagate. Societies founded on these lies start to form, and what was previously just in people's heads starts appearing to be true.

In fact, a thorough analysis of over 100,000 news stories shared on Twitter over the course of ten years revealed that hoaxes and rumors consistently outperformed truths by roughly 70%. Unfortunately, the sample was made of verified accounts and not fake bots.

As each person shares their experience or recollection of an event, false memories may influence others' memories, causing them to perceive the events in a similar light.

Frequently reported mistakes can become a part of everyone's reality. By disseminating misleading information, the internet can also accelerate this process. For instance, simulations of the 1997 Princess Diana automobile accident frequently pass for actual footage.

Hence, the bulk of the Mandela effect can be attributed to societal misconceptions and memory flaws. The fact that many of the errors are minor shows that they're the consequence of erroneous inference or selective attention. Therefore, it's important to be aware and careful about the Mandela effect.

Takeaway

It's difficult to tell if your memory recall is reliable. To begin with, a number of illnesses have an effect on memory development and decline.

Often, recommendations for enhancing brain performance include a nutritious diet, bettering your sleep habits, and routine exercise. However, it's up to you to decide what's true and what's hearsay when it comes to looking into the truth behind what seems to be false memories. From a research point of view, there's a lot yet to be studied about false memories. The Mandela effect remains a mystery to unravel.

Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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