What is the Mandela Effect? Details of its origin and some examples from popular movies.
There’s so much to unpack when it comes to human memory. It can give us the ability to memorize the entire periodic table or take us on a nostalgia train to a childhood birthday. Some memories are long-term, while others are short-lived.
“Memories are not always precise recordings of events,” Medical News Today reports. Time and context can influence what a person remembers. Different opinions and other people’s memories can also have an effect on your own memories.
What is the Mandela Effect?
According to Cleveland Health, the Mandela Effect is when a group of people misremember an event or detail that never occurred or existed. It is an instance of collective false memory.
This term was coined by paranormal researcher Fiona Broome. In 2009, Broome shared her false recollection of former South African President Nelson Mandela dying while in prison in the 1980s. After sharing her memory online, Broome discovered that she wasn’t alone. Many others also believed he died long before his actual death.
In reality, Mandela served 27 years in prison before being released in 1990. In 1994, he became the first democratically elected president of South Africa. He stepped down after one term. He died in 2013.
Who is the Mandela Effect named after? How did it get its name?
Broome coined the phenomenon the Mandela Effect because of Nelson Mandela's imagined death and the realization that many can collectively misremember something.
What are some examples of the Mandela Effect?
The Mandela Effect didn’t just take place in that one instance about the South African president. Here are some other examples:
“Looney Tunes”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, it's a common misconception that in the animated series "Looney Tunes," the second word of the title is spelled with two O's. “Looney Toons” was never the title of the Warner Bros. production starring iconic characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd.
Febreze
You might have this at home and use it every day but failed to notice the air freshener brand is spelled “Febreze” and not “Febreeze,” Good Housekeeping reports.
What movies have the Mandela Effect?
The Mandela Effect has been more visible in pop culture than anywhere else – from misquoted famous lines of to imagined alternate endings to films. Here are some examples compiled from the entertainment website Looper:
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)
When it comes to the timeless Disney classic, everyone remembers the iconic line “mirror, mirror on the wall.” However, that's not the evil queen’s actual line. She says “magic mirror on the wall” when calling on the enchanted object to affirm her beauty.
“Casablanca” (1942)
The classic romantic drama shows us a glimpse of life during World War II. Filmed and set in that time period, "Casablanca" was voted one of top 100 greatest films of all time, according to a poll conducted by British Film Institute's Sight and Sound.
One of the lines associated with the film is "Play it again, Sam." However, it's not exactly said in the film. Instead, the heroine Ilsa Lund, played by Ingrid Bergman, urges pianist Sam to play a song the reminisces the past by saying, "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.'" She repeats her request, saying, "Play it once, Sam, for old times' sake."
Perhaps, it was the film "Play it Again, Sam," inspired by "Casablanca" and released in 1972, that lodged the one-liner in people's minds.
“The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
Anthony Hopkins won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in the iconic thriller. And how did the cannibalistic serial killer greet FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) in the film? Not with “Hello, Clarice,” in his chilling voice like many remember. Instead, Lecter simply says, “Good morning."
“Luke, I’m your father.”
Star Wars gave its fans many iconic moments through the films, but some remember Darth Vader revealing his fatherhood to Luke Skywalker differently in 1980's “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.” Contrary to popular belief, actor James Earl Jones doesn’t say “Luke, I’m your father.” Instead, he says, “No, I am your father.”