What is the Mandela Effect?

Origin of the Mandela Effect

In 2009, the term 'Mandela Effect' began when it was first coined by Fiona Broome. Broome published a website detailing her observance of the phenomenon.

Broome remembered the death of former president Nelson Mandela in the 1980s while he was in prison. 

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However, Nelson Mandela did not die in the 1980s in a prison. Mandela passed away in 2013.

Broome realised that other people also remember the death of Mandela in the '80s. They remembered seeing news coverage of his death. They believed the identical event even though it never happened. 

What is the Mandela Effect?

So, what is the Mandela Effect? According to research, the Mandela Effect is an unusual phenomenon where a large group of people remember something differently than how it occurred. 

Possible Explanation? 

Many doctors and psychologists believe it is an illustration of how imperfect memory can be sometimes.

A person creates a false memory without intending to lie or deceive others. Instead, they’re attempting to fill in gaps in their own memory.

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Each person has their own experience or memory of an event, those memories could affect the memories of other people, making them remember the events in the same way.

The Scenic Drive team talked about the Mandela Effect, how it works, and more examples of it. The psychologist, Damian de Hollander also joined in on the conversation. 

"Remembering thing accurately is difficult. There are gaps in our memories and we fill that gaps with things we read, saw and experienced." 

"Two people can see the same events and have different experiences," DeHollander continued. 

Have a listen below: 

Tune in to the 'Scenic Drive with Rian', weekdays from 16:00-19:00. Stream the show live here or download our mobile app here.

Image: Supplied/ AFP