Aiden Salk | October 17th, 2024

Humans and some primates share an extraordinary capacity to recall events from the past. Memory and learning stem from a region of the brain called the hippocampus in the temporal lobe, where they are both stored and organized. Biologically, this occurs via the strengthening of synapses, the connections between the end of a neuron and the start of the next one. Repeated stimulation of this newly-formed synaptic circuit increases an individual’s capacity to recall that memory long-term. When these synaptic circuits are not stimulated over time, one’s memory may become less clear.

One example of this is the Mandela effect, an Internet phenomenon describing shared and consistent false memories for specific icons in pop culture. One instance of the Mandela effect is the false belief that the Monopoly man has a monocle. Another common example is the popular belief that Darth Vader from Star Wars says “Luke, I am your father” although he actually says “No, I am your father.” 

Misremembering that South African activist and president Nelson Mandela died in prison was the first identified Mandela effect and what led to the term’s name. The commonness of the Mandela effect raises some questions as to why it occurs. We can analyze why the Mandela effect occurs from a physics perspective or from a psychosociological perspective. 

A physics perspective

So, why do many people falsely believe in many Mandela effects? Some have pointed to the idea of parallel universes. An article posted by CNN in 2023 states this is based on the many-worlds or multiverse theory and that things are different in parallel realities. Some have applied this idea by saying there may be gaps across these realities that are connected by rifts; others have said that we are constantly shifting between universes. However, this concept has understandably been met with some controversy.

Vanderbilt junior Delano Herkert shares his opinion on this explanation.

“I don’t personally believe it is caused by parallel universes myself, but I understand and have heard this theory,” Herkert said. “I think it is a social phenomenon that tends to be due to schemas.” 

Another Vanderbilt junior, Simon Kassman, agrees with Herkert that the Mandela effect is primarily a social occurrence rather than a metaphysical one.

“I don’t think the Mandela effect is caused by parallel universes,” Kassman said. “I think people just forget stuff, and they don’t want to admit that they’re wrong.”

Although there are many who understand or believe in the parallel universe theory, the science-based sociological explanations are more likely to be true.

The sociological basis

Although it is still not fully understood, there are various potential factors that may cause the Mandela effect. Firstly, a schema is a mental model found in long-term memory that the brain uses to organize information about the world. Schemas are constructed from our specific memories and experiences. In other words, they are a mental framework for how we see the world; however, they may also cause us to exclude pertinent information that does not confirm our pre-existing beliefs and ideas. 

For example, one might expect that the title of the cartoon show famous for starring Bugs Bunny is spelled Looney Toons. In reality, it is spelled Looney Tunes. Though the words “toons” and “tunes” are pronounced the same, one would expect Looney Tunes to follow the spelling of the word ‘toon’ since its definition matches the cartoon nature of the television program. 

On top of making assumptions based on our schemas, there are other possible explanations for the Mandela effect.

One other potential cause is confabulation, a phenomenon where the brain fills in gaps between memories with false information. Another contributor to the Mandela effect might be the human tendency toward suggestibility: a vulnerability to accept information from a third party as true, regardless of its accuracy. This effect has become especially pervasive with the rise of the internet and social media. Because of the tendency toward confabulation and suggestibility, people may subconsciously store misinformation on a regular basis. 

In addition to suggestibility, individuals may adopt a mob-mentality, adopting beliefs, behaviors, or attitudes of the majority in a group, possibly at the expense of their own judgment and even individuality. This ranges from larger financial decisions like investing in overvalued stocks to following fashion trends you may disagree with. This may explain why so many people share these false beliefs. The combination of these phenomena may explain why people experience the Mandela effect.

The Mandela effect is a relatively recent idea — it was first identified and described in 2009. Research on human and animal memory is being performed all over the world, including at Vanderbilt. Going forward, there is much left to learn about the extraordinary mechanisms of memory, especially those that cause such strange and widespread phenomena as the Mandela effect.

References

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Arlin Cuncic, M. (2024, January 3). Why do some of us share false memories? the Mandela effect, explained. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-mandela-effect-4589394

Cleveland Clinic medical. (2024, September 30). Hippocampus: What’s its function? Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/hippocampus

Einstein researchers discover how long-lasting memories form in the brain. Montefiore Einstein. (2023, April 25). https://montefioreeinstein.org/news/2023/04/25/einstein-researchers-discover-how-long-lasting-memories-form-brain#:~:text=They%27re%20made%20by%20neurons,required%20for%20long%2Dterm%20memories.

Kendra Cherry, Mse. (2024, May 13). What role do schemas play in the learning process?. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-schema-2795873

Ohwovoriole, T. (2023, May 4). Everything you should know about herd mentality. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-herd-mentality-explains-our-behavior-7487018

Prisco, J. (2023, September 18). The “mandela effect”: How a psychological phenomenon took over the internet. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/18/world/mandela-effect-collective-false-memory-scn/index.htmlWA;, P. D. (2022, December). The visual mandela effect as evidence for shared and specific false memories across people. Psychological science. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36219739/