Submission declined on 18 February 2024 by Robert McClenon ( talk). Thank you for your submission, but the subject of this article already exists in Wikipedia. You can find it and improve it at False memory instead. The proposed article does not have sufficient content to require an article of its own, but it could be merged into the existing article at False memory. Since anyone can edit Wikipedia, you are welcome to add that information yourself. Thank you. If you would like to continue working on the submission, click on the "Edit" tab at the top of the window. If you have not resolved the issues listed above, your draft will be declined again and potentially deleted. If you need extra help, please ask us a question at the AfC Help Desk or get live help from experienced editors. Please do not remove reviewer comments or this notice until the submission is accepted. Where to get help If you need help editing or submitting your draft, please ask us a question at the AfC Help Desk or get live help from experienced editors. These venues are only for help with editing and the submission process, not to get reviews. If you need feedback on your draft, or if the review is taking a lot of time, you can try asking for help on the talk page of a relevant WikiProject. Some WikiProjects are more active than others so a speedy reply is not guaranteed. How to improve a draft Wikipedia:Contributing to Wikipedia – a basic overview on how to edit Wikipedia. Help:Wikitext – how to use the markup Help:Referencing for beginners – how to include references Wikipedia:Article development – how to develop your article Wikipedia:Writing better articles – how to improve your article Wikipedia:Verifiability – make sure your article includes reliable third-party sources You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Add tags to your draft Editor resources Find sources:  Google ( books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL Easy tools: Citation bot ( help) | Advanced: Fix bare URLs Declined by Robert McClenon 2 months ago. Last edited by Citation bot 2 months ago. Reviewer: Inform author. Resubmit Please note that if the issues are not fixed, the draft will be declined again.

Submission declined on 20 December 2023 by Vanilla Wizard ( talk). Thank you for your submission, but the subject of this article already exists in Wikipedia. You can find it and improve it at The Mandela Effect instead. Declined by Vanilla Wizard 4 months ago.

• Comment: See Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Mandela Effect.
  This draft is for a title that was previously an article, but was then cut down to a redirect. If this draft is accepted, the history should be preserved. Do not tag the redirect for G6.
  Reviewers should check the history and verify whether there was a consensus to cut the article down to a redirect, or whether the action was taken boldly without discussion. If there was a consensus for the cutdown, do not accept this draft without verifying that the draft improves the article or that consensus has changed. If in doubt, please discuss.
  This draft is a draft on a subtopic of an existing article, False memory. Discussion as to whether a separate article for the subtopic is warranted should be on the talk page of the parent article, Talk:False memory.
  Please discuss the suitability of creating a separate subtopic article on the talk page of the parent article. Please resubmit this draft if there is rough consensus at the parent talk page to create the child article, or with an explanation that the child draft satisfies either general notability on its own or a special notability guide. Robert McClenon ( talk) 05:07, 18 February 2024 (UTC)

• Comment: Thank you for your work on this draft. While it may be possible that the subject could be worthy of a standalone article at some point in the future, it is already better covered by False memory § Mandela effect which describes the same topic with better sourcing and more information about the existing theories on false memories. I am also of the opinion that the equivalent material at False memory is better written. This page makes some unusual writing decisions, such as opening with "Often dismissed as false memory" and then proceeding to cite a source stating that the Mandela effect is a type of false memory. My understanding is that the term refers specifically to a collective or widely shared false memory. This draft's unsourced assertion that the Mandela effect refers to something other than a false memory is strange. I also find it questionable that the draft presents prominent examples of the Mandela effect (e.g. the Fruit of the Loom logo's alleged cornucopia) as though they are unsolved mysteries, as opposed to widely held but incorrect perceptions. At least as of right now, the reader is better served by finding this information at the article that already exists.  Vanilla  Wizard 💙 03:04, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

The Mandela Effect is a psychological phenomenon characterized by arguably false memories or knowledge held by a substantial number of people. Coined by researcher Fiona Broome, this term gained recognition in the early 21st century as individuals began sharing instances of shared memories online that differed from documented historical facts.

Origin

Paranormal researcher Fiona Broome ^[1] coined the term "Mandela Effect" in 2009 ^[2] following her observation of a peculiar shared memory discrepancy related to Nelson Mandela. Engaged in discussions with various individuals, Broome discovered that a significant number of people distinctly recalled Mandela's death in prison during the 1980s, despite his release and subsequent presidency. ^[3]

The Mandela Effect gained further notoriety in 2015, when several posts and articles about the popular children's book series The Berenstain Bears went viral. ^{[4] [5]} Many seemingly remembered it as The Berenstein Bears though it had never been spelled that way. ^[6]

It has since manifested in various cultural and historical instances, solidifying its status as a subject of widespread fascination.

Common examples

While many may remember the Monopoly Man's monocle or Pikachu's black-tipped tail, ^[7] evidence suggests that they never had such characteristics. There are many noteworthy examples, each illustrating the intriguing disjunction between communal memory and verified historical facts.

Fruit of the Loom

The Fruit of the Loom logo consists of a bundle of fruit, commonly depicted as grapes, apples, and leaves. ^[8] However, many remember it also containing a cornucopia. Fruit of the Loom denies that it has ever included one, nor has an official image with one ever been discovered. ^[9]

This apparent misconception goes back decades. An album from 1973 titled 'Flute of the Loom' by Frank Wess was seemingly inspired by the Fruit of the Loom logo. The album cover depicts a flute shaped like a cornucopia behind a bundle of soul food. ^[10] Additionally, a 1994 newspaper article from Florida Today suggests that the Fruit of the Loom logo includes a swollen cornucopia. ^[11]

Ed McMahon and Publisher's Clearing House

Ed McMahon's purported role as a spokesperson for Publishers Clearing House, characterized by his dispensing of oversized checks, has entrenched itself as a conspicuously vivid memory in the collective consciousness, significantly influencing popular culture over the span of decades. Paradoxically, the absence of any verifiable documentation renders this recollection untenable. Contrarily, historical records affirm McMahon's role as a spokesperson for American Family Publishers, a distinction that discredits the prevalent and persistent notion surrounding his purported involvement with Publishers Clearing House. ^[12]

Nevertheless, McMahon's presence extended beyond his acclaimed role as a talk show sidekick, as evidenced by guest appearances on various sitcoms such as Roseanne, Who's the Boss?, The Nanny, and Boy Meets World. In these instances, he notably replicated the iconic act of presenting sizable checks. ^[13] Furthermore, a distinctive interplay unfolded when Johnny Carson, the venerable host of The Tonight Show, made a guest appearance on David Letterman's show. During this memorable exchange, Carson bestowed upon Letterman a conspicuous oversized check from McMahon, which bore the insignia of Publishers Clearing House. ^[14] This intriguing episode adds an additional layer of complexity to McMahon's television legacy, as the recurrent theme of presenting large checks on multiple shows has inadvertently contributed to the persistent misconception regarding his association with Publishers Clearing House.

Shazaam starring Sinbad

In contradiction to widespread claims, Sinbad adamantly refutes any involvement as a genie in a film titled Shazaam. ^[15] His acknowledgment of hosting a 1994 TNT movie, during which he appeared attired as a genie, suggests that memories of him in such a role likely originate from this specific televised event. ^{[15] [16]} Despite Sinbad's assertion and the absence of supporting evidence in contemporary records, numerous individuals vividly recall a movie titled Shazaam, purportedly seen in theaters, on VHS, or on cable. ^[17]

While some contend that these recollections might actually pertain to the movie Kazaam, featuring Shaquille O'Neal as a genie in the mid-1990s, staunch proponents of the Shazaam narrative insist otherwise. ^[18] Despite the absence of corroborative evidence beyond personal recollections, some individuals have provided detailed accounts of the alleged Shazaam plot and cast. ^[19] This dichotomy underscores the perplexing nature of collective memory and the enduring fascination surrounding the purported existence of the film.

Star Wars

The Star Wars franchise, revered for its cultural impact and enduring legacy, has become a focal point for instances where collective memories deviate from the established canon. One prominent Mandela Effect in the Star Wars universe centers around C-3PO's iconic golden appearance. Despite being synonymous with an all-golden exterior in the minds of many fans, meticulous scrutiny reveals an unexpected detail—a silver leg. ^[20] This revelation has sparked discussions on the accuracy of collective memory and the nuances of visual perception within the Star Wars community.

Arguably one of the most famous lines in cinematic history, Darth Vader's revelation to Luke Skywalker is etched into the collective consciousness. However, the widely quoted line, "Luke, I am your father," is a misquotation. In the actual scene from Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Vader declares, "No, I am your father." ^[21] This subtle yet impactful discrepancy highlights how linguistic nuances can shape and reshape cultural memory over time.

Scientific study on Collective False Memory

A study in January 2010 by Stefania de Vito, Roberto Cubelli, Sergio Della Sala looked into the occurrence of collective false memories arising from shared representations, with a particular focus on the Bologna massacre—a tragic terrorist attack that occurred in Italy in 1980. ^[22] The investigation centered on a symbolic element associated with the event, namely a clock at the main station that many recalled as being frozen at the time of the explosion. Contrary to this collective memory, the clock was repaired shortly after the attack. Subsequently, years later, the clock was intentionally stopped and set to the time of the explosion in observance and commemoration of the bombing.

Memory Distortion Surrounding the Clock

Despite the clock's operational status for 16 years after the incident, participants consistently misremembered it as always broken. 92% of respondents falsely remembered the clock had remained stopped since the bombing, when, in fact, the clock was repaired shortly after the attack. This distortion was notably influenced by the clock's symbolic representation as a lasting memorial to the tragic event. Even individuals emotionally connected to the Bologna massacre were susceptible to this false recollection, revealing the potent impact of symbolic representations on memory. ^[22]

Symbolic Representation as Misleading Information

The study underscores the role of emotionally charged symbols as post-event misleading information, influencing individual and collective memory distortions. The clock not only served as a visual representation on various media platforms but also acted as a powerful cue shaping recollections. The findings highlight the intricate interplay between symbolic representations, emotional resonance, and memory reconstruction, contributing to our understanding of memory as a reconstructive phenomenon. ^[22]

Scientific study on the Visual Mandela Effect

In a study published in late 2022 by the journal Psychological Science, coauthors Deepasri Prasad and Wilma Bainbridge delved into the intricacies of the Mandela Effect. ^[23] Despite their investigation, the study notably refrained from providing definitive explanations or reaching causal conclusions regarding the phenomenon. Prasad and Bainbridge's work, while shedding new light on collective memory divergences, emphasizes the need for continued exploration and research to fully comprehend the nature of the Mandela Effect. ^[23]

Experiments

In a series of experiments, including a recognition task with 100 participants (Experiment 1) and eye-tracking-like methods with 60 participants (Experiment 2), researchers Deepasri Prasad and Wilma Bainbridge demonstrated that certain popular images consistently elicit specific inaccurate memories. Surprisingly, these inaccurate memories were not driven by attentional or visual differences (Experiment 2), nor were they influenced by natural visual experiences of the images (Experiment 3). Moreover, the false memories occurred spontaneously during recall (Experiment 4), highlighting their robustness. This empirical evidence not only confirms the existence of the Visual Mandela Effect but also suggests a consistent pattern in how people misremember specific visual icons. ^[23]

Conclusion

Their research acknowledges the complexity of the phenomenon, suggesting that different images may cause the Visual Mandela Effect for different reasons. Importantly, the study concludes that the Visual Mandela Effect cannot be universally explained by a single account, prompting further inquiry into the diverse factors influencing these shared and specific false memories. ^[23] This nuanced understanding advances our comprehension of the nature of false memories and underscores the need for continued investigation into the intricacies of the Mandela Effect.

“A big takeaway is that while the Mandela Effect shows up across different types of experiments, there’s no one clear explanation for it,” Bainbridge said, “so future research is needed to see what’s causing this.” ^[24]

Theories and speculation

The Mandela Effect has sparked a range of intriguing theories attempting to explain these false collective memories. Traditional psychological explanations, such as false memory and confabulation, suggest that individuals may inaccurately recall events or details due to the malleable nature of human memory. This perspective aligns with established cognitive principles, emphasizing the susceptibility of individual recollection to suggestion and external influences. ^[25]

On the speculative end, theories involving the CERN particle collider propose that high-energy experiments could potentially cause shifts in the fabric of reality, leading to alterations in collective memory. ^[24] Another hypothesis delves into the realm of quantum mechanics, suggesting that parallel worlds or alternate realities could intersect with our own, resulting in discrepancies in shared experiences. ^[26] The advent of quantum computing introduces a technological dimension, postulating that advanced computing capabilities may influence or manipulate aspects of our shared reality. ^[27] These theories, ranging from the psychological to the speculative, contribute to the ongoing discourse surrounding the Mandela Effect.

In popular culture

• A movie titled The Mandela Effect was released in 2019.
• An episode of The X-Files focused on the Mandela Effect (Season 11; Episode 4: The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat).
• The Netflix series Inside Job contains several references to the Mandela Effect.

References

External links

• 54 Mandela Effect Examples by Good Housekeeping
• A database of alleged Mandela Effects