Have you ever been so certain about something only to discover that it wasn’t true at all? That’s the Mandela Effect — when a large group of people remember something differently from how it actually is.
According to a post by India Wants To Know, a simple way to test this is with popular brand names. Ask your friends to spell Thums Up, Maggi, and Uncle Chipps. If they spell them as ThumBs Up, MaggiE, or Uncle ChiPs, they’ve fallen for this collective memory glitch. “It’s called the Mandela effect because in the 1990s many Americans believed that Nelson Mandela had died in prison in the 80s whereas he was still alive. He died a free man in 2013. This is also true with the actor Kader Khan in India. When he died in 2018, many people actually thoght he had passed away many years ago in the 90s,” the video mentioned.
Beyond brand names, this phenomenon extends to movie dialogues, urban legends, and even logos, making it a fascinating look into how our minds can play tricks on us. One example, mentioned in the reel is that of Amitabh Bachchan’s famous dialogue from the film Shahenshah, where people think that he is saying, “Rishte mein toh hum tumhare baap lagte hain”, when upon closer listening, one can hear him saying, “Rishte mein toh hum tumhare baap hote hain.”
So, why do people collectively misremember details, and what psychological factors contribute to the Mandela Effect?
Psychological factors behind the Mandela effect
Dr Sreyoshi Ghosh, MBBS, MD, DM Psychiatry at Mindtalk by Cadabams, tells indianexpress.com, “The Mandela effect serves as a fascinating lens into how our minds can be influenced by collective memories and external factors.”
According to Dr Ghosh, some psychological factors behind the Mandela effect are:
False Memory Formation: Our brains reconstruct memories rather than retrieve them like a recording. This reconstruction is prone to errors, influenced by biases, emotions, and external information.
Schema Theory: Our brains rely on mental shortcuts, or schemas, to process and store information. When details are unclear, the brain fills gaps with plausible but incorrect information based on prior knowledge.
Story continues below this ad
Confirmation Bias: Once a false memory forms, people tend to seek information that confirms it and ignore evidence to the contrary, reinforcing the error.
Groupthink: When one person’s incorrect memory is reinforced by others sharing the same error, it becomes a collective false memory.
Can the Mandela effect impact decision-making or create misunderstandings in professional or personal contexts?
The Mandela Effect can lead to errors in judgment, miscommunication, and misunderstandings in various settings. Dr Ghosh states, “In professional contexts, this phenomenon may result in data misinterpretation, such as a team misremembering project details or deadlines, which can lead to conflicts or missed targets. Additionally, shared false memories in corporate decision-making might cause reliance on incorrect assumptions, resulting in misguided strategies and actions.”
In personal contexts, she adds that the Mandela Effect can strain relationships due to conflicting recollections of past events, which may create unnecessary tension. Misremembered cultural or historical facts can also result in cultural miscommunication, leading to unintended offenses or misrepresentation. Such situations highlight the potential for this phenomenon to disrupt both individual relationships and broader social interactions.
Story continues below this ad
Dr Ghosh mentions, “To overcome these issues, several strategies can be employed. Fact-checking through reliable sources should be encouraged before making decisions or sharing information. Critical thinking is essential, requiring individuals to question the origins of their memories and evaluate their accuracy objectively. In personal contexts, open communication and a willingness to discuss differing perspectives without judgment can help resolve misunderstandings effectively.”
