She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology. Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. You know that creepy phenomenon where some people remember historic events differently than others? Like when people thought the classic kid's book was called the "Berenstein Bears" instead of its actual title, the "Berenstain Bears. Basically, the Mandela effect refers to a situation in which a large mass of people believe an event occurred when it did not.
The term originated in by Fiona Broome, after she discovered that she, along with a number of others, believed that Nelson Mandela had died in the s when he actually died in Where does the Mandela effect come fromβand why do these strange perceptions of history keep happening?
We have the answers to all your questions, plus famous examples of the Mandela effect, down below. The term "Mandela Effect" was first coined in by Fiona Broome when she created a website to detail her observance of the phenomenon. Broome was at a conference talking with other people about how she remembered the tragedy of former South African president Nelson Mandela's death in a South African prison in the s.
However, Nelson Mandela did not die in the s in a prisonβhe passed away in As Broome began to talk to other people about her memories, she learned that she was not alone. Others remembered seeing news coverage of his death as well as a speech by his widow. Broome was shocked that such a large mass of people could remember the same identical event in such detail when it never happened. Encouraged by her book publisher, she began her website to discuss what she called the Mandela Effect and other incidents like it.
This video has been medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD. The story of Nelson Mandela is not the only example of this type of false group memory.
