Why are millions of people misremembering the same things?
Have you ever chatted to a friend or family member about an event, and discovered that you both remember it completely differently? Well, the same thing happened to Fiona Broome. Over a decade ago, the author wrote her recollection of Nelson Mandela’s death on her website; the thing is, she distinctly remembered him dying in prison in the 1980s, and recalled reading news items about it too. However, the famous politician, activist and President of South Africa actually passed away in 2013 at his home. Even more curious, thousands of people claim to have the same memory as Broome; and so, the term ‘the Mandela Effect’ was coined.
Get ready to be utterly confused by these common misremembrances I’ve found; see how many you can get right. Starting off with one of the most famous film quotes: “Luke, I am your father.” I’m sorry if I’ve embarrassed any Star Wars fans reading this, but the line is actually: “No, I am your father” (if you don't believe me, check for yourself). Next up, the Monopoly man; he has a monocle, right? Nope, no monocle, despite thousands of people believing otherwise. What about the packets of Walkers Salt and Vinegar crisps; they’re blue right? Wrong again, the packet is green! I did some digging and found that due to the controversy of this particular misremembrance, Walkers issued a statement insisting that they have never swapped the colours around because “they’re signature to our brand” (I’m not entirely sure I believe them, though.) Like thousands of other kids across the globe, I always loved Snow White when I was little, and everyone knows the Evil Queen’s signature line: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” Well, we all need our hearing tested, because the line actually goes: “Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” (I think the false version is better, to be honest). As you can see, people are misremembering everything, from marvellous memorable movies to great games to scrumptious snacks.
So, what’s causing these confusing confabulations? One possible explanation for such a strange occurrence is something called priming. Simply put, this is the name given to describe the suggestibility of stimuli. For example, when someone says ‘vegetable’, most people immediately think ‘carrot’. This weighs a fair amount of influence on the first word, as it immediately creates associations in the brain that can colour your opinions; for example, making an event more malleable and subject to change. Another example is if you ask, “how tall am I?” Immediately, the person would view you as tall, just like if you asked how short you are they would unconsciously perceive you to be short.
However, the most interesting theory by far (unfortunately, with little evidence to support it) is that the Mandela Effect is proof of parallel universes. So, while in this universe I am sipping a cup of tea while I write this, in another I may be eating a Hobnob, and in another I may not have even started the article yet. I know that as diligent, logical students at Highgate School, you’re probably scrutinising this explanation; but I think that so long as there is no evidence to prove it, there is no evidence to dispel it either. And, let’s face it, it’s a much more exciting theory than word association. I’ve always believed that there are some things that can’t be explained (and I hope many of you added yet to the end of that sentence), and maybe this is just one of those things.
There’s no fool proof way to identify if a memory is false or not, but doing some in depth research and corroborating your version with others is a pretty good start. The reason why there is no fool proof method of doing so, is because of the internet. Although there is a wealth of information on the it, you don’t always know where it comes from, whether it is biased (and presents events or people in a certain way as a result), or if it is just fake news. So, whether you are an avid Monopoly player or a keen scientific mind, I hope you’ll learn to question the accuracy of facts and events in the world. Never be afraid to dig deep into what confuses you; you never know where it may take you.
Written by Matilda Heath, 11SG
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