“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” – Snow White
Have you ever had a memory that was so vivid that you swear by anything it is true? However, then you come to realize that what you thought was actually wrong? If so, you may be experiencing the Mandela Effect. The Mandela Effect is a conspiracy theory of parallel universes based on the idea that large groups of people have similar alternative memories regarding certain past events. The conspiracy theory is rooted in the widespread belief that Nelson Mandela died in a South African prison in the 1990’s. However, as we know today, Mandela died on Dec. 5, 2013. How then, do so many people have the same incorrect remembrance that Mandela died in prison? Many believe that it is a result of the Mandela Effect.
The Mandela Effect is explained in many different ways. However, one of the most common explanations is that there are parallel universes that we travel through, unbeknownst to us. Under this theory, in one universe Mandela may have died in a South African prison as many people "remember." However, those who have this incorrect remembrance may have traveled into another parallel universe in which Mandela was still alive, and therefore died in 2013. Another explanation is time travel. Many of those who believe in the Mandela Effect believe that there are time travelers who went back in time and changed things from how we remembered them. Both of these explanations seem impossible, but these common controversies may convince you otherwise.
1. The Queen in "Snow White" never says, “Mirror, Mirror on the wall.”
Contrary to popular belief, the Queen in the movie "Snow White" never says “Mirror, Mirror on the wall,” but rather says, “Magic Mirror on the wall.” Even after that, many believe the line to say, “Who’s the fairest of them all?” However, the line actually asks, “Who’s the fairest one of all?”
2. "We Are The Champions" by Queen does not end with "... of the world."
When singing the popular song “We Are The Champions,” many of us end the song by singing, "... of the world." However, when listening to the song the last line is “We are the champions” and then the song ends. For those of us who remember it ending “of the world” the silence at the end of the song doesn’t seem right.
3. Forest Gump says, “Life was like a box of chocolates.”
4. Mister Rogers famous theme song starts with “It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood.”
5. The famous TV show isn’t called “Sex in the City.”
6. "The Berenstain Bears" was never "The Berenstein Bears."
7. Sketchers is actually spelled Skechers.
How is it possible that after wearing Skechers all throughout our childhood we can misspell the brand? Despite the fact that many of us recall wearing Sketchers as a kid, the brand is actually called Skechers.
8. The tip of Pikachu’s tail isn’t black.
Despite the fact that many of us spent countless hours playing Pokémon as kids, there is a common misconception regarding Pikachu’s appearance. Many believe that the tip of Pikachu’s tail is black. However, if you Google an image of Pikachu, all images of Pikachu prove that belief to be wrong.
9. KitKat doesn’t have a dash in it (Kit-Kat).
10. The Monopoly Man, Rich Uncle Pennybags, doesn’t have a monocle.
