The “Mandela Effect” describes the phenomena in which a group of people all share a collective “false” memory of an event, detail, or occurrence. The phenomenon is attributed to the existence of multiverses and results from the collision of two or more realities merging. It is suggested that there is a dominant reality and that the memories are fragments from the previous shift.

Named after former South African leader Nelson Mandela, the term was used to describe the collective experience in which many believed that he had died in the 1980s while in prison. The fact, however, (at least according to our current reality) is that he was released in 1990 and died at the age of 95 in 2013.

Nowadays, the Mandela effect is used to describe these false memories, details, and occurrences. Could you be from another reality? Keep reading to discover these 10 mind-blowing Mandela effects to see if you remember them correctly…or if you are from out of this universe. Prepare to have your reality shattered!

Related: Top 10 Mandela Effects (Movie and TV Edition!)

10 Berenstain Bears or Berenstein Bears?

Perhaps one of the more well-known Mandela effects is that of the “Berenstain Bears,” a popular children’s book franchise. The book series remains well-loved in many children’s memories and even went on to become an animated TV show. However, many remember it as “Berenstein” instead of Berenstain. Within the official records of the Library of Congress, the name of the series has always been “Berenstain Bears,” attributed to the authors Stan and Jan Berenstain.

This caused quite the stir, as many fans swore they knew it as -stein instead of -stain. As the Mandela effect increased in popularity, pictures and old memorabilia began popping up depicting books written as Berenstein. Are these relics from an alternate dimension? Or photoshop?^[1]

9 Pikachu’s Tail

From anime, video games, toys, and books, the world of mythical creatures called Pokemon exploded thanks to creator Satoshi Tajiri gaining traction from not only Japan but also overseas. The franchise developed a worldwide fanbase with dedicated followers, so it raises some questions when many of these fans claim that Pikachu, one of the most well-known Pokemon, is no longer what it used to be. Specifically, Pikachu’s tail!

Fans have sworn up and down that Pikachu’s tail used to have a red or black stripe. Images depicting Pikachu today do not show a stripe on the tail, which has left many fans who grew up drawing, watching, and playing Pokemon games shaken up!

This can be attributed to the fact that many old internationally released sprite versions of Pikachu from the game versions Red and Blue had black-shadow detailing on the tail. In more recent versions of Pikachu, like the movie Detective Pikachu, some renditions and images depict a black stripe or shadow. Still, many swear that the stripe has always been there. Mandela effect, or just trick of the lighting?^[2]

8 Looney Toons or Looney Tunes?

The popular children’s TV show from Warner Bros with characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig has a fond place in many people’s memories. This American cartoon classic ran from 1930 to 1969, beginning with movie shorts in film theaters and becoming a highlight of America’s animation golden age. In 1960, The Bugs Bunny Show debuted on TV.

The famous line “That’s all, folks!” would close every episode.

However, one little detail about the closing sequence was up for debate. Did it say “Looney Toons” or “Looney Tunes” above that line? Many remember the original as Looney Toons and swear by it. But it has always been Looney Tunes! But why tunes and not toons–it makes more sense, right? Well, Disney produced a series of cartoon shorts in the 1920s titled “Silly Symphonies.” Warner Brothers just used that format for two of their animated shorts: “Looney Tunes” and “Merrie Melodies.” ^[3]

7 Febreeze or Febreze?

If you’ve been watching TV for the past 10 years, chances are you’ve seen the commercial for the air freshening spray. Groups of people have alternate memories of the name being “Febreeze,” but today, all evidence in this reality points to it being “Febreze.”

Perhaps we’ve added in an extra “e” because the word “breeze” just seems appropriate for an air freshener. Still, many swear it always had the double “e” instead of just one. Oh, and the maker of Febreze? Procter and Gamble, which has its own Mandela effect as people swear it used to be Proctor and Gamble.^[4]

6 Chick-fil-A or Chic-fil-A?

Known for its famous chicken sandwiches, Americans have enjoyed Chick-fil-A since 1967. But many across the U.S. remember the popular food chain to have always been spelled “Chic-fil-A” instead. And throw in another spelling, “Chik-fil-A,” and you’ve got even more confusion—or misremembering. You can easily see how this may have happened after looking at one of their famous taglines: the intentionally misspelled “Eat Mor Chikin” expressed by their mascot cows.

This is one of those Mandela effects that attribute to dimensions being stuck in a motion of “flipping” back and forth. Many have claimed to have seen it frequently change between both and have even caught the discrepancies! Real-time dimension shifting or editing? You decide.^[5]

5 Kit-Kat or Kit Kat?

Many recall the chocolate-covered wafer bar “Kit Kat” spelled as “Kit-Kat,” with a dash. However, according to all public records, the logo recalls no dash between its names. People have claimed that the dash used to be there. Reddit user th3allyK4t says, “I was brought up on Kit Kat, and I very clearly recall the day I noticed the dash had gone and thought it sad they changed the logo. Only now I realize they didn’t change it. And I never mistook a dash.”

Whenever “evidence” or the “smoking gun” from other realities bleeds into our current reality, many in the Mandela effect conspiracy world will refer to this as residual traces from an alternate timeline.

Many are convinced that there was once a dash, and there has been proof to better support these convictions from ages past. With proof that it once held a dash between the names, people speculate that in this current reality, they just got rid of the dash a lot earlier. Technically, It has always been Kit Kat after Nestle renamed the candy in 1937 from its original name, “Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp,” a UK treat. Named after the “Kit-Cat” Club in London, the candy was also known as a Kit-Kat before Nestle began making them. Today, Hershey’s produces the Kit Kat in the U.S., and Nestle sells the KitKat (no space or dash) elsewhere in the world.^[6]

4 Fruit Loops or Froot Loops?

The popular Kellogg’s breakfast cereal was originally named “Froot Loops” when it was put out in 1963; however, many have remembered it as “Fruit Loops” instead. To be honest, Kellogg’s introduced “Fruit Loops” in 1959 with three flavors and Toucan Sam as the mascot. However, Kellogg’s was sued over the name as it contained no fruit, so the company renamed the cereal and relaunched it in 1963, where it has been Froot Loops ever since.

This is another one of those Mandela effects that have been claimed to flip and change frequently, as many have complained. Reddit user The_Pudcast says, “I may have experienced a ‘flip flop.’ Wasn’t Froot Loops, Fruit Loops a month or so ago, and now it’s Froot Loops again? When I first started diving into this stuff, I was balls to the wall with it, so I might have gotten my wires crossed.”

Many in the comments have agreed to have similar experiences. How do you remember the sweet breakfast cereal?^[7]

3 Mona Lisa’s Famous Face

Many know of one of the most famous paintings in the world, the Mona Lisa by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. This piece of artwork is one of the most talked-about, written about, sung about, and speculated about paintings in the world. However, many claim that the Mona Lisa never had a smile on her face.

People have recalled her expression to be blank. The fact that so many remember this famous painting without a smile is unusual, and believers swear it is more evidence of the Mandela effect phenomena. If the Mona Lisa is smiling in this reality, maybe it’s a good sign.^[8]

2 Hitler’s Eyes

The infamous Austrian-born German dictator Adolf Hitler and his rise to power with the Nazi Party is a subject not likely skipped over in history class. Many remember learning about the war horrors of World War II, specifically about Hitler’s goals for a “master” blond-haired, blue-eyed race. Likewise, many were quick to point out the irony of how Hitler himself had brown eyes, yet he was making such atrocious demands.

It was something many recollected, yet according to Hitler’s medical records, he was noted to have “blue eyes with a faint tinge of gray.” Some of the differences are likely due to many of the photos and videos of Hitler being black and white, but many sources talk about his “extraordinary light blue eyes with a touch of greenish-gray.” ^[9

1 The Matrix, “What if I told you…”

We all remember the famous starting line from the movie The Matrix, “What if I told you…” delivered by Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus. In fact, the line has become so popular it turned into a meme, quoting “What if I told you…” and often followed by a truth bomb or witty commentary.

But what if I told you that the line wasn’t just wrong, but that it never existed? You read that right; the quote was nowhere to be heard in the movie.

Many attributed the line to the scene in which Morpheus presents our lead Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, with a red pill or blue pill. The original lines were actually, “Do you want to know what it is…” Followed by the classic reveal, “The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work…when you go to church…when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.”

Still many claim that the line was there originally. Maybe this is some existential proof of our own glitch in the Matrix.^[10]

When paranormal researcher, Fiona Broome, discovered that several people shared her false memory of Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the 1980s, she came up with the term “Mandela Effect” for similar incidents. Some quantum theory enthusiasts have taken the Mandela Effect theory a whole lot further, stating that it’s proof that the multiverse is a real thing and that parallel realities continuously clash with one another. Some even believe that the Mandela Effect came into play at the same time that the Large Hadron Collider was introduced.

However, thousands more think it’s simply our minds playing tricks on us.

What do you think?

Related: Top 10 Mandela Effects (Movie and TV Edition!)

10 Did Tom Cruise Wear Shades or Not?

The “Old Time Rock n Roll” scene in Risky Business featuring Tom Cruise became an instant classic after the movie was released in 1983. Tom Cruise’s dance moves in the scene have been parodied countless times, including very memorably by snarky butler Niles in the American TV sitcom The Nanny and the cast of Scrubs.

Curiously, in the vast majority of these parodies, people wear shades when they strut along to the lyrics of “Old Time Rock n Roll”—Niles included. That is because most people around the world seem to remember Cruise wearing shades during the scene. And yet, he doesn’t. And there’s the white vs. pink shirt… but that’s for another list.^[1]

# Did Lucy Have Some “splainin” to Do?

In the beloved 1950s TV sitcom I Love Lucy, Lucy did indeed have some “splainin” to do. But no matter how many people remember the quote, “Lucy, you got some splainin’ to do,” Ricky Ricardo never actually says those words in that order. He does, however, say things like “‘Splain that if you can” or “Lucy, ‘splain.”

Yet, there are people who would die on the hill of “he did so say that!”

Another very well-known line misquoted all the time is “Beam me up, Scotty.” Star Trek’s Captain Kirk never utters this line but does say, “Beam us up, Mr. Scott,” during “The Gamesters of Triskelion” episode.^[2]

8 Did King Henry VIII Hold a Turkey Leg?

The Mandela Effect happens with just about anything, including movies, TV series, books, Broadway shows, and even paintings or portraits.

One of the most famous paintings of King Henry VIII is of him sitting at a dinner table, just his upper torso visible, holding a turkey leg in his hand. At least, that is how most people visualize it. In reality, there is no painting of King Henry VIII holding a turkey leg. There is, however, a Renaissance painting of him holding a pair of leather gloves in one hand and the string of a scabbard in the other.
Expanding on this Mandela effect example, some people took things even further by claiming that Henry VIII was the first English king to eat turkey and that he was a huge fan of the meat. There is also a host of examples in the media in which Henry VIII is depicted as holding or eating a turkey leg as a direct result of the belief that the turkey leg painting exists.^[3]

7 Abe Vigoda Is Really Dead Now, Isn’t He?

Abe Vigoda had a great role in The Godfather and a starring one in Barney Miller. But he will forever be remembered for being dead 30 years before he died.

Vigoda was first reported dead in 1982 by People Magazine. Despite him still being alive and well five years later, a local newspaper in New Jersey reported him dead again. Letterman pounced on the story, and it became a long-standing joke. And in turn, the joke fuelled the fire of Vigoda’s death myth. A running gag about Vigoda’s purported death started up at Friars Club during the roast hour, and Jeff Ross had a really fun time saying, “My one regret is that Abe Vigoda isn’t alive to see this.” Vigoda would then jump up in mock anger from his seat in the audience and shake his fist at Ross.

Abe Vigoda died for real in 2016, but when TMZ broke the news, reporters were hesitant to pick up on the story because of the ongoing gags.^[4]

6 Is Cinderella Castle also the Entrance to the Magic Kingdom?

Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World has been re-decorated on several occasions to mark different celebrations. One of these makeovers took place in 1996 when it was transformed into an 18-story birthday cake for the 25th anniversary of the Orlando resort. Currently, the castle sports a massive 50th crest as well as blue jewels, pearls, and ribbons in celebration of Disney World’s 50th anniversary. “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” will end on March 31, 2023.

But apparently, the Cinderella Castle can also up and move locations when it feels like it. While most people know it to have always stood at the end of Main Street, several visitors and fans are adamant that the castle is actually the entrance to the theme park.^[5]

Maybe the park is spookier than some would like to believe?

5 Did a Protester Get Run Over by a Tank in Tiananmen Square?

In 1989, soldiers fired at peaceful protestors in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. The protests started on April 15 and were forcibly shut down on June 4 when martial law was declared. It is estimated that thousands were killed and thousands more wounded both inside and outside of Tiananmen Square.

What most people remember, however, is Tank Man—the protestor who stood firm and unwaveringly as three tanks approached him. Fortunately, he was pulled out of the way before getting hurt. But many people recall this incident differently. Some claim they watched it on TV and saw the tanks running right over the man, killing him. Others even stated that it was the first death they witnessed in real-time.^[6]

4 Does Billy Joel Sing a Melody or a Memory?

“Piano Man” is one of the most instantly recognizable songs in the world and is immensely popular whenever karaoke contests are in full swing. The lyrics are also fantastic and truly blend with the music in a magical way.

But there is a Mandela Effect at play here too. The second verse of the song starts out with the words, “He says, Son, can you play me a melody?”

Right?

Nope. Even though this is what most people hear and believe the lyrics to be, the correct words are “He says, Son, can you play me a memory?” The melody, ironically, contains the line, “Well, we’re all in the mood for a melody.”^[7]

3 Is He Dancing or Standing by the Record Machine?

While we’re on the topic of music, Joan Jett is responsible for one of the biggest earworms in the history of music. “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” is a foot-tapping classic that starts with the line “I saw him standing there by the record machine.”

Or so thousands of people think. What Jett actually sings is, “I saw him dancing there by the record machine.”

There are dozens more Mandela Effect examples in music too. These include the line from the Bee Gees tune “How Deep Is Your Love” that is not “I really need to know,” but “I really mean to learn,” and The Mamas & The Papas’ popular “California Dreaming” that doesn’t include the lyric “I began to pray,” but instead “I pretend to pray.”^[8]

2 Does The Thinker Hold His Hand against His Head or His Chin?

The bronze sculpture The Thinker stands in the Musee Rodin in Paris. The sculpture depicts a nude male figure sitting on a rock and leaning over with his right elbow on his left thigh. The weight of his chin rests on the back of his right hand, according to many tourists.

But several people who have visited the statue believe that the statue’s right fist is pressed against his forehead. The frontal view of the statue reveals that the knuckles of the right hand are actually pressed up against his mouth—and his hand is not in a fist.

Several books, both fiction and non-fiction, describe the statue as having his right fist to his forehead, though, confusing the issue even more.^[9]

1 Did Nelson Mandela Die in the 1980s?

And here we are. Back at the beginning—the Mandela Effect caused by an incorrect memory about Nelson Mandela himself.

People worldwide have the persistent memory of Nelson Mandela not only dying in prison in the 1980s but also of clips of the funeral aired on TV and riots in several cities. Some even insisted that they’d learned of his death at school in the ‘90s and were flabbergasted when the news broke in 2013 that Mandela had died aged 95.

This original Mandela Effect gave rise to a slew of conspiracy theories, including one that said because he died in 1985 at the age of 67, South Africans today are encouraged to perform “67 minutes of charity” on the late stateman’s birthday. It is even believed that an imposter was installed in Mandela’s place and that it was the doing of the government at the time. The man, named Gibson Makanda, then became the first democratic president of SA. And somewhere in there, as is the case with all persistent conspiracies, the Illuminati also seems to have had a hand in conjuring up the “big lie.”^[10]