COMMON MISTAKEN RECOLLECTIONS INCLUDE...

Some popular examples of the Mandela effect can be seen in a variety of topics such as pop culture, history, and art.

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• “Mona Lisa used to have more of a smile.” (seeing the Mona Lisa as children when facial recognition skills are not fully developed)

• “Curious George used to have a tail.” (he is called a monkey but lacks a tail like apes)

• “Pikachu used to have a lightning bolt on his tail.”

• Infamous Star Wars quote is “No, I am your father” not “Luke, I am your father”

• People recall being inside the Statue of Liberty despite it being closed to the public in 1916 after a terrorist attack

• “Michael Jackson wore the white glove on his left hand.” “No, it was on his right!”

“Actually he switched off the hand he wore the white glove on.”

If you remember any of these events happening differently than in actuality, don’t worry. There are several logical and psychological explanations.

This happens when our brain simply fills in missing information and spotty parts of our memories. Because confabulation happens on a subconscious level, people refer to this as honest lying. Although it is often linked to brain disorders, confabulations are usually autobiographical and involve people misrecalling their own experiences and memory. These could be small or large details substituted for details taken from movies, TV, or other conversations.