The Collective False Memory Phenomenon

Large groups of people sometimes share the exact same false memory, believing in events that never happened. This bizarre quirk of the human mind is known as the Mandela Effect.

The term was coined after thousands of people vividly remembered Nelson Mandela dying in prison during the 1980s, despite him actually being released and serving as president. These shared glitches occur when our brains try to fill gaps in memory with misinformation that feels logically consistent. Because we often discuss these memories with others, the false version can become social fact. It serves as a fascinating reminder that human recollection is more like an editable document than a video recording.