Mandala effect occurrences got their name when many people mistakenly thought Nelson Mandala died years back when he was in prison in the 1980s. People said they remembered watching his funeral on TV, but Mandala actually died in December 2013, leaving people confused and spawning the name “Mandala effect.”
You may have experienced this phenomenon throughout your life and thought you simply had a bad memory or maybe you were going crazy. The truth is, it was probably a little of both. These false memories have also led to people having incorrect memories about huge life events, including this study, where people were incorrect about where they were on 9/11.
It’s all pretty spooky.
1. “The Berenstein Bears” are actually called “the Berenstain Bears.”
This is one of the more popular Mandala Effect occurrences. Many people remember the cartoon as “The Berenstein Bears” but it’s actually called the “the Berenstain Bears.” One Redditor even found an old VHS tape with the label “Berenstein.”
2. The Queen in Snow White never said, “Mirror, mirror on the wall.”
It turns out the actual quote is “Magic Mirror on the wall.” Some people also remember the second part of that quote being “Who is the fairest of them all?” but apparently it’s “Who is the fairest one of all?”
3. “We Are the Champions” by Queen ends differently than many recall.
This live performance shows a Queen performance where the song ends on “We are the Champions!” instead of how many remember it, “we are the champions…of the world!”
4. Jiffy peanut butter doesn’t exist.
You read that right. There is no “Jiffy” peanut butter. The brand is called Jif. Jif had a marketing campaign telling mothers they could fix their kids a snack “in a jiffy,” leading to a huge misunderstanding.
5. C-3PO isn’t all gold.
3-CPO isn’t all gold as many people remember. He has actually had one silver leg the whole time. A lot of memorabilia doesn’t even feature the silver leg.
6. KitKat doesn’t have a dash.
Some people seem to remember there being a dash in Kit Kat, making it “Kit-Kat,” but there isn’t one, and that frustrates them because they’re sure that once upon a time, there was one.
7. The tip of Pikachu’s tail isn’t black.
When people think of Pikachu, they remember her having a black tip on her tail. This isn’t accurate, as the tip was never there.
8. Hannibal Lecter never said, “Hello, Clarice.”
The most famous line of Silence of the Lambs is “Hello, Clarice.” Except for Hannibal Lecter never says it. When he meets Clarice, he simply says, “Good Morning.”
9. Darth Vader doesn’t say, “Luke, I am your father.”
This famous phrase was never actually spoken in the film. Instead, Darth Vader says “No, I am your father.”
10. Fruit Loops is actually spelled “Froot Loops.”
Some people think this cereal was originally called “Fruit Loops” and was later changed to “Froot Loops,” but it seems that the box was never changed at all. Pretty spooky.
11. Rich Uncle Pennybags from Monopoly doesn’t have a monocle.
Maybe they’re confusing him with Mr. Peanut, who knows. I guess everyone who has a top hat and a cane looks the same to you.
12. Chick-fil-A is not spelled Chic-fil-A or Chik-fil-A
It seems like everyone has a different idea of what is right for this spelling. The truth is it’s spelled Chick-fil-A and it always has been.
13. Interview With the Vampire isn’t called Interview With a Vampire
It’s actually Interview With the Vampire, despite the fact that entering “Interview With” into Google shows Interview With a Vampire as the top search because most people remember that being the title.
14. Life isn’t like a box of chocolates.
One of the most common lines from Forrest Gump is “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” It turns out he actually said, “Life was like a box of chocolates.” I’ve been betrayed.
15. The show isn’t called Sex in the City.
It’s Sex and the City, but many people insist they remember it being “in the” at some point. It seems that some people even have memorabilia to back it up.
16. “Oscar Meyer” isn’t spelled that way.
A lot of people remember the jingle from the commercials and insist the lyrics were “My bologna has a first name, it’s O-S-C-A-R / My bologna has a second name, it’s M-A-Y-E-R!” Still, somehow, it’s actually Mayer.
17. Curious George never had a tail.
Some people remember him swinging from trees but if you look up photos of him right now, he doesn’t have a tail. It’s like it took place in a parallel universe.