The Mandela effect: Explaining the science behind false memories

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. If so, it sounds like you’ve experienced the phenomenon known as the “Mandela effect”. Paranormal consultant Fiona Broome coined the term “Mandela effect” to explain this collective misremembering, and then other examples started popping up all over the internet. Psychologists explain the Mandela effect via memory and social effects – particularly false memory. Incorrect recall When it comes to the Mandela effect, many examples are attributable to so-called “schema-driven errors”.