The Memory Distortion Explanation
One would assume that if memories were distorting due to referencing errors (a known phenomenon amongst psychologists), then people would recall different memories that would be specific for the individual—each person would have a unique distortion. But according to a study conducted by Dr. Blair Reich, these memory distortions appear to be consistent in large populations. Over the past year, 25,000 people took his survey and results suggest that people are collectively experiencing the same memory divergence with recorded history.
As was discussed in the first article on the Mandela Effect, it could be that collective memory distortion is taking place. Consider that subtle messaging or subconscious manipulation is the foundation of modern-day advertisers, who can steer the collective consciousness of the masses with great accuracy for the purpose of purchasing products and manipulating public opinion (propaganda). It stands to reason that certain populations of people could also distort memories in a group fashion—so to speak.
Neurologists have known about the distortion of memories for some time and it appears that the more one accesses their memories the more distorted they can become.
According to Diane Bridge from Northwestern University, who conducted a study on memory recall, “A memory is not simply an image produced by time traveling back to the original event—it can be an image that is somewhat distorted because of the prior times you remembered it …. Your memory of an event can grow less precise even to the point of being totally false with each retrieval.”
Skeptics assume that these collective divergences are nothing more than individual memory distortions or failure. But as was mentioned above, these kinds of effects tend to produce individualized memory changes, not ones that occur across large populations.
Timelines and the Mandela Effect
One explanation that is popular amongst Mandela Effect enthusiasts is that timeline shifting or merging is taking place. The collective reality or river of time with which we move and have our being seems to be changing in some fundamental way.
Exploring this concept a bit more, a timeline is simply a chain of events, a flow of causality, which individuals participate in when taking actions in life, both physically and metaphysically. Timelines in this sense are not some external thing forced onto a person, it is a dynamic flow of cause and effect, with free will choice acting as a mechanism to change the direction time flows or the way in which events take place. While an individual cannot have absolute control over the a series of events (a timeline), they can steer it with some degree of potency or strength. And as a collective of individuals, the aggregate of free will choices made in harmony can powerfully alter the nature of a timeline. Consider how history is molded by the collective actions of populations of people.
To add to this notion that the Mandela Effect is evidence of timelines merging or changing, the Secret Space Program insider and whistleblower Corey Goode had this to say in his report from August of this year:
I had received emails with questions about the “Mandela Effect,” but hadn’t been able to look into it. In one of our recent trips to shoot episodes for Cosmic Disclosure, one of the producers at Gaia brought up the topic and went into detail about it. My interest was [piqued], and I then looked into the phenomenon more deeply when I got home.
Tear-Eir then communicated that indeed this was a real and an example of what we would experience more and more until the final merging. He stated that our co-creative consciousness was directing us toward a choice of which temporal reality we will ultimately experience. We have a small window to push ourselves through in order to jointly experience the optimal temporal reality.
This explanation is fascinating yet is almost entirely unverifiable—not to say that it is invalid.
The Mandela Effect is one phenomenon that is difficult to study using standard scientific methods because it is entirely subjective—we only have data supplied by experiencers to go on. There is no way to objectively measure if what someone experienced years ago has actually changed or not in reality—which is what the timeline shifting or merging explanation proposes.
Despite these logistical setbacks, scientific inquiry can and has taken place.
Ph.D. Studies the Mandela Effect
Dr. Reich is one amongst many investigators studying the Mandela Effect using methods that provides a robust set of data to analyze.
The survey (or quiz as he refers to it) is conducted in a way that produces a data set that can be compared to other survey takers. The results can be plotted and analyzed so as to determine to what degree these collective memory divergences are occurring. This survey allows investigators to pinpoint which events are remembered differently and how many people are collectively experiencing them. While 25,000 responses are only a small fraction of the population, it is enough to draw some initial suppositions.
Dr. Reich’s survey and paper are available below. Here is a comment he provided for this article:
The initial results suggest that while many people in the general population may suffer from a general failure of memory those who are extremely confident in their recollection are able to recall details of controlled experiments at an overwhelming 95-98.8%. This suggests that sub groups of people are very capable of highly accurate memories. What is interesting is that those same people who can get the controls correct with a high degree of accuracy suddenly disagree with recorded history with populations as high as 90% disagreeing with what’s recorded. Since the control suggests these people have no issues with memory it implies something else is likely the cause of the problem.
Other Researchers
Cynthia Sue Larson has also been studying the Mandela Effect since the 1990’s and conducted her first survey in 2000. In a comment left on the first Mandela Effect article, she had this to say:
I’ve devoted my career to studying the Mandela Effect (aka “reality shifts”) since the 1990s. There is a growing body of scientific evidence to suggest that the Mandela Effect, aka “reality shift” has been a recognized phenomenon since PMH Atwater first began talking about it in the 1970s and first mentioned in Atwater’s book “Future Memory” in 1995. The topic was later covered in greater detail, including mention of the dead being seen alive again, in the book “Reality Shifts: When Consciousness Changes the Physical World” by Cynthia Sue Larson in 1999.
Two surveys have been conducted with hundreds of participants reporting having experienced various aspects of the “Mandela Effect” or reality shift phenomena, with the first survey results from April 2000 being reported by Cynthia Sue Larson at:
http://realityshifters.com/pages/research/apr2000.html
A comparison between two surveys conducted in 2013 and 2000 are included in the Cynthia Sue Larson’s book, “Quantum Jumps,” to show similarities and differences between the two surveys and note trends.
Here is an excerpt from Quantum Jumps discussing these survey results:
__“The How Do You Shift Reality?” survey was conducted again in May 2013 with 567 respondents. These respondents were contacted via social media (Facebook and Twitter) as well as through the RealityShifters [e-zine]. A new question was added about noticing seeing people or animals alive again who’d previously been reported or observed to be dead. Answers received for the second survey were remarkably consistent with the first, within a few percentage points in most cases.
What stands out the most in these survey results is that a whopping majority of 93% of all respondents reported are currently noticing synchronicity and coincidence in their daily life; 90% report having seen time seem to slow down, stop, or speed up (up from 86% in 2000); and 83% report that they often find parking spaces where and when they need them most (up from 78% in 2000). This means that more than three quarters of the population is currently experiencing some pretty amazing phenomena!
The next most commonly reported type of reality shift was reported by 69% of those surveyed: sometimes putting things down in one place (such as keys, wallet or coat) only to find them missing or moved later on; 57% of respondents reported occasionally seeing things jump, leap, or fall without anyone moving them; 44% of respondents observed things transforming into something different than they’d been before, and 48% of respondents reported having seen people, plants, animals or things appear out of thin air (up from 45% in 2000); 35% of respondents reported having seen business signs inexplicably changing their hours; 33% reported having seen people, plants, animals and things disappear; and 22% reported seeing doors lock or unlock by themselves.”
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| Google Trends results for “Mandela Effect.” Sharp increase in interest since mid-2016. |
Survey and Examples
Examples of Mandela Effects seem to be increasing as time goes on, which one would expect with a subjective phenomenon.
As more people become aware of the Mandela Effect, examples are found and then disseminated into the growing body of amateur investigators, who can then personally confirm or deny discrepancies.
Before listing examples, please take the survey if you have not already done so.
Our friend, Dr. Blair Reich, with the Mandela Effect quiz is back! He’s compiled results for 25,000 responses from his Mandela Effect quiz. He goes into extensive detail in this long report that covers some of the most frequently cited Mandela Effects that are out there. His hope in sharing this is that others will dive into pieces of the big document to create pop-articles and pop-surveys to get people asking questions about Mandela Effects and what they imply about ourselves and the universe.A major section of this article is testimonials shared by the people who took it. Some of them go into great detail about how they experienced the Mandela Effect and what it means to them. Get a pot of coffee and a comfy chair because this may take you a while.TAKE THE QUIZ BEFORE YOU START SO YOU DON’T INFLUENCE YOUR RESULTS IF YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO TAKE IT LATER (takes 5-10 min):There is a second quiz if you’re interested that covers some more impactful Mandela Effects and Toto Effects than what are presented in the first quiz, but is still relatively quick. There is a third quiz if you’re looking to see how your experience lines up with the majority of the major effects reported by September of 2016.
Dr. Reich also produced a video presentation of his findings, which can be viewed in the video below.
About The Author
Justin Deschamps is a truth seeker inspired by philosophy and the love of wisdom in all its forms. He was formally trained in physics and psychology, later discovering the spiritual basis of reality and the interconnected nature of all things. He strives to find the path of truth while also walking it himself, sharing what he knows with others so as to facilitate cooperative change for a better future. He is a student of all and a teacher to some. Follow on Twitter @sitsshow,Facebook Stillness in the Storm, and steemit @justin-sits.