MANDELA EFFECT: ARE YOU DELUDED, OR ARE THEY?

Being a “conspiracy buff” (read: awake and aware), I run across all kinds of stories in my search for truth. But this one is on a whole other level. I have learned many things that have unsettled me, even frightened me. Though I try to keep the negativity that’s so pervasive in the world today at a low simmer in the back of my mind, learning of the Mandela Effect rocked my world like nothing else has. Turned me upside down. Knocked me right out of my tree. I’ve encountered mind-blowing. Its par for the course when one is seeking truth. I’ve read all about HAARP, CERN, the Illuminati, reptilians, hollow earth, flat earth, the Annunaki, Nibiru, DUMBs, Maritime Admiralty Law, the Franklin Cover Up, to name just a few. I’ve read Sitchin, Orwell, Icke, Hoffman, Skousen, Maxwell, the Bible, the Book of Enoch, the Apocrypha...

It may sound like a backdoor brag (though serious seekers will know the things I’ve cited are the tip of the iceberg), but I list some subjects here to let the reader know that I’m not an info virgin. I’m not easily shocked or unhinged. But this anomaly has blown the doors right out of my already open mind.

The Mandela Effect is named after Nelson Mandela, who some of you will remember died in prison – and then went on to serve as President of South Africa, and then die again in 2013. Some other people who died but are now living or have died again include Billy Graham, Mohamed Ali, Jane Goodall, and Gene Wilder.

The examples I’ll cite here as possible evidence of this phenomenon are all pubic, because public things can be weighed in on by a large number of people, so we can get some idea of where we’re at collectively. But I’ll add that since I learned of this, I’ve wondered if it explains some situations in my private life as well. You may, too.

There are quite a few videos on youtube on the subject, some well-worth watching, others ridiculous or downright unwatchable. Theories I’ve heard to explain the cause of the Mandela Effect include: CERN opening a gateway that has caused dimensions to bleed into each other (this seems to be the most widely circulated); God has sent some sort of confusion onto the world; something has been altered by a time traveler; we have actually been transported to a parallel universe; or we are actually dead.

It is said that those who remember these things differently are the victims of the Effect. I disagree. I believe that those who don’t remember are the ones who are affected. I know what I know. I’ll now offer some examples so you can see in which group you belong. Please keep in mind that though companies can change logos and businesses evolve, if you search you will find that the things that have changed never have changed. Original copies of books and movies you have on your shelf that said one thing when you bought them now say something else. The first example is one that many people will be able to verify by looking on their own bookshelf.

• The Berenstein Bears are now the Berenstain Bears – and always have been.
• Sex in the City is now titled Sex and the City – check your DVD. It has changed.
• "If you build it they will come"? Nope. "If you build it he will come".
• “Warriors, come out and play” is now “Warriors, come out to play”.
• Remember Mr. Rogers singing “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood”? He never did. He now sang, “It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood.”.
• Remember the scarecrow wielding a pistol in the Wizard of oz? He does now.
• Remember the cowardly lion carrying a cartoon-sized witch repellent spray and the Tin Man carrying a three foot pipe wrench? They do now.
• And remember during the Tin Man’s ‘If I only had a Heart” number, a female voice from off screen saying, “Wherefore art thou, Romeo?”? Me either.
• Disney’s “Mirror Mirror on the wall” is now “Magic Mirror on the wall”.
• Sally Fields has now always been Sally Field. And get this:
• Her famous acceptance speech, “You like me! You really like me!” is now and has always been, “You like me! Right now, you like me!”.
• Christopher Reeves is now and has always been Christopher Reeve.
• Condoleeza Rice is now Condoleezza Rice. Always has been.
• Peanuts creator Charles Schultz is and always has been Charles Schuls in the new reality.
• Stephen Segal is and always has been Steven Seagal.
• Remember in Genesis when God created the heavens and the earth? No, He created the heaven and the earth. Does that even make sense?
• Depends undergarments are now Depend.
• Bragg’s liquid aminos and raw apple cider vinegar are now Bragg, even on the ten year old bottles in my cupboard that were Bragg’s when I put them there.
• Apparently humans no longer have any floating ribs; it’s all one completely connected, bizarre looking cage.
• South America and other continents, countries, and islands have moved or significantly changed size.
• And lastly, the one that blew my mind. Being an admitted conspiracy buff, I have seen the JFK assassination footage many times over the years. I remember a front seat and a back seat. But now there are three rows of seats and six people in the car. I read that the a replica of the car – with two seats - is in the Henry Ford Museum and that model was never even made with three seats. Oddly enough, I vaguely recall, from years ago, hearing mention made of Governor Connally and his wife being in the car. Still the picture of only four people is clear in my mind.

Over the last few months, examples of the originals have become less and less possible to find. And I’d like to point out that I’ve not included all the examples I’ve seen. I wonder what else is going to change. Culture evolves, and illustrations get updated, but some of these things are very solid in my memory. How about yours?

Can somebody pinch me now, please?