Alright, many of you are probably thinking, what the heck is a “Mandela effect”?

The Mandela Effect refers to a phenomenon in which a large number of people share false memories of past events, referred to as confabulation in psychiatry. Some have speculated that the memories are caused by parallel universes spilling into our own, while others explain the phenomenon as a failure of collective memory.

The Mandela Effect gets its name from Nelson Mandela. Many people remember him dying in prison in the 1980s, many years before he actually did in 2013. One of the most famous Mandela Effects is the Berenstain Bears conspiracy. Numerous people, including myself, remember the famous children’s book series as being titled The Berenstein Bears. However, it has apparently always been The Berenstain Bears.

Believe it or not, there are some Mandela Effects right here in Hawthorne! Let’s see if you have some of these false memories, too.

Bogie’s Hoagies: Ever since it opened, people have been spelling and calling this sandwich shop “Boagie’s Hoagies.” Take one look at the sign hanging outside of the establishment and you will see that it’s “Bogie’s Hoagies.” What do you remember?

Tastee Pizza: When you think about getting pizza, you probably think, “What about Tastee’s?”  But, actually, the sign outside reads “Tastee Pizza”!

Are there any more you can think of?