The Mandela effect is a phenomenon that makes us question the credibility of our memories. It refers to the situation when a large section of the population believes that an event happened, while, in reality, it did not. Its power lies in that it creates a conflict between the past and one’s memory of the past.

The term first sprang up in 2009 on a website owned by the writer, paranormal consultant Fiona Broome. Broome recollected her vividly remembering news of Nelson Mandela’s death in the 1980s while in prison.

Here, things take a turn and become eerie; the death of the South African anti-apartheid leader stirred up a debate on the internet.

It is true that in 1962, Mandela was arrested on conspiracy to attempt to overthrow the government and was given a life sentence. He was released in 1990 and was soon elected the President of South Africa. He passed away in 2013, aged 95. But, people all over the world, in agreement with Broome, were convinced that Mandela had passed away in the 1980s while in prison.