Fiona Broome's Blog, page 4

Stepping Back from the Mandela Effect

I’ll be back here in a few days or so, but – for now – here’s what’s happened.

Late in February, it was clear that the Mandela Effect website needed to be moved to new hosting. (Spikes in interest – and traffic – have always been an issue. It seems as if, every year or two, I have to switch to increasingly high-powered hosting. The continued interest in the topic astonishes me.)

Anyway, about a week ago, at my Facebook Page, I let people know about the pending move.

Today, I announced that the m...

AI, Trolls, and Sherlock Holmes

This morning, replying to a critical comment at Facebook, I was startled to realize the new, potential nuances of trolls’ comments.

That is, as sincere and layered as a comment may be, it could have been written by AI. With the abrupt emergence and growing sophistication of GPT-3, -4, and so on, can we trust anything we read online?

(Yes, I know the logical response is, “Okay, but could we ever trust it?”)

With this new reality, how do we deal with critical — but sincere-sounding — comments?  Re...

When Science Studies the Mandela Effect

While I appreciate healthy skepticism and investigations into Mandela Effect memories, I’m often irked by news articles and reports that brush the entire topic aside as “you’re just confused.”

However, even when the journalist or researcher has preconceived ideas about the Mandela Effect, I can appreciate the nuances of scientific investigation.

That’s why I’m pleased with this article, even if it leans into the “it’s all false memories” mindset.

When someone can indicate where a confusion may h...

Lucid Dreaming and the Mandela Effect

Can lucid dreaming be a factor in the Mandela Effect?

Until I read this article, Is Dreaming Real?, that hadn’t crossed my mind. Not seriously, anyway.

The possibility is intriguing.

I have long maintained that the Mandela Effect isn’t a single cause-and-effect experience.

That is, it’s not all false memories. It’s not all errors in news reporting or the media.

Even my favorite—and possibly most extreme (for now)—theory, parallel realities, can’t explain every Mandela Effect memory.

Now, if we a...

Are Blurry Blobs Part of the Mandela Effect?

For those interested in the Mandela Effect and the myriad explanations for different memories, a (rather geeky) article at Quanta Magazine may be relevant: How the Brain Distinguishes Memories from Perceptions.

From that article:

“…This suggests that when the memory of the image was stored, only the highest-level representation of it was kept. When the memory was experienced again, all the areas of the visual cortex were activated — but their activity was based on the less precise version as an...

The Videos Continue! This One: Haunted Graves

Yes, I like making videos. Oh, they’re far more time-consuming than I’d expected. It takes me hours to edit and upload a five-minute video.

However, in my opinion, videos have a chance of reaching far more people than (audio) podcasts, articles, and books.

Oh, I’ll still work on articles (short ones) and books (also short), because that seems to be what people have time for.

But, now that I’m learning more about videos, I see how they can be an art form in themselves.

The learning curve is steep...

Walking Around Eerie and Haunted Places

This week, we decided to test a new action camera, and – perhaps – create some ghost-hunting related videos.

This video was recorded at Village Cemetery in Kennebunkport, Maine (USA), shortly after noon.

Walking Around a Maine Cemetery – Kennebunkport 1

A short, silent walk around an eerie, historic Maine cemetery on a November afternoon. (This was a test of a new video camera, to see how well it works.) Location: Village Cemetery, Kennebunkport, Maine For more about ghost hunting, visit https:...

My Post-Halloween Schedule – and Research Tips

As a ghost hunter, what I do during November depends upon where “home” is at that time, and how busy October/Halloween was.

Of course, October – especially Halloween – is always hectic for me. This year, in addition to talking with media contacts, I’d committed to a fresh, new article at HollowHill.com, every day of October 2022.

I’m both pleased and astonished that I was successful.

Oh, it was an exhausting schedule at times, but I’m still feeling victorious.

Now, I’m slowly returning to my de...

October is Ghost Hunting Month

Okay, maybe October isn’t officially “ghost hunting month,” but it seems to be the time of year when most people decide to explore nearby, haunted places.

So, this month, I’m trying to write a HollowHill.com article every day, shedding more light (perhaps not literally) on ghosts and haunted places.

Currently, nearly halfway through October (2022), I’ve been successful. Fingers crossed, I’ll keep up the pace.

However, when November arrives, I plan to shift my attention to videos and updating my...

The Mandela Effect is NOT False Memories

This should be clear: The term “Mandela Effect” describes the phenomenon, not an explanation of it.

When a reporter or blogger claims the Mandela Effect is a “theory,” they haven’t done their homework.

Likewise, when the Mandela Effect is brushed off as “false memories,” the person is — perhaps conveniently — missing the point.

And they’re insulting our intelligence at the same time.

Yes, some odd memories can be explained as false memories. With a little research, you may be able to find wher...