The Matrix series was one of the most inventive and impressive science fiction stories of all time. It manages to stand out today because people are often seeing “evidence” for some Matrix tropes being real. One such concept is the idea of “glitches,” where just like in a video game or computer program, the world around us has problems. The way to know there is an issue with one of these programs is often through glitches, which for a video game might be eyes missing or body parts not being where they are supposed to be. These “glitches in the Matrix” are sometimes present in our reality too.
Some of the supposed glitches are not really a glitch and might just be something small. This could be finding two people who are wearing the same clothing or a few people moving at the exact same time, seemingly in lockstep. These might be common for NPCs in video games, but it is no glitch. Then you have things that are hard to explain or come across as scientifically odd. That is what our article is going to be focused on. Just so you’re aware, we use the “Matrix” term like it is used within the “glitch in the Matrix” term. This means that the Matrix term will stand for a “false reality” or “simulated reality.” With that said, let’s talk glitches!
[Image via Jeuts/Imgur]Keep WatchingMadonna mania to Prada’s sci-fi collection: Here’s everything you missed at Milan Fashion WeekKeep WatchingMadonna mania to Prada’s sci-fi collection: Here’s everything you missed at Milan Fashion Week00:00/03:26
The Chair Matrix
We’re not really sure how or why this type of image makes our eyes go nuts, making us assume there are glitches in the matrix. Yet it seems to occur simply out of what we perceive to be normal. When we look at the world around us, our brains judge the things we see. Yes, this means we often pre-judge people, places, and even possible events. This is an unfortunate reality. With that said, an image like this makes our brains go haywire. The chairs are clearly stacked up, one on top of the other. There is also a bar in the front. However, due to how they are stacked and how many are present, the chairs appear to be distorted at first glance.
[Image via MingzhePhoton/Shutterstock.com]
Reality As You Know It, Does Not Exist
While most of us are used to reality as we’ve come to know it, this might not be acceptable for much longer. Researchers at the Australian National University have made us really think about our stance here. They conducted an experiment that supported evidence surrounding weird causal properties, which are technically inherent in quantum theory. Basically, while it did not necessarily completely prove this, the experiment showed them that reality does not actually exist. At least, not until it is measured at the atomic scale. What does this have to do with glitches in the matrix? The experiment proves that these glitches are likely legitimate!
[Image via Pinterest]
The Cat And The Stairs
Years back, there was a popular image online that involved a cat and a set of stairs. At first glance, it seemed pretty obvious. The cat is walking on the steps, but it goes much deeper than that. If you’re asked which direction the cat is going – up or down – the image becomes quite complicated. Everyone is seeing what they believe at first glance and they choose to accept this first-glance look. This is one of the glitches in the matrix that people see and cannot truly explain. However, there is an explanation. The cat is stationary, not moving. It is going downstairs and upstairs, as the artist put it right in the middle to make us wonder about the direction.
[Image via Jenn Barkley]
Basic White Girl Attire
Sometimes, you think you’re about to put on the cutest outfit to wear out with the girls. Only to find out that they wore the exact same thing as you did. From the pants all the way to the jean jacket. What are the odds? While some might see this as just another example of major glitches in the Matrix…it might also be possible to explain it too. Think about this for a minute, if you will. You’re wearing something that you like and you have friends with a similar style to your own. Therefore, it is quite possible they too will have the same things. It is also possible, based on your activity, that they will wear these items together just like you did.
[Image via Britannica]
Twins
Perhaps the most off-putting thing people will bring up when you see two of the exact same people. Twins, triplets, even quadruplets, and so on are nothing new to science. We’ve had them for many centuries and will continue to see them in the future. It should also be noted that even identical twins are not actually identical ultimately. They appear that way at first glance, especially when they are younger as there is some fascination with dressing them just alike too. Yet there are differences between them. Therefore, while some might think twins are glitches in the matrix, they aren’t.
[Image via Lia Koltyrina/Shutterstock.com]
Are Our Dreams Glitches In The Matrix?
When you think about it, dreams are always weird. We often wake up right in the middle of them, and we rarely ever get to finish something out. Yet there are also times when something we saw in a dream turns up in real life. We did not try to force that to happen, it just did. When this happens, it can certainly feel like there are glitches in the Matrix. As if we were given a vision from an inventor, like previews for a movie or the next episode of a television show. Did we just witness something we were not supposed to see in our dream? Sure, most dreams are just a combination of things our imagination puts together but still!
[Image Via New Rockstars/YouTube]
Do You Remember The Berenstain Bears?
The Berenstein Bears Mandela effect refers to a phenomenon where a significant number of people remember the popular children’s book and TV series, “The Berenstein Bears,” being spelled with an “e” instead of an “a” in the title. Specifically, many people remember the title being spelled “Berenstein” instead of “Berenstain.” This discrepancy has led some to speculate that there has been a shift in the timeline or a parallel universe where the spelling was different. However, the explanation is likely more mundane – it’s simply a case of false memory or misremembering, where the mind fills in gaps or makes assumptions based on how words are usually spelled. In fact, the official spelling has always been “Berenstain” and can be confirmed through various sources such as the original books, merchandise, and official documents.
The Frozen Dog
In this video, you’ll notice something seems…off. Why is this dog just standing there, weirdly, not moving at all? There are times dogs will stay still if they are stalking something or listening out for something. Yet in this case, the dog is standing in place even as a human walks past it. How many dogs stay still and do not interact with a human like this, especially when they are alone? That is why this video is so chilling and one of the things that make us think we’re seeing glitches in the matrix right now. If you saw this on a walk home or when taking out the trash or something, you’d be just as weirded out as the person in this video.
[Image via WIRED]
The Dress
You have likely heard of “the dress” by now. But for those unaware of what we’re talking about…a few years ago, there was a massive debate online. A dress was pictured and we were asked to give our opinion on the color we saw. Most said one of two answers: white & gold or blue & black. It seemed to be an even split when you asked people. This might have made one think there were glitches in the matrix where we were only seeing something different because THEY wanted us to. Yet scientifically speaking, this had to do with light and the “mere exposure effect.” In this case, if you assumed the dress was in a shadow, you were likely to see it as white & gold. Shadows overrepresent blue light, so your eyes and brain saw the white & gold color as a result. Yet the dress is quite literally blue & black.
[Image via The Walt Disney Company]
Doppelganger
Similar to the twin situation, a doppelganger is someone that seems like they could be someone else due to how they look. For example, you’ve likely seen celebrities that look alike so much so that they can easily be confused for the other person. Jessica Chastain and Bryce Dallas Howard are good examples of this. Another good example is Keira Knightly and Natalie Portman, especially when they were younger. This was actually why Keira played Natalie’s “body double” in Star Wars: Episode 1. Even though Keira is significantly taller. The doppelganger concept feels like there are glitches in the matrix where we’re all connected even when we technically are not. However, this really comes down to the limitations of how facial structures can form. We all look like someone else simply because of that limitation.
[Image via Perig76/Freepik.com]
The DNA Computer Virus
In 2017, a group of researchers working at the University of Washington unveiled something pretty amazing. They actually proved that they could embed malicious computer codes into physical strands of DNA. The reason they’d even want to do such a thing was purely for research purposes. They wanted to show that computers working in gene sequencing were actually vulnerable to attack. Therefore, we need to be safer when it comes to this sort of thing. Yet what they accidentally seemed to prove was that biological reality was a computer code. To be fair, “code” is subjective though. Scientists can make anything using computer code just like a skilled computer coder could do in the digital world. Everything is down to mathematics at the end of the day
[Image via Averagebeing.com]
Pikachu, Is That You?
Glitches in the matrix seem to happen a lot around misremembering pop culture. Another possible Mandela Effect is related to Pikachu, the popular character from the Pokémon franchise. Specifically, some fans remember Pikachu having a black-tipped tail, while others recall the tail being completely yellow. The article discusses the potential reasons behind this discrepancy, including the possibility of false memory or confusion with other Pokémon characters. Ultimately, the article concludes that while the Mandela Effect is an interesting phenomenon, it’s important to approach it with a critical mindset and not jump to conclusions without considering all the available evidence.
[image via House of Surf]
The Crossed Sea
If you’ve ever seen something known as a “crossed sea,” you’d swear that there were glitches in the matrix happening all around you. The reason is due to, well, how this can look. Especially if you take a picture of it and you’re not right in the middle of it. If you look at it, you’ll think there was a buggy video game taking place because this is an issue that can pop up in games that have used water. Yet there is a scientific reason for what you’re seeing. Essentially, a crossed sea happens wherever waves from different weather systems meet each other at the same time, at right angles. These waves often come from far out and often don’t need wind to carry them even for hundreds of miles.
[Image via The Ringer]
Yanny vs. Laurel
If you thought “the dress” was controversial online, the Yanny/Laurel debate was probably even bigger. Essentially, there is a recording that when heard, you’ll either hear “Yanny” or “Laurel.” In fact, it is so clear that you’ll swear you heard it correctly. With so many hearing one or the other, it feels like a glitch. Yet this truly comes down to a person’s hearing as well as the recording itself. This is a low-quality recording that leaves ambiguity for the ears to pick up on. Plus, where you listen to the recording can matter as well as the device you listen on. All of this really comes down to the sound frequency where those who can hear higher frequencies well will hear Yanny but those who can hear lower frequencies well will hear Laurel. However, again, this is really down to the bad recording too.
[Image via ABC News]
The Bear That Was/Was Not Really There
One Redditor mentioned turning her car radio on to have a calm drive home. Yet as she turned the corner, she claimed her body turned to static…like an out-of-body experience. It was then that she saw a huge black bear in the path of her car, and she did not have time to register it. She felt pulled forward as her car collided with the bear. She heard her bones crunching and felt her car rolling down a steep ravine. At this point, she smelled gasoline and the car burning, feeling the pain of the fire engulf her. Things then went black but then she awoke, back at the moment before turning the corner she hit the bear on. She then pulled over to try and calm down from the panic. That was when she actually saw a black bear, about 5 feet from where she hit a bear previously. Talk about a glitch, this time though, a positive one.
[Image via Fizkes/Shutterstock.com]
The Boyfriend That Was Never There
Another Redditor referenced that, while she does not believe in ghosts, we think she might become a believer after one experience. Her boyfriend texted her from his office in their home, telling her he was headed to bed. She then decided to go to bed herself and when she opened the door, she saw him lying down in bed facing the wall. She swears that she saw him and his hair. In fact, she asked him if he was okay and heard a mumbled response. She looked away for only a second to put her water bottle on the nightstand yet he was gone. Thinking he was playing a prank, she tried to see where he was hiding but nothing. She goes into the hallway panicking and her boyfriend comes out of his office to ask her what’s wrong. The BF had never been to the bedroom!
[Image via Skreidzeleu/Shutterstock.com]
Déjà Vu
It is likely that you’ve heard of Déjà Vu before. In fact, it is likely that we’ve all even experienced it at some point in our lives. In spite of what you might assume, at least 60 to 70% of those who experience this are in good health. What is Déjà Vu, exactly? It is that sense that something has happened before, that you’ve experienced a moment or been somewhere in spite of neither being true. It makes sense that people think this is proof that there are glitches in the matrix. However, Déjà Vu is triggered by memory which is stored in the temporal lobe of the brain. This is what triggers familiarity. One experiment actually used the SIMS video game where they had people play it, and those that did claim to have had Déjà Vu experience connected to those they experienced in SIMS. Therefore, it is possible that games, movies, books, and pictures could be triggering this for us.
Where Do We Find This Stuff? Here Are Our Sources:
National Science Foundation
Scientific American
Harvard University
Australian National University
Slate Magazine
WIRED