Ep 279: The Third Man Syndrome Part 1
“Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you”
Description:
A strange occurrence often happens to people engaged in an adventurous activity or who fall victim to an unfortunate circumstance. They find themselves with a companion whose presence would typically be impossible. Usually, the person is at a critical moment in a life-or-death situation in an extreme and unusual environment. When they are weakened and dying from exposure, suffering privation of sustenance, lost and alone, when they are about to lose all hope and accept their demise, that’s when this otherworldly friend suddenly appears to render aid and encouragement, giving them a superhuman will or strength to survive. Psychologists label this a “sensed presence experience” but are at a loss for a simple explanation. These presences may be seen, heard, and sometimes even touched. They appear in dire situations to people from all walks of life. They may materialize as a known friend, a deceased relative, a religious figure, or an indeterminate benefactor. Still, whatever their form, there is no doubt to the one in danger that this being is real and there with them. Although this sensed presence appears most often to mountain climbers, sailors, divers, and polar explorers, it can also happen to astronauts, prisoners of war, and disaster survivors. One of the most intriguing aspects of the sensed presence experience is that the ethereal saviors aren’t just there to provide comforting words; they actually help with knowledgable advice or guidance or can even seemingly take over the actions of the afflicted – whatever is necessary to increase the odds of survival. Join us as we explore a phenomenon more common than you might think, a syndrome also known as the “Third Man.”
Reference Links:
“The Sensed Presence as a Coping Resource in Extreme Environments”
“Charles Lindbergh and the Third Man Factor” on Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State blog
Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain, on Britannica.com
Husvik, the former whaling station on the north-central coast of South Georgia Island, Antarctica
Caedmon, widely considered to be the world’s first audiobook and launch of the spoken word industry
Sir Ernest Shackleton and T S Eliot’s ‘third man’ from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
The Waste Land Part I – The Burial of the Dead from the Poetry Archive
“Spirits of the South Pole” from The New York Times Magazine
“The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner” music album by the band Ben Folds Five
Related Books:
Suggested Listening:
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CREDITS:
Episode 279: The Third Man Syndrome Part 1. Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess. Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound. Music and Sound Design by Allen Carrescia. Tess Pfeifle, Producer and Lead Researcher. Ed Voccola, Technical Producer. Research Support from The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2024 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.