Ep 280: The Third Man Syndrome Part 2
“I am the pilot of the Pinta come to aid you. Lie quiet, señor captain, and I will guide your ship to-night. You have a calentura, but you will be all right tomorrow.”
Description:
In part two of our exploration of the Third Man Syndrome, we continue recounting harrowing tales of survival in extreme and unusual environments or “EUEs,” such as Christopher Columbus’ 15th-century pilot taking the helm for 19th-century Joshua Slocum during the first solo circumnavigation of the globe; and Aron Ralston’s excruciating canyon escape after becoming trapped for 127 hours. We then explore the scientific hypotheses as to why this surprisingly not-so-rare phenomenon occurs. As researchers and authors Peter Suedfeld and John Geiger stated, theories can range from the mystical to the psychodynamic to the situational and the neurological. Listeners will also recognize that some proposed causes overlap with past show concepts such as infrasound, the “God Helmet,” and Shadow People. Whatever the explanation is for an ethereal savior appearing in a desperate moment of need, and like so many paranormal happenings, to the beholder, what matters is that it was real enough. And the Third Man was real enough to save their lives.
Reference Links:
Project Gutenburg eBook of Sailing Alone Around the World by Captain Joshua Slocum
Martín Alonso Pinzón, captain of the Pinta with Christopher Columbus
“After sailing around the world, Cole Brauer says she's more grounded than ever” on USA Today
“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 280: The Third Man Syndrome Part 2. 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.