In situations that deviate from normal, the chemistry of our brains And the way they make us feel or reflect can be so interesting that it seems like someone is working independently of us in our heads. Most of the time, it does its best to protect our mental health, and this can yield very interesting results.

For example back from the dead the word of the people “My life flashed before my eyes like a filmstrip.” The reason behind the cliché is that at that moment our brain is looking for happy memories and keeping us alive. It’s actually a similar situation that we’ll talk about shortly.

Seeing other people or beings under the rubble has a name in literature.

This condition, defined as third man syndrome or third man factor, people who are alone for long periods of time It refers to seeing an imaginary being or person (e.g. climbers, earthquake debris, adventurers, etc.).

Mountain climbers or polar explorers who spend long periods of time, especially at high altitude, in remote areas and under difficult conditions; third man syndrome They are quite sensitive to experiencing it, and many of them have similar experiences.

Many cases were known before the term was introduced into the literature.

The term third-man factor was introduced in the late 1930s Scottish mountaineer and explorer dr. It was first used by Alexander Mitchell Kellas. However, he was not the first person to experience this syndrome.

Very similar experiences have been known for many years among polar explorers and mountain climbers. All under intense stress and isolation Although they were alone, he thought they were not alone.

A man who undertook an expedition between 1914 and 1917 described his experiences as follows:

“When I reached the last part of my Antarctic expedition, a ‘comrade’ He also joined us. “During that long and harrowing thirty-six hour walk across the nameless mountains and glaciers of South Georgia, it often seemed as if there were four of us, not three.”

This confession resulted in others coming forward one by one and explaining that they had experienced the same thing. Well-known names such as mountain climber Reinhold Messner and polar explorers Peter Hillary and Ann Bancroft also experience this phenomenon they said.

A similar experience was experienced by mountain climber Joe Simpson. It was he who, he says, guided him to survival after suffering a terrible leg injury high in a mountain and falling from a cliff into a crevasse. “A voice” There was.

Our brains play some kind of trick to help us.

Scientific explanations view this phenomenon as a coping mechanism or an example of double minds. People believe in the existence of a true friend in their minds, and this gives them psychological support, increases motivation, relieves the feeling of loneliness and helps them even in critical moments. decision-making capacity It can even have an influence

Movies about third man syndrome:

• Touching the Void (2003)
• 127 hours (2010)
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947, 2013)
• Throw Away (2000)