Third Man Syndrome (Part 2)

Third Man Syndrome (Part 2)

Doug and Tara jump back into trying to decipher Third Man Syndrome, plus related matters of material and mind. This part includes a discussion of the scientific theories that psychologists have presented to help explain sensed presences and the particular case of the mysterious so-called Third Man.    Sources: The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible by John Geiger  "Belief in Angels and Heaven is More Common Than Belief in the Devil or Hell," from the Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago They Survived: A Study of the Will to Survive by Wilfrid Noyce Peter Suedfeld and John Geiger, "The sensed presence as a coping resource in extreme environments," in: Miracles God, Science, and Psychology in the Paranormal, edited by J. Harold Ellens Presence: The Strange Science and True Stories of the Unseen Other by Ben Alderson-Day The Voices Within: The History and Science of How We Talk to Ourselves by Charles Fernyhough "The Science of the Voices in your Head--with Charles Fernyhough," from the Royal Institute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95otBlepVHc&t=1754s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95otBlepVHc&t=1754s]  Olaf Blanke, Polona Pozeg, Masayuki Hara, Lukas Heydrich, Andrea Serino, Akio Yamamoto, Toshiro Higuchi, Roy Salomon, Margitta Seeck, Theodor Landis, Shahar Arzy, Bruno Herbelin, Hannes Bleuler, Giulio Rognini, "Neurological and Robot-Controlled Induction of an Apparition," Current Biology 24.22 (2014): https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(14)01212-3 [https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(14)01212-3]   For More on Third Man Syndrome, see also: Astonishing Legends Podcast (with Scott Philbrook and Forrest Burgess): The Third Man Syndrome, Parts 1 and 2 (episodes 279 and 280)

Third Man Syndrome (Part 1)

In this first part, Tara tells Doug about a strange phenomenon colloquially called "Third Man Syndrome," in which experiencers sense a helpful presence at their side in extreme survival scenarios. The presence helps them out of trouble and then vanishes as quickly as it came. You might not see it or hear it, but you'll feel it. But is it real?   Tara and Doug use a few stories of so-called "Third Men" to open up questions about the nature of reality and the power of the human mind. Part 2 will introduce the leading scientific theories about what causes this high-stakes imaginary friend to visit in the most desperate circumstances...   Sources: The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot  Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing South: The Endurance Expedition by Ernest Shackleton The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James Camp Six: The 1933 Everest Expedition by Frank Smythe Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival by Joe Simpson The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible by John Geiger  "Third Man Syndrome," EBSCO: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/psychology/third-man-syndrome [https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/psychology/third-man-syndrome]    This site reproduces many of the pictures from the Shackleton Expedition: https://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/Ernest_Shackleton_pictures.php [https://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/Ernest_Shackleton_pictures.php]

Killer Plants (Part 2)

To the Cold War and beyond! In Part 2, Doug and Tara cover the iconic plant monsters of the midcentury and ponder the meaning of the plant-human hybrid trope, what it's like to be a plant, and what might be coming next in plant horror.   Sources:   T. S. Miller, “Lives of the Monster Plants: The Revenge of the Vegetable in the Age of Animal Studies,” The Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts 23.3 (2012): 460-479.   Victoria Brown, "The Roots of Evil: Botanical Horror" at https://www.thefrightclubni.com/post/the-roots-of-evil-botanical-horror [https://www.thefrightclubni.com/post/the-roots-of-evil-botanical-horror]    Peter V. Minorsky "The 'Plant Neurobiology' Revolution" at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11085955/#abstract1 [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11085955/#abstract1]

Killer Plants (Part 1)

Your hosts start discussing killer plants in mythology, history, and popular culture. Part 1 covers the roots (literal and figurative) of the genre of "botanical horror" as it developed from ancient times through the nineteenth century. There's much to ponder about the possibilities, perils, and power of plants! Part 2 will pick up with the iconic Cold War literary and silver screen plant monsters.    References:  The Secret Life of Plants by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird The Occult, Witchcraft & Magic: An Illustrated History by Christopher Dell A History of Magic, Witchcraft & the Occult by Suzannah Lipscomb, Sophie Page, Thomas Cussans, John Farndon, Ann Kay, and Philip Parker Library of Congress Blogs: Green Man (https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/category/green-man/?loclr=blogflt [https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/category/green-man/?loclr=blogflt])  The History of the Great Irish Famine of 1847, with Notices of Earlier Irish Famines by the Rev. John O'Rourke, P.P., M.R.I.A. (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14412 [https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14412])

Caves: Spooks, Survival, and Science

Doug is out but will return soon; Tara is instead joined by her awesome friend Jesse, who knows all about caves. They discuss what makes caves creepy for loads of people, from mummified bats and myths of monsters who lurk in the dark to the realities of complicated rescue missions. They also talk about why caves should be appreciated and respected as places of awe and wonder, inspired science, and longstanding cultural importance. Don't listen to this one in a cramped, dark space (or do)! Resource: https://nckri.org/caves/ [https://nckri.org/caves/] (National Cave and Karst Research Institute)