Ann Bancroft And The ‘Third Man Aura’ She Encountered In Antarctica
Ann Bancroft FoundationAnn Bancroft encountered third man syndrome during her record-breaking trek across Antarctica between 2000 and 2001.
Between 2000 and 2001, Ann Bancroft and Norwegian adventurer Liv Arnesen became the first women to ski across Antarctica.
And, according to Bancroft, they didn’t do so alone.
In that bright, white, isolated part of the world, Bancroft experienced third man syndrome. She began to sense the presence of another figure just weeks into their trek, which took a total of 94 days.
Jonathunder/Wikimedia CommonsAnn Bancroft later spoke about her experience encountering a “presence” with NPR.
During a 2010 appearance on Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me, Bancroft recalled:
“It’s just sort of when you’re out in these white places for a long period of time, you know, you have a lot of sensory depravation. So there’s that element. And then there’s also this element of — some people would describe it as spirits or a presence that appears when things are very difficult, physically and emotionally. You know, when you’re really putting out. So the third man aura is sort of an appearance.”
Is third man syndrome a trick of the mind, a guardian angel, or something else? It seems to depend on the eye of the beholder. But for people who have found themselves in danger — or in the most dangerous parts of the world — the third man factor appears to have been their key to survival.
After reading about third man syndrome, unravel the mystery behind spontaneous human combustion. Or, see how mass hysteria has manifested itself throughout human history.
