Third Man and The Gods of Guilt

The twelve jurors, otherwise known as 'The gods of guilt', filed back into the courtroom, solemn and tentative, they took their seats. Any seasoned lawyer who was worth his or her salt, would note by their body language and facial expressions that all was not well.

The jurors had deliberated long and hard.

The court again came to order and fell silent in anticipation of the verdict.

The Court Officer, guided by the judge, asked:

"Madam Foreperson - In the case of Keye v Locke, has the jury reached a verdict"?

Slowly, the woman got to her feet. "I am sorry, your honor; but the jury is deadlocked, we are unable to agree to a decision". She replied, slightly shaking her head, her voice sorrowful.

A rumbling of voices could be heard throughout the room.

"What is the reason for the delay"? The judge asked, trying hard not to lose his temper - his back hurt and his knees still ached from his long walk this morning. He just wanted to go home.

"It is on account of the Third Man, your honor".

The judge blinked a few times while staring intently - glaring in annoyance at the woman who dared to be wasting his time.

"Bailiff, please clear the courtroom". The judge ordered, sending the poor confused accused man back to his cell.

Judge Mallory then took a deep breath.

"Ok, I will play along", he said facetiously after a few moments, irritation dripping like warm honey from his tone. "Explain the Third Man, if you will".

"Well, your honor, juror #8 claims that The Third Man prevents him from agreeing to a suitable verdict". An audible sigh could be heard from the other jurors. "If you will allow, it is best if he explains".

The judge was now fascinated at the effrontery of the jurors, still, he would allow this unorthodox situation to play out.

"I can't wait to hear it". Judge Mallory smirked.

"Thank you, your honor" Replied the foreperson, sitting down quickly.

Juror #8, a tall Black man with a quiet, intelligent face, stood up slowly. He cleared his throat and spoke confidently, his accent suggesting an African lineage.

"Your honor, the Third Man Syndrome is what is known as the spirit guide or otherworldly presence that helps humans in need...

The Third Man Syndrome refers to situations where individuals feel an unseen presence that provides comfort, support, or guidance during traumatic or stressful experiences. This phenomenon is often reported by people who are alone in extreme conditions, and it manifests as a sense of someone being nearby, offering encouragement or advice, even though no one is actually physically there".

"So, a ghost prevented you from making a decision regarding the case"? The Judge asked, curiosity masking the need to arrest the entire jury who were clearly trying his patience.

"Oh no, your honor, this has nothing to do with ghosts per se. It is more like a Chi or an Amadlozi". Replied the now ruffled juror, perhaps fearing that Mallory would have him charged for wasting his time.

"So, are you saying that you may be having stress-induced hallucinations or brain activity misfires which are responsible for the sensation of a presence"?

"No sir, it is nothing like that".

"Is it a form of dissociation, where the mind disconnects from reality to cope with overwhelming trauma"?

"No sir".

"Could it be a result of the brain’s creative response to extreme stress, potentially triggering malfunctions in the visual and auditory cortex".

"No, your honor"!

"So what do we have here then. Is it in the Spiritual or perhaps the Paranormal Origins that we may find explanations for the phenomenon"?

"Yes, your honor, I believe it is more in the spiritual. May I explain a bit further", 'further' pronounced like 'father' in the African accent, making the judge feel like he needed to bow his head in prayer, if only to remain sane.

Mallory glared - his face becoming a slight shade of reddish bloom. He gestured a disinterested ok, deciding that he had come this far, he might as well hear the entire supernatural drivel - while giving the jury one more chance to justify themselves.

Juror #8 shifted uncomfortably, this could get even more complicated, but he must make his point clear.

"In African cultures, spirit guides are often referred to by various names depending on the region and tradition.

Ezumezu Mmuo: Are the Igbo spirituality guides, a range of spirits that guide and protect individuals throughout their lives.

Chi, is also an Igbo guide. Chi refers to the personal life force or guardian spirit that guides an individual.

Orun, In Yoruba culture, refers to the world of spirits and divinities.

Amadlozi - In Zulu tradition, refers to ancestors who provide protection and guidance to the living.

These terms reflect the rich blend of spiritual beliefs across African cultures, where spirit guides play a crucial role in guiding and protecting individuals".

Juror #8 imperceptibly shifted his stance, standing a bit taller, as if the explanation had imbued him with a remembered sense of native pride.

"I see". Mallory gritted his teeth and settled himself before continuing.

"May I remind the jury of the process of Voir dire, where we expect the truth and whole truth and nothing but. That historically, the legal term Voir dire refers to an oath required of all jurors to tell the truth, or to say what is true. This meant that the juror promised to be impartial and honest in hearing testimony, viewing evidence, and in rendering judgment". The judge reiterated.

The judge found that there was insufficient justification to dismiss either the case or the jury, they needed to deliver either a guilty or not guilty verdict. The “hung jury” would be given one more chance to break the deadlock. He then directed them to deliberate further, just once more.

Having heard enough for one day, and with other cases pending, Mallory ordered the jury to return to sequestration, isolating them from the public for the duration of the trial, to further deliberate the case. He ordered the case reconvened next morning at 10am.

That night, the judge indulged himself in Googling examples of the Third Man syndrome.

Frank Smythe, he read - the first person to summit Mount Everest, said that he had a mysterious unseen presence that helped guide him through his treacherous journey up Earth’s tallest mountain...helping him through all the perils of the journey.

"All the time that I was climbing alone, I had a strong feeling that I was accompanied by a second person,” wrote the British mountain explorer in his diary. "The feeling was so strong that it completely eliminated all loneliness I might otherwise have felt”, Smythe recounted.

Other explorers have experienced the phenomena.

Ernst Shackleton experienced it during his life-threatening expedition to Antarctica after he and his crew abandoned the Endurance. T.S. Eliot's poem - The Waste Land, explains the ordeal. The phenomenon was coined as the Third Man, because Shackleton felt the presence of one other man, along with his two companions.

"During that long and racking march of thirty-six hours over the unnamed mountains and glaciers of South Georgia, it seemed to me often that we were four, not three", wrote Shackleton in his memoir about the incident that nearly took his life.

Since that time, dozens of other adventurers like Reinhold Messner, Peter Hillary, and Ann Bancroft have all reported experiencing the Third Man phenomena according to Wikipedia.

"Some believe it's a guardian angel", wrote Toronto Star reporter Nancy White in a 2009 article on the phenomena. "Others say it's the brain's way of coping under great duress".

“Whichever it is”, White continued, “the experiences are eerily similar: the sense of a presence that encourages, advises, and even leads a person out of peril".

John Geiger writes that it is a benevolent helpful companion, not a single example of a malevolent being, and not all were linked to dare-devil explorers.

In his book, Geiger recounted the story of Ron DiFrancesco, a money market broker who was led out of the collapsing south tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11 by an otherworldly presence that guided him to safety while encouraging him not to give up. DiFrancesco cannot understand why he survived when so many others did not,” Geiger wrote in his book. “But he has no doubt about the reason for his escape.”

Understanding what Third Man Syndrome is a lot more difficult than understanding why it manifests. "Opinion is divided", Geiger said. "There's not a definitive explanation".

"It's not a hallucination in the sense that hallucinations are disordering. This is a very helpful and orderly guide".

By studying Third Man Syndrome we may be able to better understand it, which would allow humans to access the phenomena more easily.

Since the publishing of his book, Geiger has seen little progress made in that area.

Maybe we're never truly alone.

It is an astonishing capability, if you think about it. It sort of hints at this idea that as human beings we are never truly alone, that we have this ability to call upon this resource when we most need it in our lives.

🔬

~~~Mallory always thought himself a reasonable man. If he were a scientist...he pondered, with a Scientist’s Reasoning... Which is Evidence-based:

Scientists rely on empirical data that can be tested, measured, and replicated.

They have Objective standards: The validity of a claim depends on whether it can be proven or disproven through experiments or observation.

They rationalize Universality: Scientific facts are meant to hold true regardless of context, culture, or opinion.

⚖️ But...Compared to a Judge’s Reasoning which should be:

- Law-based: Judges don’t seek universal truths but apply legal principles, statutes, and precedents to specific cases.

- Interpretive: Judicial reasoning often involves interpreting ambiguous laws, weighing competing rights, and applying them to unique circumstances.

- Evidence evaluation: Judges assess credibility, admissibility, and sufficiency of evidence - not just whether something is “provable” in the scientific sense, but whether it meets legal standards (e.g., “beyond a reasonable doubt” in criminal cases, or “balance of probabilities” in civil cases).

- Contextual: Judicial decisions are shaped by social values, fairness, and procedural justice, not just raw facts.

- Precedent-driven: Past rulings (case law) guide present decisions, even if the “truth” is not absolute.

✨ Key Difference

- A scientist asks: “Is this fact provable and replicable?”

- A judge asks: “Given the law, precedent, and the evidence presented, what is the most just and legally sound outcome?”

So while a scientist pursues objective certainty, a judge pursues legal fairness and consistency. Judicial reasoning is less about proving universal truths and more about applying structured principles to human disputes.

Mallory had a lot to think about as he drifted off to sleep.

⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️

Meanwhile

The members of the jury argued the rest of the day and into the night. After dinner, juror #8 had again explained fully his reasons for believing that the defendant had not murdered the doctor who had attended his wife when she died on the operating table. Although he had been openly heard saying that he would kill him if it was the last thing that he did.

"My spirit CHI has shown me all the signs that another doctor had done the deed and framed it on the husband. The opportunity had somehow very conveniently presented itself by the threat of the husband".

"There is no way you can know that, it is just gibberish and you know it". The foreperson and all the others just wanted it all over and to go home as quickly as possible.

At suppertime, they still had a hung jury. All went to bed with an undecided verdict.

Inexplicably, that night every single juror dreamt of the innocence of the poor grieving suspect. They saw the act of the demise of the unsuspecting doctor...his death as he walked to his car in the dim light of the underground parking lot.

Hearing a suspicious sound, the doctor spun around...before he could react, he felt the fire in his chest...the dreamers felt the physical pain as the victim doubled over.

He was shot three times in the chest and bled to death before anyone could find him.

His final words had been, "Doctor Le.....what...have...you...done...."?

Pandemonium broke out in the jury room the next morning. How was it possible that they all had the same dream. Could this third man business be true. Did they all utilize the assistance of each of their 'Third Man' to culminate in one mass dream.

The Judge was not surprised to receive a verdict of not guilty. If he were honest, he would admit to a bit of relief. There seemed to be something to this phenomenon after all.

His curiosity led him to speak to juror #8, which led to the story of the dreams, which led to an investigation where Dr. John Leyland was found guilty of murdering his colleague for the position of Head Of Cardiology.

Are you in touch with your Third Man. Or Woman.

..........................................................................

The phrase "gods of guilt" refers to the twelve jurors in a trial, who are seen as having the power to judge and determine the fate of the accused.

Excerpts from:

The Daily Digest

Story by Zeleb.es

John Geiger, the author of 'The Third Man Factor', and the world’s leading expert on Third Man Syndrome to better understand the unnatural phenomena.