Accounts of experiencing a supportive presence in extreme situations—sometimes called the "third-man phenomenon"—are common in mountaineering literature. In 1933, Frank Smythe made it to within a 1,000 feet of the summit of Mount Everest before turning around. On the way down, he stopped to eat a mint cake, cutting it in half to share with . . . someone who wasn't there but who had seemed to be his partner all day. On Nanga Parbat, on a 1970 climb during which his brother died, Reinhold Messner recalled being accompanied by a companion who offered wordless comfort and encouragement.
    In "The Third Man Factor," John Geiger, a fellow at the University of Toronto, presents many accounts of such experiences, and not only from climbers. Among those who have felt a ghostly companionship he cites Charles Lindbergh on his solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927 and the last man to walk out of the South Tower of the World Trade Center before it collapsed on 9/11. "Over the years," Mr. Geiger writes, "the experience has occurred again and again, not only to 9/11 survivors, mountaineers, and divers, but also to polar explorers, prisoners of war, solo sailors, shipwreck survivors, aviators, and astronauts. All have escaped traumatic events only to tell strikingly similar stories of having experienced the close presence of a companion and helper."―Wall Street Journal

On my way to work at 3:30am on Oct. 16, 2006. I fell Asleep on Highway 59. I remember to be the only car on the road. I do remember thinking about an experience I had around a month before that night when I was driving, I dosed off for a moment and when I opened my eyes, I seen a dark black puff of smoke hit my windshield and vanished. After thinking of that, I was almost half way to work. Then the next thing I remember was that I was moving in slow motion across an open field of green grass. And it was a sunny day. Bright and sunny day. (Remember I was on my way to work at 3:30 am in the morning. It was pitch dark and no grass.) And as I was driving through the field, all the tree was right in front of me. So I swerved to miss it. Then I was just there watching myself, bent over holding my stomach, asking for help softly. Then from there I was in a man's house, blood all over me, sitting on his chair, saying only, "Help, I hurt." Then from there, all I remember was being in the hospital. I was told after finally waking up after two days that no one knows how I was still alive. That I rolled my vehicle seven times going 60 mph. The car was totaled And then they told me that I walked a quarter of a mile up the highway to a man's house to get help. But no one knows how since I fractured my spine, broke three ribs, busted open my head and punctured my right lung. Everyone said there was no way I could have walked that far in my condition or even survived the whole accident.

I came onto the bridge, lost control of my car, thought I would die, saw my life pass in front of me. And at that same moment, something intervened to redirect my car and I glided safely to the other side. The next day, I took a walk near the bridge to study the icy effects and discover details. The bridge was closed. Someone else had gone over it after me, lost control and did not survive.

I felt something (what I know now was an angel) wrap around my arms and legs. I started being pulled back into my body when I was overwhelmed with the feeling of peace and calm. I knew that I was in an accident, that I was being protected, and that I would survive.

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