I was led to the stairs. I don't think something grabbed my hand, but I was definitely led. There was still danger, so it led me to the stairwell, led me to break through, led me to run through the fire... There was obviously somebody encouraging me. That’s not where you go, you don’t go toward the fire. ⁠

On 9-11, when a plane struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center, Ron DiFrancesco found himself trapped inside. Confused and fearing for his life, he first headed toward the roof. But panic and second thoughts prevailed, so he decided to turn around and go down — only to find his path blocked by a wall of fire and smoke.

Fearing he'd made the wrong decision, he sensed an unseen presence beside him, and then heard a voice forcefully directing him to "Get up!" and push through the flames. The presence stayed near, guiding and directing him until he was in the clear and able to exit the doomed tower. He was the last person to escape before the South Tower collapsed. ⁠

DiFrancesco is not alone in this seemingly inexplcable experience. Countless others, in similar situations of extreme duress, have reported an unseen presence taking the reins to guide them to safety, comforting, calming, and encouraging all along the way.

Think Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Firey Furnace. 

What DiFrancesco described in his harrowing escape is known as Third Man Syndrome —also known as the Third Man Factor — a fascinating psychological phenomenon where people in extreme, often life-threatening situations report sensing an unseen presence that offers comfort, guidance, or even lifesaving direction.

The term "Third Man Syndrome" comes from a haunting line in T.S. Eliot’s 1922 poem The Waste Land, which was inspired by explorer Ernest Shackleton’s account of his Antarctic expedition. Shackleton described feeling a mysterious presence guiding him and his crew during a grueling trek across South Georgia Island, saying it seemed “we were four, not three.” This invisible companion—neither seen nor heard—felt real enough to offer comfort and direction.

From Elliott's poem:

Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you
Gliding wrapt in a brown mantle, hooded
I do not know whether a man or a woman —
But who is that on the other side of you?

Jasen Bracy always wanted to play football, but retinal cancer he developed as a toddler took his eyesight by the time he was age 7. How could he play a fast-paced contact sport like football if he couldn't see?

This was the question before him. Yet young Jasen would not be dissauded. As he got older, he began calling around to different youth leagues to see if there were any teams that would take a chance on a kid who was sold out to following and relying on the guidance and direction of others to make his dreams come true. He found just such a team in the Modesto Raiders.

"The way he was on the phone, I just said, 'Come on we'll figure it out,'" coach David Nichols told CBS News.

Jasen started out as a running back, but soon advanced to ... wait for it ... quarterback!

"It's all memory," Jasen said. "It's all about having trust in the player, the receiver and the team. I have to trust them 100%.

Upworthy reports:

Bracy's teammates guide him into position on the field and his dad coaches him from the sidelines using a walkie-talkie that transmits to his helmet. "After the play starts, I may tell him, 'Hey, run to your right, let's get upfield,' or 'Watch out, somebody's coming to hit you,'" Bracy Sr. said.

All that trust, all that deep leaning into guidance and direction seems to have paid off. Not long after, Bracy led the Raiders to a 33-6 win.

There are moments in life where you can be close to where God calls you and still miss out on what he has for you. 

Years ago, someone on our team got an invitation to a birthday party. When the day arrived, he typed in the address to GPS and arrived at the location. When he got to the house, he walked in and greeted a couple of people. Then he served himself some appetizers and got himself a drink. When he stepped to the backyard where the party was happening, he didn’t see the family that invited him. In fact, he didn’t recognize anyone.

Puzzled, he walked back out to the car to check the invitation, and though he was on the right street, he suddenly realized that he was at the wrong house.

Embarrassed, he walked three doors down and made it to party.

When asked about how he arrived at the wrong house, he said, “I saw the balloons on the mailbox and thought I was at the right place.”