The Most Mysterious Age

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Almost all of the men in season one, introduced by Rod Serling's opening narration, were described as being thirty-six years old. It's right in the middle of life, and a lot of men experience mid-life crises around that age.

Also, the number 36 has special significance in Jewish folklore. The word "chai," which means life in Hebrew, has a numerical value of 18. Thirty-six is known as "double chai," because it's double 18. This could mean that these people are living something of a "double life" in an alternate dimension.