Levitation, what is it?

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Whether it's a floating object or a person hovering in mid-air, levitation is a mysterious business, just what is the secret?

Levitation can be a stage illusion - American illusionist David Blaine has fooled many people with his act. But it's all down to technique, the Balducci technique to be precise. By standing at an angle to his audience with his feet together and slowly rising up on the back foot. The back foot is hidden and the audience is fooled - David levitates!

However, levitation is more than just a magic trick. Levitations have been widely publicised for centuries, usually involving religious figures such as saints and monks.

As recently as the 20^th century an Italian nun, Gemma Galgani, was reported to levitate during moments of religious rapture. In Spain in the 16^th century Saint Teresa of Avila was said to levitate for up to half an hour at a time. Russian Saint Basil was apparently seen flying across the Moskva river by a crowd of people.

In 1986 at the Washington Convention Center, USA, 20 yogis took part in a public levitation display. A record height of 60cm off the ground with legs crossed was measured and the furthest distance travelled was 1.8m. This yogic flying is seen as the first step to full levitation. The process involves advanced transcendental meditation whilst sitting in the lotus position. This achieves a kind of hopping motion, which is said to bring overwhelming enlightenment and bliss.

In the nineteen-sixties Nina Kulagina demonstrated her powers of levitation in front of scientists in a controlled environment. She was able to move small objects such as tennis balls and wine glasses.

There is even debate as to whether ancient civilisations possessed powers to levitate objects. Structures like Stonehenge and the Pyramids were built with massive pieces of stone. So heavy that even modern equipment would have difficulty moving them. Maybe our ancestors used levitation powers?

In Baalbeck, Lebanon, the Romans built the Temple of Jupiter around 27BC. Its foundation consists of three of the largest stone blocks ever used in a man-made construction. Even nowadays there is no crane that could lift any of these blocks, estimated to weigh about a thousand tons each. Again the only explanation may be the phenomenon of levitation?

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