Levitation
A phenomenon of psychokinesis (PK) in which objects, people, animals, and so on rise into the air without known physical means and float or fly about.
Levitations are said to occur in mediumship, mystical trance, magic, bewitchment, hauntings, and possession. Christianity and Islam record numerous cases of levitation.
.In the first century, Simon Magus is said to have levitated himself in a challenge to St. Peter, as proof of his magical powers. According to legend Peter prayed to God that Simon's deception be stopped, and Simon fell to earth and was killed. Roman Catholic hagiography includes many cases of levitations among saints. Levitation also is recorded in Hinduism and Buddhism, and the Ninja warriors of Japan also reportedly have this ability.
During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it was common to blame any unusual phenomena upon witchcraft, fairies, ghosts, or demons. Levitation was, and still is, commonly reported in demonic possession cases.
Similarly, poltergeist cases and hauntings are sometimes characterized by levitating. At the height of spiritualism in the late nineteenth century certain mediums were famous for their alleged levitations. Daniel Dunglas Home reportedly did so many times over forty years. In 1868 he was seen levitating out of a third-story window; he floated back indoors through another window. Though Home was never exposed as a fraud, many other mediums were discovered to 'levitate' objects with hidden wires and contraptions.
According to skeptics most levitations may be explained by hallucination, hypnosis, or fraud.
See Invisibility & Levitation: A How To Guide To Personal Performance, Levitation, Levitation: Five Fictions (Library of Modern Jewish Literature), Levitation: What It Is, How It Works, How to Do It, Altered State of Consciousness, ESP, Psychic Archaeology, Seance, Materialization, Asport, Rappings, Automatic Writing, Findhorn, Theosophy, Poltergeist, Casting Black Magic Spells, Commanding Spirits, The Tarot Store, The Chakra Store, Divination & Scrying Tools and Supplies, and The Pyramid Collection.
Sources: (1) Dictionary of the Occult, Caxton Publishing; (2) Spence, Lewis, An Encyclopedia of Occultism, Carol Publishing Group; (3) Shepard, Leslie A and Melton, J. Gordon (Editors), Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, Gale Group; (4) Morwyn, The Complete Book Of Psychic Arts, Llewellyn Publications.
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