Who hasn’t, at some point, fantasized about soaring above the ground? It would certainly trump the misery of being crammed into economy class. Yet true flight is a biological nightmare for a creature without wings, especially us humans. Maybe we ought to curb those soaring ambitions and settle for something a bit more modest—levitation.
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10 Saint Joseph of Cupertino
Giuseppe Desa, who entered the world in a humble stable in 1603, never displayed the typical hallmarks of a saint. Destitute and barely literate, his early attempts to join the Franciscan order were rebuffed. Eventually the Capuchins gave him a chance, yet Desa continued to experience vivid visions and ecstatic episodes dating back to childhood. These mystical bouts caused him to drop plates he was carrying and fumble even the simplest chores. Declared unfit for manual labor, he was expelled, only to later find refuge in another monastery, adopting the name Joseph.
His visionary life persisted. He would “stand fixed as a statue, insensible as a stone, but nothing could move him.” Even attempts to pin or scorch him proved futile. The true marvels began in 1630 when, amid a procession, he “suddenly rose into the sky, hovering over the crowd.” He also floated during Masses and even while audiences with the Pope observed his ethereal ascent.
A century after his death, the Catholic Church canonized him, bestowing the title Saint Joseph of Cupertino—patron saint of aviation and astronauts.
9 Colin Evans
Not every claimant to levitation enjoys a sterling reputation. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a frenzy of psychics swarmed the public stage, boasting powers like spirit communication, ectoplasm conjuring, and even floating. Colin Evans was one such figure.
His hallmark act involved rising from his chair. The claim was dubious because his performances typically took place in a darkened room, obscuring any view of the mechanics. Existing photographs, taken with flash, indeed depict Evans seeming to ascend from his seat.
Eventually he was exposed as a fraud. Careful analysis of the photos reveals a concealed wire he clutched. He would leap from his chair, trigger the flash, and the brief burst of light gave the illusion of hovering. Audiences were not uniformly impressed; one group demanded refunds, deeming the spectacle a disappointment.
8 St Gerard Majella
Levitation appears more frequently among Catholic saints than many realize. When asked about walking on air, St. Padre Pio—renowned for his stigmata—replied, “I can assure you, my child, it’s just like walking on the floor.”
St. Gerard Majella, who lived just 29 years, amassed a litany of miracles: raising a boy from the dead, reading souls, and multiplying bread and wheat through blessings. Yet his most striking feats were his levitations.
Visitors often found him several feet above the ground. Despite his extraordinary ability, he remained courteous. On one occasion, while holding up a dinner due to his floating, he politely told a priest, “Please do not wait for me; I do not wish to inconvenience you.” The priest, eager to remember the height, marked the spot on the wall. Majella sometimes covered nearly a mile by levitating, or floated upward like a feather caught in a breeze.
7 Levitation as a Protest
For the 1960s hippies, the Pentagon symbolized the ultimate evil—a hub where wars were plotted and executed. Some activists even believed the building possessed a literal malevolence. In 1967, a group resolved that the most potent demonstration would be to encircle the structure, conduct an exorcism, and “raise the Pentagon 300 feet in the air.”
On protest day, participants invoked a pantheon of deities, both ancient and modern, to expel the building’s demons. Bands blared, urging crowds to chant, “Out, demons, out!” Abbie Hoffman, the mastermind behind the floating Pentagon idea, encouraged couples to perform acts of love around the edifice, hoping to neutralize hatred. Flowers handed out to attendees ended up lodged in soldiers’ gun barrels, creating iconic protest imagery.
When the moment arrived, nothing physically rose. The Pentagon remained grounded, but many considered the ritual a triumph. Poet Allen Ginsberg observed, “The Pentagon was symbolically levitated in people’s minds, losing its unquestioned authority.”
6 Yogi Pullavar
Hindu gurus have long claimed the power of levitation, known in Sanskrit as ‘dardura‑siddhi’ (frog‑power) or ‘laghiman’ (lightness). Figures like Sai Baba are said to float even while asleep, while many others achieve the feat only through deep meditation or prayer.
This isn’t merely a relic of antiquity. In 1936, Subbayah Pullavar reportedly levitated for four minutes before a massive crowd, with photographs of the event published in London. He entered a tent, and once the time came, his disciples removed the canvas to reveal Pullavar hovering horizontally, one hand lightly resting on a staff.
After four minutes, he descended, but not before his followers draped the tent over him again, allowing a seamless return to the ground. Skeptics argue this mirrors modern street performers who appear to float while secretly supporting themselves on concealed staffs or hidden structures.
5 David Blaine
When David Blaine burst onto television in 1996 with his special “Street Magic,” he dazzled strangers with seemingly impossible tricks. The most jaw‑dropping moment was when he appeared to lift himself a few inches off the pavement.
Observers who witnessed Blaine hovering were genuinely baffled. Yet a closer look offers clues: Blaine consistently turns away from the audience, positioning the camera at a sharp angle. This maneuver hides one of his feet from view, allowing him to use the concealed foot to elevate his body and create the illusion of levitation.
Whether it’s the classic Balducci illusion or genuine supernatural ability, Blaine’s brief ascents continue to spark debate among magic enthusiasts.
4 Daniel Dunglas Home
The Victorian era was obsessed with the dead, and spiritual mediums thrived. Daniel Dunglas Home, born in 1833, claimed uncanny powers from a young age. Traveling to America, he amassed admirers, many of whom swore they saw him levitate up to the ceiling during séances.
Not everyone was convinced. Writer William Makepeace Thackeray dismissed his act as “dire humbug,” while famed escapist Harry Houdini labeled him “the forerunner of mediums who fleece the public by preying on credulity.” Nevertheless, Home’s reputation persisted, and he was never publicly debunked.
One renowned incident recounts Home floating out of a third‑floor window during a trance, only to re‑enter the building by hovering into another window, leaving witnesses awestruck.
3 World Peace by Levitation
Many discover serenity through meditation. The Transcendental Meditation movement, founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, asserts that practitioners can achieve world peace while levitating. Their technique, dubbed Yogic Flying, supposedly lifts the body spontaneously, accompanied by heightened clarity, energy, exhilaration, and a sense of boundlessness.
Critics often describe Yogic Flying as “bouncing on your butt,” yet adherents maintain they truly levitate, contributing to universal harmony. Even the Maharishi recognized limits; after the 2005 Iraq invasion, he instructed followers in the United Kingdom to cease flying, citing the country’s “concentrated poison” as a deterrent to nurturing creativity.
Despite skepticism, the movement persists, claiming that collective levitation can usher in global tranquility.
2 Buddha
Legend tells that Buddha once floated across the Rohini River to prevent a looming war. The river, shared by the Sakiya and Koliya peoples, became a flashpoint during a severe drought. Both factions demanded exclusive rights to its water, leading to armed standoffs.
While meditating, Buddha sensed the impending bloodshed. He rose, gliding across the river cross‑legged, and asked each side how much water was worth. When they answered “very little,” he inquired about the value of human blood. Their response—“beyond price”—prompted both camps to reconsider, ultimately sharing the river and averting conflict.
On another occasion, when a ferryman demanded a fee to cross the Ganges, Buddha, lacking money, simply levitated over the water, demonstrating his mastery over physical constraints.
1 Simon Magus
Miracles proliferated in antiquity, yet discerning divine wonders from demonic tricks proved challenging. Simon Magus, also known as Simon the Sorcerer, amassed a sizable following through spectacular feats. After witnessing the early Christian apostles, Simon sought the Holy Ghost’s power, even offering money, only to be rebuffed.
Later apocryphal accounts, particularly the Acts of Peter, describe a dramatic showdown: Simon entered Rome and amazed crowds by soaring through the air. Saint Peter, fearing Simon’s influence, prayed, “Lord, let him fall and be disabled; let him not die but be reduced, breaking his leg in three places.” The prayer was answered—Simon plummeted, shattering his leg in three spots.
Although the prayer spared his life, physicians attempting to treat his injuries inadvertently killed him. Thus, Simon’s ascent ended in tragedy, cementing his legacy as a cautionary tale of hubris.