Levitation while meditating!?

[outofbodydude]

I recently heard a respectable Buddhist monk and teacher claim to have witnessed individuals spontaneously levitating during meditation.

I would firstly like to ask if anyone has heard any valid claims of this nature.

I would secondly like to invite everyone to watch the video I recently took of myself attempting to levitate while meditating. I think I'm on to something...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM94r-5QNUM

[ButterflyWoman]

This is an age-old phenomenon. I've never seen it, but there are a great many reports of it, often from westerners who were in no way steeped in the local culture which might make them more likely to see something that wasn't really happening. I don't know how you define "valid claims". Claims are claims. How would I know if they were valid? People report what they experienced, and there are plenty of reports of witnessing levitation.

Do I think it's possible? Sure. Reality is not as solid or as unbendable as people generally think it is. Levitation seems a pretty minor and useless way of bending the rules. ;)

[John Sorensen]

I recently heard a respectable Buddhist monk and teacher claim to have witnessed individuals spontaneously levitating during meditation.

I would firstly like to ask if anyone has heard any valid claims of this nature.

I would secondly like to invite everyone to watch the video I recently took of myself attempting to levitate while meditating. I think I'm on to something...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM94r-5QNUM


If you look at the last one hundred years, there are many many cases of "claims" of levitation. But not a shred of credible evidence.

However, on the debunkers side, there is a lot of evidence for nearly every so called method so far.

It's an interesting topic, in a mindless sort of way.

A better question is why do we want to believe in levitation, and what possible use what it have in your day to day life? Does it make you able to be more loving, or provide for your family, or increase your intelligence in any way?

Magicians are an entertaining bunch, but you know its entertainment, they are not trying to sell anybody religion or an any other mumbo-jumbo, in contrast with some "masters" who claim they have divine powers etc, and so gullible people follow them and conveniently leave their intelligence and critical reasoning at the door.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balducci_levitation

Most people who claim to be able to do it (aside from entertainers) are usually looking for attention or influence over people.

Now that people do, but why they do it, their motivations are more important.

If you want to see some REAL super-powers, watch the videos of "Wim Hoff" the "Iceman" on youtube.
He climbed Everest wearing only shorts and sandals, runs 5 hour mini-marathons in bare feet and a pair of shorts, has the world record for longest time suspended in cold water that should freeze him to death, and has the record for longest swim under frozen ice at -20 degrees.

No trickery, just raw courage and discipline.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKT1Wvz3xm0 "Cold is a noble force"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N_9HZRVl-g (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N_9HZRVl-g) More highlights


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r331mHLncyE
World's 10 Human with real Super-Powers (verified, documented and recorded by multiple sources)

[Frater.Akenu]

I recently heard a respectable Buddhist monk and teacher claim to have witnessed individuals spontaneously levitating during meditation.

I would firstly like to ask if anyone has heard any valid claims of this nature.

I would secondly like to invite everyone to watch the video I recently took of myself attempting to levitate while meditating. I think I'm on to something...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM94r-5QNUM


I see I wasn't here for a very long time ... would you be so nice and stop trolling here? Or at least learn how to make believable effects...

[heliac]

If you look at the last one hundred years, there are many many cases of "claims" of levitation. But not a shred of credible evidence.


Not all claims are created equal. It's not so much looking to have claims justified as valid or invalid but rather whether or not you are willing to accept one as reasonable to believe with lack of evidence.

I could claim to you that about an hour ago i took my dog out for a walk and he decided to poop in the middle of the street right when the light turned green. Very awkward for me and the cars on the road.
I could also claim that about a hour ago i was physically floating around my bedroom...

Floating around my bedroom is a lot more exciting to believe but which of the two do you think actually happened?

[Sinera]

My jury is still out on it. Most levitations you see on YT or tele are certainly fake though (people sitting on hidden poles or hanging on wires, many others are CGI tricks).

I do not know about these ones which I find the most interesting:

Buddhist Monk:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnLj8DMqaC8

Shaman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW6pVFOpE6Q

The "Flying Russian Girl" incident:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGDCAe6czp8

To all, what is your opinion on these three?

[John Sorensen]

My jury is still out on it. Most levitations you see on YT or tele are certainly fake though (people sitting on hidden poles or hanging on wires, many others are CGI tricks).

I do not know about these ones which I find the most interesting:

Buddhist Monk:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnLj8DMqaC8

Shaman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW6pVFOpE6Q

The "Flying Russian Girl" incident:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGDCAe6czp8

To all, what is your opinion on these three?


Here's a fun video of a guy "moving" objects with his mind. It's a bit of fun, but he has MANY tells, see if you can spot them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNctiOZPdO8


I just watched the 2 min one with the levitating monk.

1. The "witness" is a magician/illusionist. That's the biggest piece of evidence against the trick.
2. The background is full of shadows, and convneiently there is a backdrop immediately behind the monk, which has been used in various magician illusions, so you have a hard time distinguishing the background from the foreground.
3. He says you must not be near him or it will affect his power/energy. More than likely he doesn't want you to see the platform he's sitting on as it raises (one theory).


The Russian girl:
It was immediately obvious from my knowledge of the pelvis and spine (not to mention rock-climbing) that she is suspended from a fine wire and wearing a harness.

Watch it again and imagine she is wearing a harness and see how her body does not float, but hangs, her limbs are stabilised around her torso, they "hang" from her.


Shaman:
It's almost pitch black, leaving no contrast from foreground to background (same as monk), plus it's night time, seriously! James Rand-i wouldn't even turn up to debunk that one.


How to levitate, 100% everytime, amaze your friends and family!
http://www.wikihow.com/Levitate

I like that Dynamo fella, how's he does his levitation in front of the giant Jesus statue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGxLmEOJujg

Here's the original clip of Dynamo levitating, watch this first if you've never seen it, before the debunk above, it's not as fun if you already know how before you watch it.

Dynamo's famous London bus levitation. I love this clip, way more entertaining than some, rather spectacular and fun to watch, even if it does use one of the oldest methods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w2qOJ7pyKM


If you want to see a dude genuinely levitating, with no BS trickery whatsoever, who explains it as he goes watch this, but I warn you he's no illusionist nor yogi nor mentalist, heck, he's not even entertaining to watch, just an ordinary guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9m-hHg0gFk

I like this thread, let's see some more videos please.

[tpratt]

I'm not sure how realistic your video is, nor do I know if it's possible. Even if it were possible to levitate while meditating, what's the purpose?

I didn't even know what to think about the "Flying Russian Girl" O.o

[AstralJosh]

This is fake, reason behind it.

You can no go against gravity