Multiple People, Each Using One Finger, Lifting A Person

[Ali_Strachan]

From time to time I have heard claims that a seated person can be "levitated" simply by using the index finger of four others standing alongside. Having never seen this attempted, I decided to try and set up an experiment. Thelma Moss in The Probability of the Impossible (J.P. Tarcher Inc., NY, 1974) described a method (of unstated source) by means of which four standing people acting in unison lift a seated fifth from two to four feet in the air after systematically placing their hands in a stack on the seated person’s head. Moss wrote that she had included the demonstration in several parapsychology classes she had taught, and had met with failure only once. I decided to do some research using her method.

A few points from the Moss text:

1. The seated person should be the heaviest of the group, and is required not to co-operate, resist, or become active in any way.
2. Pratice is said to be important in establishing rhythmical movement by chanting five or six times before making the lift; Moss suggests use of the phrase "chocolate cake" and "hot fudge sundae".
3. The extended forefinger of both hands are to be used, palm down, under armpits and knees.
4. The lifters are said to experience no effort
5. The lifted person is said to experience a feeling of lightness and exhilaration.
6. In some cases, after some success, it is not necessary to place hands on the seated person’s head.
7. No explanation is offered as to how the "levitation" occurs.

It seemed sensible to get an idea of the weight which can be lifted in the manner described in more mundane circumstances. Moss does not define the lifting position on the fingers. I chose to use all of the finger from the tip to, but not including, the knuckle. By suspending weights from an inch- (25mm) wide leather belt, I soon confirmed that, as expected, the load was carried by the longest joints. Greater lifting ability is obviously possible by taking the load actually on the knuckles, but this effectively amounts to using the hands rather than the extended forefingers. I found I could manage about 181b (8kg), which led to the conclusion that four people lifting together might be expected to cope with up to about 771b (35kg). I tried to replicate Moss’s results with the interested help of two different groups of people (three female, two male each time) on two separate occasions at my home in December 1997. The seated person weighed about 2101b (95kg). On each occasion there were a few arguments and many laughs and, after practice at achieving a rhythm, seven lifting attempts were made. We did not achieve lift-off. Perhaps there are other readers who would like to have a go and report their experiences.

John Rudkin, Cambridgeshire

 

[Ali_Strachan]

I know the technique you speak of, and it actually worked for me and on two
seperate occasions.

It was 12 years ago now, so some of the details are a bit hazy. I was on a week-long English course at Ted Hughes' Arvon Foundation with several other students from sixth forms across the area. The second time when I was a teacher of English in Poland when I did it with some of my students.

The first time I attempted this I was both a lifter and a liftee.

The method we employed differed somewhat from the one you describe.

1) There was no chanting.
2) We layered our hands on top of the subject's head and pressed down hard whilst willing them to be weightless, counted to three and shouted "G0!"

3) When lifting, we clasped our hands in a double fist, palms together, forefingers extended. These the four lifters placed under the knees and
armpits of the person to be lifted.

There was about five or six of us in the room, all taking turns. We did it
several times and each time it worked. The lifts I remember best though were
myself, who weighed about 65 kilos at the time, a girl named Heather, who
must have weighed about 90+ kilos (she were a big boned lass, as we say in
Yorkshire) and another boy called Stuart, who was somewhat taller than me and probably weighed 75 kilos.

The taller lad: We lifted him about three feet up, but were so surprised it worked we dropped him! We also pressed too hard on his head and painfully
compressed his neck (oops!)

We got the girl her about three feet in the air. Believe me - she was not slim.

Lastly was myself, who, amazed, was determined to give it a bash. Now we'd
had a couple of goes though, the lifters were very skilled and propelled me
above their heads and squarely into the ceiling!

When lifting there was no feeling of weight at all for a couple of seconds, but it came back in a sort of slow surge. This was slow enough to allow the person to be to be lowered back gently.

When being lifted it was extremely strange. The only way I can decribe it is by likening it to the sensation you get in your arms when you stand in a door frame, push out against the door jambs as hard as possible for a minute then
watch them rise involuntarily when stepping away. This feeling I felt throughout my whole body, as if I were momentraily weightless.

The second time I experienced this was six years ago in a town called Gryfino. My Polish students had also heard of this phenomenon, but their method differed slightly in that there was no direct physical contact between the lifters and the liftee in the hand-stacking stage, thus scotching my slightly ropey theory that maybe the pressure made the body of the subject go rigid in some manner enabling easier lifting.

Guy Haley, Bath

 

[Anonymous]

I had this happen to me back in '77 at a slumber party. We would lie down, and have 6 people surround us, with the index fingers of each under us. 1 at the head, 1 at each shoulder, 1 at each hip, and 1 at the feet. The person at the head would tell a story where the person lying down would die at the end. Then the person at the head would say,"*name* is dead now,*name* is light as a feather, when I count to 3 *name* will be lighter than a feather,1,2,3" Everyone would lift. Rarely would it work, at the most, an inch or 2 off the ground. But when they picked me up, I went up at least 3 FEET! They dropped me when I screamed. Scared the beejeezies out of us!

 

[Anonymous]

Levitation ( hands on experience )

I remember this from school, probably around 1984 ( ish ) and my hazy memories seem to tell me that this was quite a successfull experiment. I know how memories become strangely unreliable as the years go by, but my recall of this phenomenom was one of fear, as we had to pull the guy that we levitated down from the ceilling. I know how it sounds, but that's how the memory of this event seems to me now.

Moggadon

 

[whippsa]

Well, that's just from distributing the weight, you know that.

I do recommend a book on levitation by Steve Richards, if you can find it. It is somewhat of an historic survey. His writing is very good. He also wrote a book on invisibility that is one of my favorite books on such matters.

The books are thoughful and informative. They also survey methods put forth to achieve the states. These are not skeptical or sceptical in nature but there are some amusing stories. I could not tell if the author himself believes that one can achieve said states. The author does seem to have personal experience and extensive interest in the mystical arts which informs the books.

The honest and informative tone of the writing is certain to disapoint both the skeptic and the believer. I liked both books.

 

[Anonymous]

We tried this at a family gathering as a little light relief (sorry) from pretending to like each other. This was about 5 years ago, and my recollections are something like:-

Place - normal living room type scenario.
Equipment - chair, wooden old
People - 3ish generations of a vaguely related group.
Result - some people got picked up.
Method - Can't remember whos stupid idea this was, but most of us were aware of coming across references to this particular stunt. We cobbled together a method from what we could rememember. We placed a willing (heh) subject on the chair and arranged two people behind and a people on each side. We decided that a reasonable hand arrangement was palms together, fingers intertwined, index fingers outstretched (the bang, bang you're dead position). We started with our hands layered above but not touching the victim's head. We then uttered the magic words (1,2,3, go...), stuck our fingers in armpits or under knees as applicable and lifted. Every attempt at a lift was successful regardless of age, fatness and role of participants. Opinions ranged from the angels were helping us to it's just a simple example of leverage. Only the small but dedicated angels contingent made any effort at taking the experiment seriously.
On a personal note I go with the leverage school as the screaming pit fiend that I was wishing for completely failed to manifest even though I can usually summon them at will...

 

[Anonymous]

I too did this back in 1984, it was a hippie thing to do. It worked just like the ouija board works. There's no explanation given when you do either. Levitation is a nice concept. One time while relaxed I remembered feeling like lifting to the ceiling. It seems when I hit lows I seek out this feeling. I know i haven't fallen in a dream since I was very young.

 

[Anonymous]

This is an old trick..

here is a new variation

1) get some one to hold their arm out to their sides.
2)tell them that you are going to push their arm down to their side and tell them to resist as hard as they can
3)push their arm down (it will be quite hard)

they will put up a good fight...

now do exactly the same BUT before you push down on their arm
tell them you are going to disturb their aura of strength (this is just to worry them

now run your hand infront of their face straight down to their stomach and then try to push there arm down again...

they will have no strength at all...their arm will fall to there side easily....

this happened to me and it was very spooky..all strength left my arm...

 

[Breakfastologist]

Sounds like Chi?

I have done the lifting experiment (when we did it we placed our hands over the head of the user rather than touching it) and at the time it was very odd.

Since then I have done some Tai Chi and it does seem to me that it is likely to be the same kind of force that you can apply through Chi exercises (Hold your arm out straight to one side and compare how hard it is for someone to bend it when you are applying all your strength to stopping them with how hard it is when your arm is relaxed and you are visualising water flowing through it and out of your fingertips.)

Considering it in the light of my very limited understanding of those principles it makes a kind of sense that this works- I expect if you talked to a Tai-Chi master they would be able to give a detailed explanation.

 

[phadrox]

There's another trick you can do with someone's arms if bored. Get them to lie down on the floor face down, with their arms stretched out in front of them. Insert some gobbledegook about reshaping mystical energy fields and auras. Get them to shut their eyes.

Now the hard part; you have to lift their arms upwards, whilst standing at their head, and hold them slightly above your waist for one minute. After the minute is up, slowly lower their arms and watch their faces. They will probably feel a little scared as it actually feels like you've passed through the floor and are nearly bent double downwards , into the ground.

Recommendations:
Don't try to hold the person up for too long as you'll just get tired arms and it won't improve it.
Lower the person slowly; the effect is better, to the point that I nearly screamed the first time I tried it.

Enjoy.

 

[Anonymous]

ha!

OK boys and girls nwo it's time to explain
physics to the class..All of you people
are obviously dillusional or lying.
As for Mr. M-1984(ISH?)?! How old are you
or what type of drugs were you on at the time
that you can't clearly remember the event of a supposed
levitation-I saw a UFO in 1986 and I was about 7 years old-
Yet I remember it as if it were yesterday. This whole levitation thing is hogwash. I'm sorry but it's all tricks, and tricks are for kids. I've actually read extensively about the subject
especially about it's supposed practice by Indian(ie..the country of India) yoga masters. The photographs I've seen(black and white) while entriuging simply prove nothing. Look I'd love to
levitate to and I believe that the world is stranger than we
imagine. as Charles Fort, did. However, if you think you can levitate you are either a)deceiving yourself or b) need to go see
Mr. Randi-if you can get a group to levitate in front of him-guess
what-THERE IS CURRENTLY A $1,000,000 PRIZE OFFERED BY DEBINKED JAMES RANDI- GO COLLECT IF YOU TRULY CAN LEVITATE..otherwise stop making outlandish claims,.
I think the above speaks for itself and if not just remeber that no known prinicpal of physics allows people to levitate-if it has happened it in the past-it is only through very holy men/women through a Supernatural/ Religious experience..ie..saints..and I doubt any of you are included amoungst that group. Cheers.,

 

[Anonymous]

Strangely enough, in 'The Craft', which was shown on C4 in the UK on Sunday, they do this levitaion thing, and it reminded me that when I was at school in the 1960's we were aware of this alleged technique, though I don't think we tried it out. (If we did, I'm sure we weren't succesful!!)

What fascinates me is the way this technique has obviously passed along 'underground' as it were, for at least 35 years. In a very real sense, whether it 'works' as a magickal act or not, this is truly occult (hidden) knowledge.

I'd like to know what the earliest date for this stuff is, and if it can be determined where it originates from.

Most of the posts seem to suggest that this is a schoolkids thing - are there any other similar 'magical rituals' that people are aware of being carried from generation to generation in this way?

 

[Anonymous]

Light as a feather, Bloody Mary, seances...These sort of things have been going on at slumber parties for generations. I believe there is a certain amount of self-hypnosis involved with the success of these "games". but I will tell you all, Light as a Feather DID work on me. It was a scary feeling. Freaked our hostess out, she being a devout Catholic. Forbade us from trying any more "nonsense"!!!

 

[whippsa]

Pharadox, question for you.

Sounds like a fun thing to try. I don't quite get where I'd be standing and what part of the arms I'm holding above my waist.

Are their hands/arms extended and I'm lifting their hands while facing their head?
Do they look up at me while this is going on (for a minute)?

 

[Anonymous]

This is an old trick..

here is a new variation

1) get some one to hold their arm out to their sides.
2)tell them that you are going to push their arm down to their side and tell them to resist as hard as they can
3)push their arm down (it will be quite hard)

they will put up a good fight...

now do exactly the same BUT before you push down on their arm
tell them you are going to disturb their aura of strength (this is just to worry them

now run your hand infront of their face straight down to their stomach and then try to push there arm down again...

they will have no strength at all...their arm will fall to there side easily....

this happened to me and it was very spooky..all strength left my arm...

Sorry to spoil it for you, but I guess it was done like this.

When first saying they will push your arm down, they stand behind you and push down on the outstretched arm. After 'tampering with your aura' (ooh Matron!), they stand in front of the arm, grip your upper arm muscle (can't remember what it's called at the moment, bicep isn't it?) and pull your arm down with great ease. The trick is to not make it obvious that the 'pusher' is now standing in a different position than before i.e. in front of the 'pushee',

I've done it myself to people; they're always amazed at it, but it's just a trick. If someone's gripping your muscle, you can't resist, it's as simple as that.

 

[JamesWhitehead]

This trick or phenomenon was often seen on UK telly in the 1960s.
I think it was a party piece of David Nixon, a rather bland magician. I have always
assumed that, like the rigid-spine trick, where a person was balanced
on a chair-back, it was a real phenomenon, brought about by suggestion.
As magicians and hypnotists select the participants according to their
suggestability and manage the occasion, it may need to be approached
with an air of magic rather than sceptical experiment or fun, which could explain
the mixed results reported here.
It is a long time since I saw it done and its novelty might soon wear off
anyway. It could also be that insurance is a problem in these litigious times.
Strange things do happen when people get together but it is no use trying
to prove it as a circle of such experimenters will be assumed to be predisposed
to the miraculous. The physics of lifting say four stones with a finger does not
seem impossible but the hocus pocus seems to bond the lifters into a group
rather than individuals. I'll stick my neck out and say this magic works.

 

[greenrd]

When I was in my last or second-last year of primary school - which would put me at 9-11 and the year as between 1988 and 1990 - there was a bit of a stir created by (if I remember correctly) a TV magician. He claimed that by following a very simple ritual involving putting hands on hands beforehand, four people could lift a heavy man clean out of his chair using only one finger each. Two people would each put a finger under a knee and the other two would put a finger under an armpit (if I remember correctly). Our class teacher (who happened to be a Christian who believed in modern-day miracles) had seen this, and believed that we could do it too. I'm not sure what the educational purpose of this experiment was supposed to be - perhaps to show what you can achieve if you work together - but anyway. Somehow, she managed to convince another teacher to come in to be the "heavy man" - and believe me, this teacher was no scrawny weakling.

And with faith somewhat bordering on lunacy (we could have injured our fingers quite badly, I would have thought), she showed us the ritual, picked four of us from the sea of eager outstretched arms, and lo and behold - we did it - four children lifting an adult clean out of his chair! Not only was it possible, it was easy - we lifted him straight up and he was light as a feather.

Now, though normally averse to teaching maths and science, our teacher did at least know the importance of controls in a scientific experiment. She promptly asked us to try again, but WITHOUT the laying-on-of-hands ritual beforehand. Of course - we now couldn't budge him an inch.

Does anyone else remember this trick from TV (or not from TV, even)? If so, who was the magician? And how can it be explained?

 

[greenrd]

When I was in my last or second-last year of primary school - which would put me at 9-11 and the year as between 1988 and 1990 - there was a bit of a stir created by (if I remember correctly) a TV magician. He claimed that by following a very simple ritual involving putting hands on hands beforehand, four people could
lift a heavy man clean out of his chair using only one finger each. Two people would each put a finger under a knee and the other two would put a finger under an armpit (if I remember correctly). Our class teacher (who happened to be a Christian who believed in modern-day miracles) had seen this, and believed that we could do it too. I'm not sure what the educational purpose of this experiment was supposed to be - perhaps to show what you can achieve if you work together - but anyway. Somehow, she managed to convince another teacher to come in to be the
"heavy man" - and believe me, this teacher was no scrawny weakling.

And with faith somewhat bordering on lunacy (we could have injured our fingers quite badly, I would have thought), she showed us the ritual, picked four of us from the sea of eager outstretched arms, and lo and behold - we did it - four children lifting an adult clean out of his chair! Not only was it possible, it was
easy - we lifted him straight up and he was light as a feather.

Now, though normally averse to teaching maths and science, our teacher did at least know the importance of controls in a scientific experiment. She promptly asked us to try again, but WITHOUT the laying-on-of-hands ritual beforehand. Of course - we now couldn't budge him an inch.

Does anyone else remember this trick from TV (or not from TV, even)? If so, who
was the magician? And how can it be explained?

 

[DerekH16]

Try the 'Levitation' thread in Notes and Queries.

 

[Breakfastologist]

The best explanation is chi application.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree. The most likely explanation is the application of Chi by the individuals, usually unknowingly. I remember doing this as a teenager. It was quite amazing.

 

[greenrd]

<< Try the 'Levitation' thread in Notes and Queries.
>>

Er, which one would that be? I can only find one levitation thread in N&Q, and that has no replies. Sorry for my dumbness.

 

[Anonymous]

4 fingers

Tryed this one and i shot into the air like thnderbird 1-its a good one

 

[DerekH16]

<< Try the 'Levitation' thread in Notes and Queries.
>>

Er, which one would that be? I can only find one levitation thread in N&Q, and that has no replies. Sorry for my dumbness.

We appear to have uncovered a bug in the system.

A search on 'levitation' gives 'LEVITATION - HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE' in N&Q, but when I go to N&Q by the 'front' door, the thread ain't there! (So it's not you!)

Anyway, it appears to be the kind of thing you're after - but if no-one can access it, it may not be particularly usefull

(Although, now that I've posted to it, the thread appears to have reappeared )

If you can't get in via N&Q, use search.

 

[DerekH16]

Please ignore this post

Just checking.

 

[JamesWhitehead]

If having difficulty seeing all threads, adjust the option in
Edit Options of Control Panel.

View All Threads is probably safest bet.

It's a pity to go around with the same questions every
other month. Posting to an old thread
should bring it back up to the top and if there is new information
you'll be blessed for it.

 

[DerekH16]

Originally posted by James Whitehead
If having difficulty seeing all threads, adjust the option in
Edit Options of Control Panel.

View All Threads is probably safest bet.

...and is what I've got set, and the blasted thread wasn't there (as above)

It's a pity to go around with the same questions every
other month. Posting to an old thread
should bring it back up to the top and if there is new information
you'll be blessed for it.

Precisely.

Ah, but what's this? The last post on the thread before it vanished was by one J Whitehead, esq. - the same man who comes up with a possible solution. Hmmm.

Or maybe the thread's haunted.

Or ..... 'It's life, Jim, but not as we know it!'

 

[JamesWhitehead]

I see what you mean.

Confusingly there is also an option at the bottom of the screen
to demand that it shows threads from the beginning.

Well it isn't confusing because it ignores it equally.

To think of all the acres of my piffle now hidden in the archives
when it was intended for the benefit of generations to come!

In mourning. :hmph:

 

[DerekH16]

Worry not, James.

I'm sure there are positively hordes of Forteans out there, busily searching the entire message board for the wise words of the Mancunian guru.

 

[liveinabin]

Anyone remember this 80's party trick?

I wonder if any one else has done this or might be able to explain to me how it works.

When I was a young teenager back in the 80’s there was party trick that we used to do. I don’t know who taught it to me but I remember doing it quite clearly.

What you did was to get an adult to sit on a chair. Preferably a plastic garden chair or a wooden dinning chair. Then you, with three other friends stood around them, one person at each chair leg. Then you each put two fingers of each hand, held as if you were pretending they were a pistol, under the chair and tried to lift it. Of course as you were four thirteen year old girls the best you could manage was about an inch off the ground.
Then the instructions were explained which had to be carried about in complete silence.
What you would do was this: In turn each person would hold a hand over the head of the person on the chair. The hands must not touch the persons head or anyone else's hands. You did this until all eight hands where stacked up above the persons head. Then you took your hands away one at a time starting from the top, still silently. Then you put your fingers under the chair and lifted as before but this time you could lift the chair and its occupant to shoulder height!! I did this a number of times and each time it worked!!
There was also another version were the person was lying on the ground.

Has anyone else heard of this or even remember doing it?