Levitation.

 levitation. : the act or process of levitating; especially : the rising or lifting of a person or thing by means held to be supernatural.

Of all magicians’ acts, the levitation/illusion trick is perhaps the most spellbinding and has enthralled audiences throughout the world since it was first performed. Of course, we’re all aware that it is a trick whose secrets are jealously guarded by those performing them. We know there is no supernatural intermediary  involved in the feat. After all, no one can overcome Newton’s law of universal gravitation. It is a constant that holds us to our world. Without it we would drift off into space.

It is a widely held misconception, however, that gravity is the “strongest force”. The truth is  that when matched against the electromagnetic so-called “weak force” it is easily beaten. Here are the forces in order from strongest to weakest:

1. The strong nuclear force.

2. The electromagnetic force.

3. The weak nuclear force.

4. Gravity.

Yes, a simple magnet can pick up paperclips from a desktop, thus demonstrating the relative weakness of gravity. However, for complex and diverse reasons, it can’t account for involuntary  human levitation. To the best of this author’s knowledge no serious study has ever been conducted by the scientific community into the human levitation phenomenon. More on that later.

Levitation, according to some, is a  psychokinetic phenomenon in which animals, people, and objects are lifted into the air. Lets take a look at what I reason to be one of the best historical examples of human levitation.

Joseph of Copertino (b. Giuseppe Maria Desa).

As a child, Joseph had experiences of ecstatic visions that continued throughout the remainder of his life. In 1620 he was accepted as a lay brother of the Capuchin friars, but was shortly thereafter dismissed as his continued ecstasies made him unfit for his duties.

On returning home, much to the scorn of his family, he pleaded with the Conventual friars near Copertino to serve in their stables, which he did for several years. The friars were so impressed with his devotion and the simplicity of his life that he was admitted to their Order. In 1628 he became an ordained Catholic priest and was sent to the  Shrine of the Madonna della Grazia , spending the next 15 years there.

It was during his time there that the occasions of his ecstasy began to multiply. Whilst participating at a Mass and also joining the community for the Liturgy of the Hours he began to levitate, gaining a widespread reputation of holiness. He was eventually deemed disruptive by his religious superiors and Church authorities and was confined to a small cell.

The worst was yet to come, when he was ultimately denounced to the Inquisition, as a result of which he ended up under the supervision of the Capuchin friars, where he practiced a severe asceticism for the next 35 years.

As the phenomenon of flying or levitation was widely believed to be connected with witchcraft, Joseph was denounced to the   Inquisition. At their command, he was transferred from one Franciscan friary in the region to another for observation, first to Assisi (1639–53), then briefly to Pietrarubbia and finally Fossombrone where he lived with, and under the supervision of, the Capuchin friars. There – as we have learnt – he practiced a severe  asceticism , usually eating solid food only twice a week.  In 1657 he was eventually packed off to a Conventual community, and shortly thereafter he died.

Why do I think this case may be genuine?

1. Joseph had ecstatic visions throughout his entire life. Religious ecstasy is a type of altered state of consciousness characterized by greatly reduced external awareness and expanded interior mental and spiritual awareness, frequently accompanied by visions and emotional  euphoria. Is it possible these interminable altered states were a prelude and/or causal factor in his acts of  levitation? We may never know. Certainly, the dissociation caused by Joseph’s practice of fasting may be a determining factor, insofar as they would lead  inexorably toward an altered state of consciousness (ASC).

2. There is no evidence whatsoever that would suggest Joseph had the intelligence or skills to perform tricks of this magnitude. On the contrary, he was noted as being a “dullard” by all who  knew him.

3. We have read how his life was turned upside down by his euphoric visions and gravity defying episodes, the latter of which totalled 70. Even his own family scorned him. Despite this, the phenomenon continued to dominate his life, unabated.

4. The most overpowering proof that his levitation was genuine was when he was brought before the Inquisition. As some readers may be aware, flying or levitating was widely believed to be connected to witchcraft for which the penalty was invariably an agonising death. Why would he deliberately put himself in such an unenviable and life threatening position for the sake of a few magic/illusionist tricks?

5. On the matter of the Inquisition, nothing could be proved against Joseph. It is conceivable that his inquisitors doubted whether it was safe to allow him – given his apparent supernatural powers – back into the community. After all they weren’t certain of their provenance, be it God or the Devil. At some point in his trial a decision seems to have been made to send this completely humble man, who was said to be embarrassed by his abilities, to the Capuchin convent where he spent the remainder of his life in strict seclusion.

I realise of course that some of my above speculations are somewhat contentious, as there is no solid evidence to support the idea that ASCs, per se, can bring about gravity defying phenomena. I do however think that they may have been the catalyst for his other alleged abilities that included mental telepathy (the supposed communication of thoughts or ideas by means other than the known senses) and Precognition (foreknowledge of an event, especially as a form of extrasensory perception) . Of course, ASCs can’t account for levitation in animals and inert objects. There must be an external force/catalyst at work.

Other cases of human levitation include:

• Saint Francis of Assisi who is recorded as having been “suspended above the earth, often to a height of three, and often to a height of four cubits” (about 1.3 to 1.8 meters).

• Girolamo Savonarola, sentenced to death, allegedly rose off the floor of his cell into midair and remained there for some time.

• Seraphim of Sarov (1759–1833) Russian Orthodox saint had a gift to levitate over the ground for some time. This was witnessed by many educated people of his time, including the emperor Alexander I. A young paralyzed man brought into his cell saw Seraphim raised from the ground during a fervent prayer. Likewise, four Diveyevo sisters saw him walking above the grass lifted up from the air.

• Clara Germana Cele, a young South African girl, in 1906 reportedly levitated in a rigid position. The effect was apparently only reversed by the application of Holy water, leading to the belief that it was caused by demonic possession.

• Mariam Baouardy “little Arab” (1846-1878), a Carmelite nun, who died in Bethlehem in 1878, and frequently experienced ecstasies, was seen levitating more than once by others: for example, in the garden of the monastery during times of private prayer, when living in the Carmelite monastery at Pau, in France.

From the foregoing one might conclude that such occurrences are prevalent in those of a religious disposition. Not so. There are many levitation cases involving people from within secular communities.  In the following section we will deal with levitation from an advanced technology perspective.

UAPs and Gravity Anomalies.

What is a UAP? The acronym stands for ‘Unidentified Aerial Phenomena’ and is used in conjunction with the much older term UFO (Unidentified Flying Object). The latter acronym was first employed  in 1953 by the United States Air Force (USAF) to serve as a catch-all for all flying saucer/flying disc reports. The term UFO became more widespread during the 1950s up to the present day and was first used in technical literature, then later in popular use. In popular usage the term came to be used to refer to claims of alien spacecraft and because of the public and media ridicule associated with the topic, some investigators prefer to use such terms as unidentified aerial phenomenon (or UAP).

History lesson over; lets get down to examining the gravity anomalies associated with UAPs in all their guises, the first being from an extra-terrestrial intelligence stance.

It is commonly accepted in the ufological community that UFOs employ some kind of anti-gravity propulsion system  to travel from point A to point B. For several decades scientists such as Stanton T Friedman, et al, have been pondering on this very subject. Given the aerodynamic capabilities employed by these craft it would seem logical that such an advanced system would be necessary.  It would be most assuredly beneficial to any UAP occupants. Without anti-gravity they wouldn’t survive the inertial effects caused by the craft’s manoeuvres; particularly the sudden right angle turns and instant accelerations/decelerations. We have all felt at one time or another the effects of inertia; when driving in a vehicle for example. If the brakes are suddenly applied the bodies at rest (passengers) within it continue a forward motion. This is inertia.

Anti-gravitational effects are frequently witnessed or experienced by those who come into contact with UAPs. Many abductees claim to have been levitated aboard UFOs via beams of light (Linda Cortile). Not only that, but the occupants of the craft themselves are often seen to levitate or float above the ground, as in the Hopkinsville encounter.

Wherever, these entities come from it would appear they have a highly advanced technology way in advance of our current understanding. In comparison, humanity is just beginning its first tentative baby steps into the phenomenon, but the controversial work being done by the likes of Canadian, John Hutchinson offers a glimmer of hope into the causal effects of the phenomenon.

Diamagnetic  Levitation.

Can humans be levitated?  Theoretically, yes they can.

From empirical experimentation and observations into levitation we know that simple metals, liquids, various plants, and living creatures are diamagnetic . Like frogs, humans bodies are approximately two thirds water. Water is diamagnetic and as such is affected by magnetic fields. It is therefore feasible that a  human could be levitated. The ability to levitate does not depend on the amount of material involved, but rather the amount of energy put into it to achieve levitation. It is important to note that diamagnetic levitation is different to other forms of levitation in that it affects the gravitational force on an atomic and molecular level.

See also: http://www.physics.ucla.edu/marty/diamag/magnet.pdf

 Is Gravity a Constant.?

The simple answer is no. There are regions on Earth that have a lower gravity. One such gravitational anomaly is in the Hudson Bay region, Canada. The anomaly was first discovered in 1960, when the Earth’s global gravity fields were being charted.

It is important to note at this juncture that gravity is proportional to the mass. The heavier the mass the greater the gravity. Although we think of the Earth as being spherical the truth is it actually bulges out at the Equator and flattens at the poles, due to the centrifugal force of its rotation, thus its gravity is not spread out equally. Knowing this, scientists put forward two theories to explain how the mass of the Hudson Bay region had decreased, contributing to the area’s lower gravity.

The Convection Theory.

This theory centers on a process which occurs in the Earth’s mantle. The mantle is a layer of molten rock called magma. It lies between 60 and 124 miles (100 to 200 km) below the surface of the Earth . The magma is extremely hot and constantly whirls and shifts, rises and falls, creating convection currents. Convection drags the Earth’s continental plates down, which decreases the mass in that area and thereby decreases the gravity.

The Laurentide Ice Sheet Theory.

The latest theory to account for the Hudson Bay area’s missing gravity concerns the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which covered much of present-day Canada and the northern United States. This ice sheet was almost 2 miles (3.2 km) thick in most sections, and in two areas of Hudson Bay, it was 2.3 miles (3.7 km) thick. It was also very heavy and weighed down the Earth. Over a period of 10,000 years, the Laurentide Ice Sheet melted, finally disappearing 10,000 years ago, leaving behind a deep indentation in the Earth.

The above is analogous to lightly pressing ones finger onto the surface of a springy loaf of bread. Some of it will be displaced to the sides. At the point of pressure there’s an indentation. When the finger is removed, the loaf quickly returns to its normal shape. A similar occurrence happened with the Laurentide Ice Sheet. However, the Earth isn’t returning quickly back, but is rebounding very slowly (less than half an inch per year). Meanwhile, the area around Hudson Bay has less mass because some of the Earth has been displaced to the sides by the ice sheet. Less mass equals less gravity.

As was noted earlier, anything which has mass has a gravity field and we humans are no exceptions to the rule. Of course, our gravitational fields go unnoticed by us because they are so infinitesimally small.

There appears to be no natural force in nature to account for gravity defying human levitation or even that of inert objects. Nonetheless, if we consider the work of John Hutchinson et al it would appear that anti-gravity is feasible from a technological standpoint. This of course would imply there is some intelligent intermediary at work; an advanced intelligence with the capability to alter or manipulate matter at sub-atomic levels.

Let’s take another look at the frog experiment. You will note in the video link  below that the frog is being levitated inside a 10 tesla magnetic coil using diamagnetism. To what purpose? What function does the coil serve?

https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHMO_enGB688GB688&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=levitating%20frog

As most of us are aware all matter in the universe is made up of small particles. These particles we call atoms and they are made up of three particles: electrons, neutrons, and protons. Protons and neutrons are heavier than electrons and are to be found in the center of the atom; the nucleus.

If one places an atom, or a larger piece of matter containing billions of atoms, inside a magnetic field (the coil) the disturbed electrons create their own magnetic field in opposition to the applied magnetic field.   It is this principle which causes the frog to float as though it was in space. The opposition is akin to when we try pushing two magnets with like poles together. The two like poles are repelled and push away from each other. Is the  ‘beam’, mentioned earlier in UAP abduction cases, analogous to the coil holding the frog in suspension and stopping it from flying off laterally?

So far, we have learnt that gravity is not uniformly spread around the Earth. It is weaker in some places than others. However, these low gravity anomalies are so weak that they have no negligible effect on the physical surroundings. It is therefore highly unlikely that they are responsible for the reports of human, animal, or inanimate object levitation. This raises some disturbing questions as to their causality.

It is this author’s opinion that there could be a technologically advanced intelligence behind this phenomenon; one far superior to our own. If we, as a type 0 civilisation , have the capacity to nullify gravity to a minor extent then one can only imagine the technological breakthroughs made by much older civilisations.  The levitation of people, animals and objects in UAP cases are well documented and provide strong circumstantial  evidence in favour of  a superior intellect at work.

© David Calvert  2016

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