"Light as a feather" - real magic or mind trick

Ever played "Light as a feather" ? It's a party trick where a person is lifted from his chair with ease after a ritual has been performed. I've tried it sometimes and I'm always impressed on how much lighter the person feels after the ritual has been performed - so much so that tonight I ask ....

IS "LIGHT AS A FEATHER" REAL MAGIC OR A TRICK OF THE MIND!

1. Place a chair in an open space so that your movement is not restricted. Use a standard desk chair, without any arm rests. Sit the person chosen to be lifted in the chair. (Do not pick someone too large at first, but gradually try larger and larger people to see what you are capable of.) Tell them to relax, with both feet together on the floor, hands in lap.

2. Four lifters should bring their hands together with forefingers and index fingers pointing outwards, and the remaining fingers clasped around each other.

3. Make a test lift. Two lifters should stand behind the person being lifted, and one at either side of their legs. With hands in the position described in step two, place the protruding fingers under the corresponding the knees and armpits. Once everyone is comfortable, lifters should count to three and all lift up with their fingers at the same time. You may manage to lift the person slightly, or maybe not at all. If the person being lifted is boosted straight up in the air, then they are far too light and should be changed for a heavier subject.

4. Engage your minds. Once you have established how difficult it is to lift the subject, it is time to employ some simple "mind over matter" to increase your strength.

4.1 All lifters should place each of their hands in turn above the head of the person being lifted. Hands should alternate so that one's persons hands are separated by someone else's. Press down, but obviously don't hurt the person's head.

4.2 Clear your minds, and focus as hard as you can on the idea of lifting up the person in the chair. Visualise lifting the person as high as your arms can stretch. You must picture yourselves with huge arm muscles, and "feel" immense strength in your arms.

4.3 Whilst doing this, repeat over and over in your heads or out loud: "Light as a feather, strong as an ox". (In variations where the person is lying down, the more common phrase is "Light as a feather, stiff as a board.")

4.4 This mental preparation should last for about thirty seconds.

5. Remove your hands quickly in the order that they were put up there, and whilst remaining focused on the visual imagery, resume the lifting position. Lift at the same time. If you have done everything right, you should lift the person with remarkable ease to a remarkable height. Always remember to lower the subject carefully.

Source with pictures

reply to post by MerkabaMeditation


I did this at a slumber party when I was 10 or so, but it did not work. Just recently, I learned that about eight years ago my brother did it with some high school friends and it DID work. It would be, without question, completely against my brother's character to make this up.

I've often wondered about "light as a feather," OP, so thanks for the interesting post.

reply to post by MerkabaMeditation



It's because when you lift the person the second time, everyone is focused and lifts together.

Or, you know, Satan. Take your pick.

Snsoc
reply to post by MerkabaMeditation

 

It's because when you lift the person the second time, everyone is focused and lifts together.

Or, you know, Satan. Take your pick.

Dualism is just SO 1,000 BCE - I blame Zoroaster before I'd blame Satan ...

I was obsessed with the movie 'the craft" as a younger teen when it came out - we tried light as a feather stiff as a board SO many times at sleepovers - never worked ;P

Yay! what fun! My friend, Jennie showed me this many years ago - and it never failed! FYI, the participants place their hands over the person's head, like you mentioned, but the hands are not to touch - keep like an inch or so of distance between the hands. After Jennie showed us this neat little maneuver, my girlfriends and i would use it to lift furniture and all sorts of stuff. Gotta try this again!

xox

(LOL - love the Satan comment above, truly funny!)

I think this effect is similar to.. for example...

49 boxes with 10kg weight enclosed, but one box is empty.

you proceed to left each box and put it down, when you come across the empty box, you will by that time know the energy required to lift the box with 10kg weight that mentally you will use the same amount of weight on the empty box, thus feels like its lighter.

In this case, when they lifted the person for the first time, the body memorized their weight, and 2nd time they did it, it expected the weight and put in more muscle power.

When I was in prison quite a few years ago, a tutor on the education wing told us inmates in his class that it's possible for a person to 'think' himself heavy, and that he has done it. Of course we all laughed at him and asked him to prove it.

He asked two people to stand either side of him and take an arm each and asked them to lift him, which they did with ease as he was a small built man. Then he meditated for a few minutes and asked them to lift him again. But no matter how they tried they couldn't lift him. He said it was because he can 'think' himself heavy.

If I hadn't actually witnessed this with my own eyes I would never have believed it.

I was amazed.

doobydoll
When I was in prison quite a few years ago, a tutor on the education wing told us inmates in his class that it's possible for a person to 'think' himself heavy, and that he has done it. Of course we all laughed at him and asked him to prove it.

He asked two people to stand either side of him and take an arm each and asked them to lift him, which they did with ease as he was a small built man. Then he meditated for a few minutes and asked them to lift him again. But no matter how they tried they couldn't lift him. He said it was because he can 'think' himself heavy.

If I hadn't actually witnessed this with my own eyes I would never have believed it.

I was amazed.

Actually, that's just a simple party trick. The magician called Dynamo does it often.

The human mind and body are capable of superhuman feats given the proper circumstances and mindset. This little party game is but one small example of that. S&F.

I blame Zoroaster before I'd blame Satan

LOL!

The body is stronger than we think. The mind is generally weak and does not allow our full potential. If I'm drinking something that is too hot, I imagine I am drinking the surface of the sun. This prepares my mouth for the worst case scenario. A cup of hot tea that seconds ago was too hot to drink is now much more pleasant. I can't say for sure that this is what is happening here, but mental preparation is a powerful thing.

When I was a kid ... A LOOOOONG TIME AGO .... we did this 'light as a feather' thing. We also did the 'bloody Mary' thing in the mirror. Neither worked. We did quija board and seances ... none of them worked either. Although I think we got lucky with the quija board and seances not working. Now, I'd never risk it.

Snsoc
reply to post by MerkabaMeditation

 

It's because when you lift the person the second time, everyone is focused and lifts together.

Or, you know, Satan. Take your pick.

That too, but the "stiff as a board" suggestion is to help the person being lifted to become more rigid subconsciously which also makes them much easier to lift.

There's no magic involved, just the power of suggestion.. does bring back memories though, that and "bloody mary".. these things always crop up in October! my favorite time of year.

luciddream
I think this effect is similar to.. for example...

49 boxes with 10kg weight enclosed, but one box is empty.

you proceed to left each box and put it down, when you come across the empty box, you will by that time know the energy required to lift the box with 10kg weight that mentally you will use the same amount of weight on the empty box, thus feels like its lighter.

In this case, when they lifted the person for the first time, the body memorized their weight, and 2nd time they did it, it expected the weight and put in more muscle power.

For me this is the milk jug principle .. when I am not paying attention because I'm reading a text or something, I reach in and expect a full jug of milk and end up slamming the carton to the roof of the fridge because my mind anticipated more weight..

reply to post by MerkabaMeditation


We did something similar at summer camp.....but it was called " this person is dead'....and it certainly seemed to work.

At night, with all the lights out, one person would lay on the floor, making themselves as stiff as they could. As I recall, 4 or 6 others kneel around the one on the floor and slip two fingers of each hand beneath them.

The one at the head says "this person looks sick" and each kneeling 'lifter' repeats it in turn....in 'solemn' tones.
The next round is 'this person is sick', then 'this person looks dead', then 'this person is dead', and last 'we're going to lift this person'.....and they lift using only their fingers......If all is done correctly, the person is easily lifted .

reply to post by FlyersFan


We did this when we were kids a loooong time ago too My cousins and I did it, only we had one of us laying down and everyone around them with two fingers under them. Then we had this weird little saying we used to say about being dead and rising up.

Also had a Ouija board, and had great success with that, my mom still has it. My sister and I freaked our kids out one time when they were teenagers and pulled it out and used it. Nothing like scaring your teenage kids...ha ha.

reply to post by MerkabaMeditation


Did it in '67 and it REALLY worked over and over!

I even stayed out one round to watch and observe and make sure no 'tricks' were pulled and there were no 'tricks.'

I always wondered "how."

www.answers.com...

Still don't know "how" though. There's got to be a logical reason it works. It just seemed so illogical. We did "mind over matter" I think if I remember right.

doobydoll
When I was in prison quite a few years ago, a tutor on the education wing told us inmates in his class that it's possible for a person to 'think' himself heavy, and that he has done it. Of course we all laughed at him and asked him to prove it.

He asked two people to stand either side of him and take an arm each and asked them to lift him, which they did with ease as he was a small built man. Then he meditated for a few minutes and asked them to lift him again. But no matter how they tried they couldn't lift him. He said it was because he can 'think' himself heavy.

If I hadn't actually witnessed this with my own eyes I would never have believed it.

I was amazed.

With your muscles and extension of your body you can change your center of gravity. While you do not become "Heavier" you do become harder to lift by shifting your weight.

Absolutely works! We played this at recess when I was a kid in elementary school. One kid at the head, one on each side, and the rest gathered around in a circle. Light as a feather, or going through a tunnel and all you see is blue and green, blue and green. Played both.

Worked every time. We were little girls, maybe 10 or 11. The heaviest girl was lifted by 3 people each with 2 fingers on each hand. We lifted her over our heads, with no effort, no weight. It was awesome, but now I wonder what the heck we were really doing. We were a bunch of weird little kids!

Having seen the film 'The Craft' I often thought about the 'light as a feather' trick and the conclusion I have come to in my own mind ( I must admit I have never tried it) is that it can work IF everyone is focused, the mind is a wonderous thing, and if everyone is focused it is all down to mind over matter.
How many times have you stubbed your toe, or injured yourself, been scared or apprehensive over something and told yourself ' I can do this' Or 'I can and will get over this' ? then found yourself at peace or at least at a stage of calm enough to get over that particular tribulation?
Mind over matter folks, mind over matter.