Like the Ouija Boards, the "light as a feather" makeup has moved more than a sleepover with meditations and supernatural powers. It has been the subject of heated debate since the 1700s, when it was described by the journalist Samuel Pepys. Through inexplicable forces, a single person can only be lifted by the fingers of the participants. Is it levitation? The power of suggestion? Magnetic forces? A particular combination of muscle tension, balance and weight distribution? Whatever makes it work, many people have been surprised by this experience. Here's how to replicate it.
Steps
Step 1. Place a chair in an open space so that your movements are not constrained
Use a normal desk chair, without armrests. Have the person chosen to be lifted sit in the chair. (Don't pick someone too stout to begin with, but gradually experiment with heavier and heavier people to see what you are capable of.) Tell the subject to relax and place both feet on the floor and hands on their lap.
Step 2. Four lifters must join their hands with their index fingers and middle fingers stretched so that they point outward and the other fingers cross each other
Step 3. Perform a lift test
Two lifters should be behind the person being lifted and one on each side at the legs. With your hands positioned as shown in step two, place your fingers below the knees and armpits. Once everyone is comfortable, lifters should count to three and apply force with their fingers at the same time. You may be able to lift the person a little, or maybe not at all. If the person to be lifted is immediately pushed into the air, then he is too light and must be replaced by a heavier person.
Step 4. Focus your minds
Once you have established how difficult it is to lift the subject, it is time to use some of the "power of the mind" to increase your strength.
- All lifters must place one of their hands in turn on the head of the person to be lifted. The hands must be placed in turn so that one person's hand is not in contact with those of others. Apply some pressure, but obviously don't hurt the person.
- Free your minds and focus as much as you can on the idea of lifting the person into the chair. Imagine lifting the person as much as your arms allow. You have to imagine yourself with very strong muscles in your arms and "feel" immense strength.
- As you do this, repeat over and over in your mind or aloud: "Light as a feather, strong as an ox." (In some variations where the person is lying down, the most common phrase is "Light as a feather, stiff as a board.")
- This mental preparation should last at least thirty seconds.
Step 5. Quickly remove your hands in the order in which they were placed and in the meantime stay focused on the visual image, resume the lifting position
Lift at the same time. If you have done everything correctly, you should be able to lift the person very easily to a considerable height. Always remember to lower the person carefully.
Advice
- In some cases it helps if the person being lifted closes their eyes. If she opens her eyes as she is being lifted, she may panic, cause the lifters to wobble, and even fall to the ground once the focus is gone.
- If the person is lying down, they are usually on a table or bed and there are six people doing the lifting.
- The most plausible explanation for this ancient trick is the following:
- The person's weight is distributed over four people, well compared to each individual's lifting abilities.
- The first lift is difficult as it is not coordinated and the person being lifted, not knowing what to expect, tends to be relaxed and "dead weight".
- The second lift is easier as all lifters know what they are going to do, how they will feel (e.g. muscle memory) and the person being lifted, expecting to be lifted and probably worried about falling, stiffens, making it easier to lift. operation (and making the weight distribution more uniform).
- Chanting helps lifters to pick up a "rhythm" that helps them exert the necessary force to lift the person at the same time.
- Think of the difference between lifting a stack of books compared to a sandbag of the same weight. Books are much easier to lift due to their greater rigidity. The weight of the sandbag is unpredictable and makes it more difficult to keep balance.
-
Alternatively, we tried doing it slightly differently, but with the same results:
- Instead of placing our hands on the person's head, we went around him seven times, with no particular thought in our mind.
- After finishing seven laps, we all approached in the most comfortable lifting position without saying anything.
- It really feels like lifting a feather!
- When you lift a person, concentrate or you risk dropping them.
