Levitation is such a spectacular, spectacular and mysterious phenomenon that it is one of the most popular acts in the field of illusionism. It is no coincidence that the focus with levitation is often one of the highlights of the program of all kinds of illusionists. Meanwhile, in this case, the secret of levitation has long been revealed and is not a big secret. So almost everyone can make small objects float in the air or even rise above the ground, if desired and with a certain skill.

Levitation of cigarettes and other objects - watch your hands

"Amazing" flights of certain things have recently become quite popular on the Internet. It is no coincidence that the number of articles and videos that reveal the secret of the trick is growing - levitation of a map, cork, paper clip, cigarettes and much more that will turn people under the arm. One of the most common examples is a weightless or flying cigarette, which is able to independently jump into a smoker's mouth and do other aerobatics.

The secret of cigarette levitation is extremely simple: to implement it, you will need a nylon thread, tape and a certain manual dexterity.

The nylon thread of the desired color (if the focus is on a dark background - black, if on a light background - flesh) is removed from ordinary stockings. It is then attached to the cigarette with tape. The length of the thread is adjustable according to the circumstances. The other end of the thread is tied to the magician's hand, and the thread itself is thrown over the neck. Thus, a "mechanism" is obtained that operates on the principle of tug-of-war - with the help of the movements of the hand to which the thread is tied, a person can simulate the flight of a cigarette, which can go up and down, move in different directions or freeze in place. The trick with a cigarette that flies right into the mouth of an illusionist requires training and dexterity, but there is nothing fantastic or mystical about it either.

Another levitation trick that is available at home and is therefore quite common is the flying paperclip. This spectacle looks like this: in front of the audience, a person ties a paper clip (or other small and not heavy metal object) with a thread. Then he hangs it up, takes out matches or a lighter and sets fire to the thread. The thread burns out - and the paper clip, meanwhile, continues to hang in the air. The magician can even make her move in different directions, rise or fall. The focus is really bright enough - and surprisingly simple at the same time. It's all about the thread, which has been pretreated with a strong saline solution. The salt concentration must be very high - there must be so much of it that it no longer dissolves. Then a thread is placed in this solution for about a day, which should then dry completely and evenly. When, in the course of the trick, the illusionist burns the thread, the paper clip remains suspended, but now on a chain of salt crystals that have not suffered from the fire, but are invisible to the viewer.

Yogi Levitation Secret: Dexterity and Technique

Indian yogis are traditionally famous for their unique, in some ways even supernatural abilities. Moreover, disputes have not subsided for a long time, which is more in the amazing skills of yogis - the jewelry art of illusionists perfected for centuries and millennia or truly secret occult knowledge. Many of the abilities of yogis are recognized as phenomenal even by representatives of modern science. But some of the techniques by which yogis and people posing as yogis boggle our imagination are clearly related to magic tricks.

Usually it is with yogis that the secret of focus is associated with human levitation. The most common yogic option for a person in a weightless flight above the ground is as follows. The yogi sits on the ground in the lotus position, holding a cane in his hand. Then he puts the cane on the ground, and he himself begins to slowly rise above this very ground, until he reaches a height equal to the length of the cane. In this position, swaying somewhat, the yogi can stay for quite a long time, although usually it takes only a couple of minutes to make an indelible impression on others. In fact, this trick requires some technical equipment. A wooden or metal seat is hidden in the wide folds of oriental robes that yogis wear. In an invisible way for the viewer, it is fastened to a cane, which, in turn, is dug into the ground. Thus, the yogi does not float above the ground, he actually sits above the ground, balancing on a secret seat.

Focus Secret: Human Levitation Depends on Point of View

The performances of professional illusionists, in which tricks with human levitation are performed on a specially equipped stage, are almost always associated with strong invisible cables. With these ropes, a person is attached to supports on the ceiling, they are mobile and mobile enough so that a person can be moved and turned in space. But if levitation a person is demonstrated by an amateur magician for his friends and acquaintances, a much simpler method is used.

It is associated with the ability to use the optical features of human vision, the dexterity of a magician and the specifics of spectator perception.

This trick will require wide pants to hide the shape of your legs and a certain amount of time to train. The workout should allow the person to stand up on one toes and maintain balance while the other leg is completely above the surface and obscures the first leg. The focus itself must be shown in a specific setting: the stage must be located on a dais so that the audience can observe the focus at an angle of 45 degrees. It is in this case that it will seem to them that the person is really off the ground and they will not notice the second leg standing still. At the same time, especially careful observers will still notice the trick. Therefore, the duration of the "levitation" should not exceed a few seconds, there should not be many spectators, they should be positioned a few meters from the stage and in no case should they be warned about what kind of trick they will see.

Alexander Babitsky

As a child, we didn't think about how circus tricks are arranged - we just believed in them. Surprising an adult is much more difficult, it is not enough just to get a rabbit out of a hat. Illusionists like David Copperfield and David Blaine work in this field - and then we observe levitation, the disappearance of the Statue of Liberty and other impressive tricks. Sometimes magicians reveal their secrets - and it turns out that each trick has a perfectly reasonable explanation.

1. Classics of the genre: cutting a woman in half
The assistant climbs into a long, coffin-like box. Then the magician announces that now he will cut this lady in half right in the box - and he successfully does it without any harm to her health!

There are several ways to accomplish this trick. The classic method, described in 1923, is shown in the picture below.

The box is actually a secret, it's enough for the assistant to curl her legs. And in the role of the severed legs are fake ones (they were controlled using a special mechanism to imitate movement). Therefore, they must have shoes on to cover them as much as possible.

And this is a more modern way, when not one assistant is involved in the focus, but two. Just one is hidden in advance in a drawer. After "sawing" one smiles, and the other moves her legs.

2. Levitation
The trick begins with the assistant lying on the table in front of the magician. The crowd gasps in surprise as the magician suddenly clears the table and the woman continues to float in the air.

The assistant assisting with this trick is usually dressed in a long flowing dress with which the magician conceals the real magic: a mechanical "levitation" device that is attached to the magician and with which he holds the assistant. And here sleight of hand comes into play: in order to distract the viewer's attention, the magician takes out a hoop and begins to hold it, showing that nothing is supposedly attached to the woman's body.

3. Levitation of street fakirs

It would seem that if he actually levitates, why would he need a staff?

And this staff is all about: it is a very strong structure that holds the secret platform on which the person sits.

Here's how it works.

4. Michael Jackson's tilt
Remember that unreal 45-degree bend that Michael Jackson and his dancers did? They wore special boots with a heel of a special shape: at the right moment, pegs appeared on the surface of the stage, for which the heel caught.

Here you can see how it works

5. The most famous trick of all time: pulling a rabbit out of a hat
A rabbit can hardly be hidden in a hat, but where does it come from then? There is probably a simple explanation.

Well, there are three ways to hide a rabbit:
1) In a countersunk hole in the table. When the magician puts down his hat, he aligns it with the secret door.
2) He's really wearing a hat! But the hat has a clever flap.

3) In a linen bag suspended from the edge of the table and covered with a long fringed tablecloth.
While the magician shows the crowd that the hat is completely empty, the rabbit is hidden under the table. The hard part begins when you lift your hat and hide the bunny underneath.

6. Zigzag Girl

To perform this trick, first of all, you need a skilled assistant, because her task is to properly position herself in a cramped closet. It is necessary to position yourself in such a way that the face, hand and foot retain the natural position of a standing person, and the audience does not suspect anything.

7. David Copperfield's trick with the disappearance of the Statue of Liberty

In 1983, David Copperfield convinced a crowd of spectators for a few minutes that the Statue of Liberty was gone. He did this trick once and never did it again.

The disappearance of the Statue of Liberty
There are two towers in front of the Statue of Liberty. Against the background of the night sky, a brightly lit Statue is visible, a mark from it is visible on the radar. A veil rises on the towers, David closes the radar, the veil falls - the statue has disappeared, only the ring of lights around it is visible. The radar marker also disappears. The veil rises and falls again - the statue appeared as if nothing had happened.

There are several guesses as to how this was done.

a) Turntable

The audience did not notice this, but their seats were located on a giant rotating platform. After looking at the statue at the very beginning, they were slowly turned to the point where it was no longer visible. How did they miss the rotation? Everything happened at night, the statue is located on an island, there are no particular markings there.

b) Light curtain
At the appointed moment, the stand-alone lighting of the statue turned off. Only 2 searchlights, crossing behind the towers, and spotlights on the towers, dazzling the audience and not allowing them to see anything in detail, remained on the island. In fact, the spotlights did not illuminate the statue, but were directed upward and away from it.

c) Statement
That is, it is simply a deception, a hoax, and in the role of spectators - hired actors. Skeptics tend to take this view.

We are all a little children at heart and we continue to believe in miracles and adore various tricks and tricks. But it has long been no secret that every magician has his own little secrets that have become public knowledge. Today we want to tell you about the most interesting tricks and finally reveal all their secrets.

Chinese Water Torture Chamber

One of the most famous magic tricks in the world of illusion is a gimmick called a Chinese Water Torture Chamber. This trick was performed by many illusionists, but Harry Houdini made it a real hallmark of his performances, and later American David Copperfield will repeat it. If you understand physics, then it will immediately become clear to you that when the magician's body is immersed in a reservoir of water, excess water pours out and leaves an air pocket, which gives the magician extra time for an amazing release. There is also a secret in knots and handcuffs, and a well-rehearsed trick was performed in a matter of seconds.

The man soaring in the air at all times caused delight and bewilderment among the audience. But this trick, magical at first glance, has its own simple secret. The illusionist soars in the air thanks to an invisible cable that is under his clothes, which by the way always resembles a hoodie. Spacious clothes are needed to hide everything that the audience does not need to see, in addition, there is almost always a rug under a floating person. It is under it that the heaviest part of the flying device is hidden.

Truly the most mystical and mysterious trick in the history of illusion and magic. This trick belongs to the unsurpassed David Copperfield and, although he is more than 35 years old, there are still debates about how such a large statue could have disappeared? But in fact, not everything is as complicated as it might seem at first glance. The thing is that the statue itself is located on a small island, where there is nothing else but it. And this played into the hands of the illusionist, because the very secret of focus is in the right lighting. Large spotlights were directed at the statue, illuminating it from such an angle that the illusion of its absence was created.

Walking through a brick wall

The author of this, as it seems at the beginning of an amazing trick, is the legendary Harry Houdini. But even he himself performed it only a couple of times, because it would not be difficult to unravel his secret, so the master of illusion decided to leave him for future magicians and not let his secret be revealed. And the secret of this miraculous trick is simple, the three-meter wall was specially built on a carpet, under which there was a rectangular hole through which the magician made his way to the opposite side of the wall.

Catching a bullet with your teeth

Quite a dangerous trick for entertaining performances, isn't it? But again, it's pretty simple. The bullets the magicians use for their numbers are not real. In most cases, bullets are made from wax. And in order to make it impossible to distinguish them from real ones, they are painted with acrylic paint. Flying from the barrel of a pistol, the wax bullet melts and does not reach the performer, and another, already real bullet appears in the teeth. The main task of the illusionist is to hide it behind the cheek and, at the right time, put it between the teeth.

Sawing a woman

One of the most mystical, but such simple tricks is cutting a woman into two halves. Sounds intimidating. When you look at how a woman's torso is in one corner, and her legs are in another, you wonder how this can be? But it's as easy as shelling pears. In each half of the box, the magician has two women at once, and we see the head of one, and the legs of the second. That's the whole secret.

By the way, we already have about the most beautiful women in the world.

Disappearance of the glass

Almost every performance has a trick called the disappearance of the glass. The sight is amazing, just imagine, there is a glass of water on the table, the magician covers it with a handkerchief, raises it and the glass disappears, and the handkerchief smoothly falls to the floor - this is a real miracle. To do this trick, you need to be well prepared. Firstly, in the table on which the glass stands there is a special hole with a cloth bag into which the glass falls, and secondly, a wire ring is sewn into the scarf, it is this ring that creates the illusion of a raised glass in the air.

Flying pencil

If the previous tricks surprised us with their complex staging and ingenuity, then even a schoolchild can repeat this trick. To do this, you will need two simple pencils and a good bracelet or watch. One pencil needs to be well hidden by passing it through a bracelet or watch strap. And then, using the hidden pencil, pick up the pencil lying on the table. All ingenious is simple!

The disappearance of the elephant

Who else could have thought up and carried out this trick with a real and very large animal, if not Harry Houdini? He performed it only once, but this trick has become firmly established in the history of magic and illusion. Gullible and naive viewers truly believe in the disappearance of the animal, although in fact it does not happen. The big cage with double walls and a bottom is to blame. The elephant remained in place, it was simply hidden by the walls of the box.

"Decapitation" by Cyril Takayama

This trick really scares and excites the minds of people who have seen it at least once. How is it possible to take your own head off your shoulders and then put it back in place? It turns out that an illusionist with Japanese roots can handle this task. And the secret is in lighting, body flexibility and of course illusion, illusion and illusion again ...

Map through glass

Have you ever wondered why the illusionist always guesses the guessing card? Strong intuition or great talent, you say, but no. And now we will declassify one of them. The "card through glass" trick is one of the most spectacular among card tricks. And it consists in the fact that an ordinary viewer chooses a card he likes and returns it to the magician. Meanwhile, the sorcerer's assistant stands behind the glass and closely watches the viewer and remembers which card he pulled out. When the illusionist throws the deck on the glass, the assistant discreetly glues the desired card to the glass. All the cards are crumbled and only the card is needed on the glass.

The second interpretation of trick is when the magician asks the victim to personally sign the card. Then he returns the card to the deck, allows the victim to shuffle them and attach the deck to the glass. Then the magician goes to the back of the glass and takes out the cherished card. naturally, when the victim signed the card, she did not return to the deck. A skilled magician managed to take her with him.

Release from the milk can

Harry Houdini had very interesting and rather dangerous stunts that eminent magicians from all over the world were afraid to repeat. Another such trick is liberation from a milk can, as Houdini is known to be a master of such liberation. Here the secret of the trick is this: the locks on the can lid were designed this way. That it was impossible to open them from the outside, but from the inside it was easy, which the illusionist did.

Walking on water

Every great illusionist dreams of repeating the trick - walking on the sea surface. Such a divine phenomenon casts doubt on the possibility of its interpretation. But the development of all kinds of technologies allows it. The first after Jesus this trick was repeated by the British illusionist Steve Frain, nicknamed Dynamo. It's all about the depth, because in the dark water of the Thames it is not visible at all, there is still a secret in the magician's shoes, the platform, which is made of light and non-sinking material, well, distractions are also important, for example, sailing kayaks and a not very attentive viewer ...

Richard Ross and ordinary sleight of hand

The masterful tricks of this illusionist with headbands and other objects, which he performed with just his hands, aroused delight and great interest among the public. The secret is simple speed of movement, sleight of hand and no fraud ...

"Metamorphosis"

The author of this interesting trick is believed to be John Neville Maskelyn, and he invented his metamorphosis in the 19th century. The trick became so popular that many magicians around the world took it into their repertoire, Houdini himself considered it the crown number of his program and constantly improved it. A person sits in a bag with his hands tied behind his back, the bag is placed in a huge box, which is closed and wrapped with a rope. And then it is also placed in a wardrobe with a curtain. The illusionist's assistant enters this wardrobe, closing the curtain behind her, clapping her hands three times, after which the curtain opens and the audience is presented with a picture where the magician and assistant have already changed places. The secret is simple, and it is in a bag that has no bottom, but we do not see it, because it is hidden in the chest, the lock is real, but the lid from the bottom of the chest unnoticeably pushes back.

And now the site invites you to watch a great video exposing many of the famous tricks of the illusionists.

Today we have learned about the secrets for which any magician would give his life, because it is in these very tricks that it consists. But we are confident that even after learning the whole truth, we still will not lose interest and each time we will believe in the same illusion as the first time. Masters of illusion are real magicians and professionals in their field, because they make people believe in miracles and the impossible. Even if there is exposure behind every trick, how believable everything looks, and this is also a real talent. We could not tell you about all the tricks and their secrets, but nevertheless we opened the curtain of some of them and chose the most dangerous, popular and interesting ones. We hope you enjoyed our article, we are waiting for your comments.

Among the many tricks demonstrated by illusionists of different levels, one of the most shocking is the levitation trick. Indeed, there is little that can strike the minds of the audience more than the spectacle of a card, a rose, or even a person overcoming gravity and floating freely in the air.

The secret to levitation lies in careful preparation of the performance, manual dexterity and lengthy training. Depending on the complexity, the tools required for focus can be limited to a transparent nylon thread or copper coin, or they can be complex mechanisms and devices. Therefore, before you levitate an object, you need to think about what exactly you intend to lift into the air, how many spectators you will have and what devices you need to perform the trick.

Bill Levitation Trick: Solution

This trick is best suited for the beginning illusionist. It is quite simple and practically does not require preparation, but the audience, no doubt, will be amazed at the sight of a bill balancing, contrary to all the laws of physics, on the magician's finger. At the same time, the main part of the bill hangs freely in the air, swaying in time with the movements of the magician's hand.

In order to impress your friends with this performance, you only need a banknote of any denomination and a metal coin. And, of course, sleight of hand. Take a coin and hold it firmly between your palm and the base of your ring finger. So you will be able to use other fingers without risking dropping it, and the viewers will not notice your "cache" from the side. You can take any coin - the main thing is that it is more or less heavy.

Now take the bill and show it to the public to prove it is real. You can let the audience touch or even hold it - this will not affect the outcome of the focus.

Having received the money back in your hands, carefully fold the bill three times in length. The main difficulty of this stage is to discreetly place the coin hidden in your palm between the paper folds. To achieve this, you will have to practice a little in front of the mirror.

After that, you just need to place the folded banknote on your finger so that the coin on the edge balances its length. To achieve greater effect, you can balance a little with a bill or make a few mysterious passes with your free hand.

The secret of rose levitation

Rose levitation has always been considered one of the most beautiful and romantic tricks. The illusionist takes a real flower or a flower folded from a napkin, and that, obeying a slight wave of his hand, rises into the air. The rose seems to float completely free, the audience does not see any supporting threads or other levitation devices.

Despite the unusualness, it is quite possible to learn how to do the trick with rose levitation on your own. In order to repeat it, you will need to prepare the following items:

• Thin invisible thread (you can order it - inexpensively) or fishing line;
• small button;
• needle or tape;
• flower.

Gently attach the string to your flower. For the greatest aesthetics, it is worth finding the center of gravity of the rose so that its flight looks more natural. Tie the second end of the thread to a button, which will then need to be sewn to the collar of your clothes. Now you need to figure out what to pass the main part of the thread through. It can be thrown over a hook from a chandelier, a tree branch, if you are on the street, or simply stretch it over your own head, throwing a free loop over the fingers of one of your hands. It is not worth tying the end of the thread to your fingers: in this case, any attentive viewer will be able to notice the dependence of the rose's movements on your gestures.

So you can control the flight of your flower with light movements of your fingers and head. Of course, during stage performances, illusionists have the opportunity to use much more complex devices, which allows them to make the flight of a rose intricate and completely unusual. If you want to make your focus more spectacular, then you should think about the system of blocks through which you pass the thread and, thanks to this, you can move the levitated object not only vertically, but also to the sides.

If you decide to impress your friends with your abilities, do not forget that the success of the trick depends largely on how beautiful and mysterious your actions will look. You can accompany the flight of the rose with spells or mysterious gestures, or, conversely, limit yourself to only light nods of the head. You can even pass the "magic flower" through the hoop or hold your palm over it; of course, only if you practice well alone and learn not to touch the line during the performance.

Learning to levitate is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. For example, one of the ways can be seen in this video:

Once you have mastered the rose levitation trick, you can repeat it with any other small and fairly light object - for example, a cigarette or a card.

Human levitation: deception or illusion?

Illusionists have always spent a lot of effort on the development of new, more and more shocking tricks, among which one of the most difficult, rightfully considered, is the independent flight of people.

The secret of focus with human levitation lies primarily in distracting tricks that prevent the audience from seeing what the person is using to rise into the air. Since it is impossible to stay in the air without a propeller or anti-gravity device, magicians have to invent all sorts of devices for levitation. An example of such a trick can be seen in a short video by the Safronov brothers, where they revealed one of their secrets.

In tricks of this type, the main role is played by a special mechanism controlled by the magician himself or his assistant and slowly lifting the lying person. It is for this reason that for most stage tricks with levitation, a veil is used, which hides not only the person himself, but also the apparatus that allows him to "take off".

Much more amazement of the public is caused by the flights of the magician himself, who seems to soar completely independently, not supported by anything. The tricks of David Copperfield, who not only soared over the stage, but also flew through rotating hoops and transparent boxes, have always been especially popular. The solution to this "magic" consists in a multitude of the thinnest invisible cables and boxes with slots, into which the cables enter during the "capture". But, of course, the main condition for a successful trick with levitation was and remains the lightness and artistry of the magician himself.

How to do the trick with levitation yourself

It is almost impossible to repeat the achievements of David Copperfield or the Safronov brothers at home - unless, of course, you are a genius mechanic capable of creating a levitation machine from scrap materials. However, there are many other, much simpler ways to convince viewers of their levitation abilities. The most accessible of them lies in optical illusion, which any person can master. In this case, you do not even have to take off: it will be enough to convince others of this.

To implement the focus, you only need 2 things:

• Worn-out shoes without laces, several sizes larger than your foot;
• wide pants;

The secret of this focus is, first of all, in choosing the right place for focus. The audience, regardless of their number, should see only one of your legs: the success of your trick depends on this. The best location is 2-3 meters from the audience.

Having prepared for the trick, you need to carefully, so as not to attract attention, remove the leg hidden from the public from the shoe. It is on it that you will rely on during the "flight". Now start slowly rising on tiptoe while lowering your hands down or reciting "spells." It is better to press the released shoes to the second leg so that it "rises" with you and at the same time hides the supporting leg. If you do everything correctly, the audience will see how you smoothly take off a few centimeters above the floor and, after hovering for a few seconds, just smoothly descend back.

It is important! To do such a trick is much easier with an assistant who, at the right moment, supposedly casually passes you by, and for a moment closes your actions from the public.

You can watch the video teaching the focus "levitation" in this video:

The human levitation trick requires patience and a lot of practice in front of a mirror. In order for it to be more effective, it is worth remembering a few small tricks:

• Do not warn the audience in advance about the focus; otherwise, they may look closely and unravel your secret.
• The easiest way is to demonstrate levitation in a semi-dark room or with light and music on, which will hide some of the nuances of the presentation.
• Do not stay in the air for more than 4 seconds.
• Make sure your audience is looking at you at an angle of approximately 45 ° and no one is standing behind you.

More tricks:

Incredible facts

Many people remember this unique feeling from childhood, when we watched tricks and believed in miracles. We never stopped admiring the way magicians do it.

If you do not want to remain in the dark and are eager to find out how these famous tricks work, this article is for you.

You may be surprised how easy these illusions are.

Tricks with people

1. Levitation

The woman lies on a board supported by a metal rod. The magician stands so as to cover the rod and thus, where he stands, determines how well this trick is performed.

2. Girl zigzag

This is a pretty simple trick. When the assistant walks into the closet, she turns her body around so that when the knives come in, they don't hit her. When the middle part of the cabinet is pulled out, only her arm moves, but the black lining of the cabinet creates the illusion that the middle part of the body comes off completely.

1. Cabinet structural elements that add room for curves for the person inside. They are usually painted black to blend in with the cabinet.

2. The knives only go into a part of the vertical space, leaving room for the assistant.

3. Black bars - used space. They are hard to see if you look at them from the side or on TV, which makes the box seem smaller.

4. The interior space is larger than it seems.

3. In the air

This trick is similar to the levitation trick, but the magician does not stand in front of the support rod. Then he passes the hoop over the assistant, but only as long as the support allows, creating the illusion that the body is floating in the air.

Tricks with sawing a man

4. Sawing a woman. Option 1

The man in the box must bend his legs to create the illusion that his body is being cut in half. The dummy legs are attached to the other end of the box.

5. Sawing a woman. Option 2

Another variation of the classic focus is that one assistant is already in the drawer before the focus begins. When another assistant walks into the drawer, the one in the drawer sticks out her legs, while the other hides them, showing only the upper body. When the box is sawn, we see one half of two people.

Tricks and their secrets (video)

6. Soaring man

This kind of trick is often seen in street performers. The magician is actually seated on a metal seat attached to a rod that is connected to a platform hidden by the carpet.

7. Michael Jackson dance

This dance move with Michael Jackson and the dancers leaning 45 degrees, which can be seen in the song "Smooth Criminal", is easier than you thought. The notch in the boots clings to the instep, so when you lean below the center of gravity, you can return to your original straight position without falling.