Criss Angel and Levitation- a bogus magic trick?

#1

Recently on television there has been a magic show called "Criss Angel", who claims to make ordinary people on the street, to levitate.

He hypnotises them by getting them to superconcentrate on a thought they wish to last forever, or something like that. Then he slowly bends them backwards so they are horizontal with both their feet on the ground, then slowly pulls up each leg so they appear to levitate in the air. After a bit her puts their feet back on the ground and "wakes them up".

Now this really annoys me, because I am definitely sure it is bogus.

Levitation has been discusses in the VU before, and from what I remember, takes a great deal of practice, understanding, zero disturbance, extreme concentration, and alot of skill and knowledge.

So how can just hypnotising someone with no previous knowledge of levitation, suddenly float in the air when their legs are pulled up?

I think this Criss Angel is a complete hoax, his practice is beyond belief so much that I do not find it entertaining. It downright bothers me.

Now, this thread is NOT a rant, I am just describing a situation that I think is false, to help explain what is the trick behind it, and about the actual process of levitation.

#2

I have only seen one thing by Criss Angel,.. when he walked throu an "ordinary shop window" while it was convered in paper. in terms of "presdigitation" (the enetertainment venue of illusion), he is extremely personable and convincing... and based on that one trick, involving by-standers and a "radom" shop window, which was intact before and after... he is talented. apparently, he is also a musician, a fact while i will reserve comment on.

I have no idea how he does his tricks, but I am not really one who follows stage magick slosely.

personally, I am only even semi-eager to see david copperfield "magically" inseminate a girl,..

vertical,
raum

#3

Those are the kinds of things you will only believe when they happen to you....I don't know about being bothered by it...But unless I just got some cash to chunk away, I'm not fucking paying to see that...If levitation is possible, you damn well bet whomever knows how to do it won't just do it for some cheap parlor trick...

#4

Yeah.. My little brothers watch that show.. He does some crazy shit like put a hummer on his chest while laying on a bed of spikes, stand against a brick wall and allow a car to crash into him. Shit like htat. One of my favorites was when he throws a specific card at the bus window (while it's moving) and tells the busdriver to stop and the card is on the other side of the window and it is the right card with the girls name on it!

Honestly, I want to know what's up with this dude as well. It's amazing some of the stuff he does. Is it real? Fake? I want to know but for the mean time, it is just some entertainnment.

#5

It's just an illusion. That's one my hobbies, actually. I love magic, mainly close up. IMO, Criss Angel annoys me. He's ok, but he overacts. I prefer David Blaine. Even though he is hardly the best. Watch Brian Tudor, Devo, Paul Harris, and new guy Daniel Garcia for good magic. Just my opinion.