Thelevitation of saints is the ability attributed to asaint tofly or tolevitate. Most of these "flying saints" are mentioned as such in literature and sources associated with them.
The ability to levitate was attributed to figures inEarly Christianity. The apocryphalActs of Peter gives alegendary tale ofSimon Magus' death. Simon is performingmagic in theRoman Forum, and in order to prove himself to be agod, he flies up into the air. The apostlePeter prays to God to stop his flying, and he stops mid-air and falls, breaking his legs, whereupon the crowd, previously non-hostile, stones him to death.[1]
The church ofSanta Francesca Romana claims to have been built on the spot in question (thus accepting the claim that Simon Magus could indeed fly), claims thatPaul was also present, and that a dented slab of marble that it contains bears the imprints of the knees of Peter and Paul during their prayer.[2]
In recent times,John of Shanghai and San Francisco was said to be levitating while in prayer; an individual witnessed this when checking in on him while he was in prayer.George of Drama was also seen levitating during theDivine Liturgy.[3]
Francis of Assisi is recorded as having been "suspended above the earth, often to a height of three, and often to a height of fourcubits" (around 1.3 to 1.8 m).Alphonsus Liguori, when preaching atFoggia, was lifted before the eyes of the whole congregation several feet from the ground.[4]Catherine of Siena was similarly said to be levitating while in prayer, and a priest claimed to have seen theHoly communion flying from his hand straight to Catherine's mouth.[5][6][7]
Flying or levitation was also associated withwitchcraft. When it came to female saints, there was a certain ambivalence expressed by theologians,canon lawyers,inquisitors, andhagiographers towards the powers that they were purported to have. By 1500, the image of the female saint in popular imagination had become similar to that of thewitch. Both witches and female saints were suspected of flying through the air, whether in saintly levitation or bilocation, or in aWitches' Sabbath.[8]
Levitation is a practice often described in Islamic literature from antiquity until well into the medieval era.[9] Revered prophets and Islamic saints are said to have flown.[10] Those named as capable of "flight" have included the Islamic prophetMuhammed, the twelfth century Persian dervish,Qutb ad-Dīn Haydar and the ninth century Muslim saintAbu Yazid al-Bestami.[11]
Levitation has also been cited outside of Islam and Christianity. In his bookAutobiography of a Yogi,Paramahamsa Yogananda discusses Nagendranath Bhaduri, a saint said to levitate in India. The saint had masteredAstanga Yoga and several Yogic techniques including variouspranayamas or breathing techniques as mentioned inPatanjali'sYoga Sutra.[12] Yogananda wrote that Nagendranath Bhaduri had performedbhastrika pranayama so strongly that he felt like he was in the middle of a storm and after performing thepranayama, Bhaduri Mahasaya entered into a state of ecstatic calm. The chapter which describes Bhaduri Mahasaya is titled "The Levitating Saint".[13]
