Levitation  in a paranormal contex, is the process by which a human body or other object is held  in the air by mystical means, without mechanical support.

    Certain New Age cmunities say levitation can occur as a result of supernatural, psychic or "energy." phenomena.  It is seen as either a demonstration of the truthfulness of that religion or as evidence of the holiness of the particular levitator. From the early days of psychic investigation there is a surprising amount of evidence of the lifting of chairs, tables, heavy objects and people into the air. Saints and yogis are reputed to have risen into the air when praying, or in a state of meditation or rapture, usually at the altar.     

     There is, however, no recognized scientific evidence of levitation ever occurring, and skeptics claim that any alleged cases of levitation can usually be explained as having been produced by trickery, illusion or hallucination. Levitation was once considered to be a sign of possession and those levitating were charged with witchcraft.                             

Levitation by mediums Many mediums (especially in the 19th century) claimed to have levitated during seances, . Many cases have been shown to be frauds, using wires and stage magic tricks. Daniel Dunglas Home, a prolific and well-documented levitator of himself and other objects, was said by spiritualists to levitate outside of a window.

     The magician Joseph F. Rinn gave a full account of fraudulent behavior observed in a seance of Eusapia Palladino and explained how her levitation trick had been performed: Positioning themselves under the table, we saw the medium's foot strike a table leg to produce raps. As the table tilted to the right, due to pressure of her right hand on the surface, we saw her put her left foot under the left table leg. Pressing down on the tabletop with her left hand and up with her left foot under the table leg to form a clamp, she lifted her foot and "levitated" the table from the floor.

     The levitation trick of the medium Jack Webber was exposed by the magician Julien Proskauer. who said he would use a telescopic reaching rod attached to a trumpet to levitate objects in the séance room. The physicist Edmund Edward Fournier d'Albe investigated the medium Kathleen Goligher at many sittings and concluded that no para-normal levitation had occurred with her and stated he  found evidence of fraud.

In photography A person photographed while bouncing may appear to be levitating. This optical illusion is used by religious groups and by spiritualist mediums, claiming that their meditation techniques allow them to levitate in the air. Usually telltale signs can be found in the photography indicating that the subject was in the act of bouncing, like blurry body parts, a flailing scarf, hair being suspended in the air, etc.