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Dutch Magician Levitates Outside the White House (PICS)

news.com.au — DUTCH magician Ramana has been doing his best to freak out American people by levitating in Times Square and in front of the White House. The illusionist, real name Wouter Bijdendijk, hovered several feet above the pavement with apparent ease. His only "prop" was a stick that he held with his left hand.

Who dugg this? Made popular Oct 24, 2007

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  • floorman56, on 10/26/2007, -2/+168Not levitating....see the stick?
  • babybirdhome, on 11/04/2007, -3/+158Here is how it is done, it's been done by Yogi's for quite a long time.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFJm10zt_fA&NR=1
  • chicoer2001, on 10/25/2007, -3/+100Let's see him do it without the stick.
  • wishninja, on 10/25/2007, -1/+90that is dumb the "stick" is actually a platform he is sitting on.
  • pintomp3, on 10/25/2007, -2/+72it's the only way he could get around the no fly list.
  • spyrochaete, on 10/25/2007, -0/+52A Dutch guy gets high in America? Now THAT'S news!

    ... sorry
  • DeskFlyer, on 10/26/2007, -3/+54Cue the world's smallest violin.....

    ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪
  • Nougat, on 10/26/2007, -1/+51And that "mat" is made of solid steel in order to properly balance him.

    The only tricks here are "How'd he get everything set up without anyone noticing?" and "What if he has to pee?"
  • saleem, on 10/26/2007, -1/+48yeah i'd say the large steel rod gives him away.
  • inactive, on 10/25/2007, -3/+45SEE THE STICK!?

    geeze
  • mutwirik, on 11/13/2007, -27/+68Can he make Bush disappear?
  • doctechnical, on 10/25/2007, -0/+37A magic bean? I never would have guessed.
  • nymphetamine, on 10/25/2007, -1/+38Invisible midget.
  • ThinkBox, on 10/25/2007, -2/+36internet tough guy?
  • Error601, on 10/25/2007, -3/+34That one was on a Discovery channel show. This groups travels around India explaining showing how the illusions are done so people aren't tricked out of their possessions. Con artists would show up at a village, do a bunch of magic tricks, and then offer to use their power for a better crop yield or something in exchange for payment. Basically it's just a stand planted in the ground.
  • doctechnical, on 10/25/2007, -1/+28He's sitting on a pic-a-nic basket.
  • RichLatherX23, on 10/25/2007, -3/+27He needs hecklers to call him out on his charlatanry, stat.
  • desistere, on 10/25/2007, -0/+23If you look closely, you can see the outline of the platform under his pants. The rug underneath him conceals a wide base which stabilizes the platform.
  • theinept, on 10/24/2007, -0/+23The best part of the pictures is that the stick is flexing under his weight and the position he's sitting in suggests that the platform isn't uniformly supporting his weight.
  • coolian, on 10/25/2007, -3/+26A Dutch guy named "Ramana".

    Right.
  • vorbalhorde, on 10/25/2007, -3/+23This is such a terrible illusion, why are people still amazed by it?
  • Kardde, on 10/25/2007, -5/+23What's a cartoon bear got to do with this?

    Oh wait... never mind.
  • GoingPostal, on 10/25/2007, -2/+17I have stayed at his hotels before. The Ramana Inns are fairly nice.
  • natedouglas, on 10/24/2007, -0/+15I would've defended him with my ancient martial arts skills. Back off, Brantano, I have a black belt in Kama Sutra. Wieeeeeee-YA!
  • BufordT, on 10/25/2007, -1/+14Interesting to say the least, but it isn't levitating if you're holding onto a damn stick.
  • MrMetal, on 10/25/2007, -1/+11His mom once levitated on MY stick...
  • Gerz1219, on 10/24/2007, -0/+10"The audience knows the truth: the world is simple. It's miserable, solid all the way through."
  • MaTT2011, on 10/25/2007, -0/+10See, if i didn't have any kind of sense of logic this might be entertaining to me.

    Sadly all i see is a guy utilizing simple physics and mechanics to fool people who cant think beyond what they see.

    Damn you logic! I wish to be entertained!
  • poseitom, on 10/25/2007, -1/+11nah lame, besides you can see that he leans towards the stick (=platform) to get his balance right, this one at least is funny http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT39dSE0TZE
  • Wrathernaut, on 10/26/2007, -1/+11"Disciplined ... Ramana says his work is science, not magic / Reuters"
    Right about one thing... the science of physics. U-shaped platforms with one end under the blanket (flowers around the edge of the platform disguise the "pantie line") and the other in his pants.
    Now the important question, is he wearing a catheter in order to not give himself away when nature calls?
  • thebusdriver, on 10/25/2007, -6/+14ok, this is lame. buried
  • br0ken1128, on 10/25/2007, -1/+9If you look at image 3 of 3 .. you can very clearly see the platform he's sitting on which is in his very baggy pants..

    not to mention in image 1 of 3, you can see him leaning similarly to how the pole is leaning.. the angles are all there..

    The video on the page with him "hovering" outside a building is just as lame, but kudos for their at least being some height involved.
  • AxeSwinger, on 10/24/2007, -1/+8He's an illusionist and claims his performance art is based in science not magic. If you look at the last (third) picture in the article you can see the platform rod under his pants.
  • Balanced, on 10/25/2007, -0/+6Randi appearing on Gellar's show would be practically paranormal considering the hatred between the two.

    (Randi's a lot more interesting, though.)
  • internetcoward, on 10/25/2007, -0/+6it almost makes you wonder what that big gray sheet is covering on the wall behind him...
  • ohsin, on 10/25/2007, -7/+13there is steel plate under that rug, nothing is under ground.
  • Insert31990, on 10/24/2007, -0/+6When I read "Levitates Outside the Whitehouse" I imagined said magician hovering out an window.
    Needless to say I'm disappointed.
  • shark615, on 10/25/2007, -1/+5I think thats the point moran.
  • dolazy, on 10/24/2007, -1/+5It's entertainment, not charlatanry.
  • yojiffyskippy, on 10/25/2007, -0/+4If you levitate, the terrorist have already won.
  • inactive, on 10/25/2007, -0/+4This is almost as impressive as David Blane's (sp? who cares?) MAGIC trick when he sat in a box for days. Wow.
  • Panthereater, on 10/25/2007, -1/+5How did he do that with a straight face
  • Otto, on 10/25/2007, -0/+4The large steel plate is enough, it can take the weight distribution.
  • acarr, on 10/24/2007, -0/+4and when I didn't see it yesterday
  • kashi, on 10/25/2007, -0/+3I'm surprised he didn't get arrested as a threat to national security under the Patriot Act.... LOL
  • dannylewis, on 10/25/2007, -0/+3Wow, that youtube video is more real looking than what that Dutch guy is doing.
  • nopointinnames, on 10/25/2007, -0/+3Read the article...he admits it to being science and an illusion.
  • nanboya, on 10/25/2007, -0/+3What's funny is that he is only shown ALREADY levitated and there's no media coverage about actually rising to that position. What a crock.
  • inactive, on 10/24/2007, -1/+4my thoughts exactly
  • F1R3DUP, on 10/25/2007, -1/+4Buried because this fool is a doucebag and needs to go back to dutch wonderland.
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