Levitations Attributed to Saints
Levitation designates accounts where a saint's body is said to rise above the ground, most often during prayer, Mass, or an ecstasy. Witnesses may describe a slight elevation, a position maintained in the air, or an impossible displacement. The motif aims to make visible a spiritual absorption or a detachment from the ordinary world. It should not be confused with bilocation, which situates the person in two places, nor with ecstasy alone, which may involve no body movement. Some ancient classifications mix these phenomena; the page must therefore cite the exact reported gesture. Images will remain sober, with a small distance from the ground and credible witnesses, to avoid a spectacular aesthetic. Sancteo presents these episodes as traditions of hagiographic testimony, without pronouncing on their physical explanation.
- Accounts
- 27
- Saints
- 25
- Period
- 3rd century – 17th century
Definition
Understanding this type of miracle
Levitation designates accounts where a saint's body is said to rise above the ground, most often during prayer, Mass, or an ecstasy.
Forms included from the sources
- explicit bodily elevation
Not to be confused with…
- immobile ecstasy and presence in another location
Documented examples
Major figures
-
Saint Thomas Aquinas 13th century · 1 account « Levitations during prayer »
-
Saint Colette (Nicole) 14th century · 1 account « Saint Colette was graced with mystical ecstasies and phenomena of levitation »
- Saint Peter Celestine (Celestine V) 13th century · 1 account
« Levitation during mass before the cardinals at Fumone »
- Saint Teresa of Avila 16th century · 1 account
« Levitations during prayer and communion »
Classified sources
Accounts in the corpus
27 results
Editorial transparency
Method and sources
Sancteo presents these accounts as hagiographic and historical traditions, without ruling on their origin or making medical or spiritual promises.
Volumes are calculated from technically validated classifications in the canonical database. Each figure above has a quotation directly linked to this theme. Last recalculated: .
Editorial responsibility: Sancteo · Corpus source: Les Petits Bollandistes and documented enrichments. Version: miracle-topic-editorial-en-v1.