Editing Balducci levitation (section)

== Misdirection ==
Like many magic effects, this illusion relies mostly on subtle [[misdirection (magic)|misdirection]] and [[acting]] on the part of the performer.

These psychological subtleties increase the probability that spectators will believe the illusion:
* The spectators are informed ahead of time the performer intends to levitate.
* The performer pretends to put a good deal of care in choosing a place to perform the levitation.
* The performer acts as if performing the levitation is difficult and physically straining.
* The performer emphasizes the fact that there are no gimmicks (wires, etc.) used, and encourages that the area and the performer's clothing be examined.
* The performer provides a reason for the audience's position: a warning he may fall and require them to catch him.

These physical subtleties make the levitation seem more amazing:
* The spectators are misdirected from the performer's method because they are concentrating on the movement of the feet and the space that appears between the feet and the ground.
* When "landing", the performer will make a point of hitting the ground hard with the feet, and bending the knees to convince the spectators that the performer's feet were higher in the air than they actually were.

The effects of these subtleties can be seen in David Blaine's television performances of this illusion. For example, one spectator is asked how high Blaine levitated. She gestures a height that is obviously a few inches higher than the illusion is capable of producing, demonstrating that subtleties can often cause a spectator's interpretation of an effect to be better than the effect itself.