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Bilocation, or sometimes multilocation, is an alleged psychic or miraculous ability wherein an individual or object is located (or appears to be located) in two distinct places at the same time.^[1]

The concept has been used in a wide range of historical and philosophical systems, ranging from early Greek philosophy to modern religious stories, occultism and magic.

History

The concept of bilocation has appeared in early Greek philosophy,^[2]shamanism,^[3]paganism,^[4]folklore,^[3]occultism, magic,^[5] the paranormal,^[6]Hinduism (as one of the siddhis),^[7]spiritualism, Theosophy,^[8] the New Age^[9] and mysticism in general,^[10] as well as Christian mysticism^[11] and Jewish mysticism.^[12]

In religion and mysticism

Several religious figures have historically claimed to have bilocated. In 1774, St. Alphonsus Liguori claimed to have gone into a trance while preparing for Mass. When he came out of the trance he said that he had visited the bedside of the dying Pope Clement XIV.^{[citation needed]}

Several Christian saints, monks and Muslim sufis are said to have exhibited bilocation. Among the earliest is the apparition of Our Lady of the Pillar in the year 40. St Isidore the Farmer claimed to be praying or attending to Mass in Church while at the same time plowing in the fields.^{[citation needed]}

Other Christian figures said to have experienced bilocation include St. Alphonsus Marie De'Liguori (Founder of Redemptorist Congregation), St. Anthony of Padua, Ursula Micaela Morata, St. Gerard Majella, Charles of Mount Argus, Padre Pio,^[13]St. Severus of Ravenna, St. Ambrose of Milan, María de Ágreda,^[14] and St. Martin de Porres, and María de León Bello y Delgado.

In the Coptic Church, Saints Yostos El Antony and Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria were claimed to bilocate in the 20th century.^{[citation needed]}

Witchcraft

In the 17th century, persons accused of witchcraft were reported to appear in dreams and visions of witnesses. The trials at Bury St. Edmunds and Salem included this "spectral evidence" against defendants. Matthew Hopkins described the phenomenon in his book The Discovery of Witches.

Modern

The English occultist Aleister Crowley was reported by acquaintances to have the ability, even though he said he was not conscious of its happening at the time.^[15]

Bilocation figures heavily in David Lynch's film Lost Highway (1997) and Thomas Pynchon's novel Against the Day (2006). Bilocation also plays a part in the Christopher Priest novel The Prestige.

A mystical story that involved Soviet author Yevgeny Petrov served as inspiration for the film Envelope (2012) starring Kevin Spacey.

Skepticism

Skeptical investigator Joe Nickell has written that there is no scientific evidence that bilocation is a real phenomenon and that cases are often from anecdotal reports that cannot be verified. Nickell listed self-delusion, hoaxing and illusion to explain alleged cases of bilocation.^[1]

See also

• Apparitional experience


• Doppelgänger


• Etiäinen


• Flying saints


• Kefitzat Haderech


• List of topics characterized as pseudoscience


• Remote viewing


• Tay al-Arz


• Vardøger

References