Levist

Levist is a term used primarily in speculative fiction and fringe online communities to describe a person who practices or believes in levitation-based abilities. The word combines the root lev- from Latin levare, meaning to lift, with the agentive suffix -ist. Although the term is rarely used in formal scholarship, it appears in various fictional texts and role-playing contexts to name characters or adherents of a levitation-based philosophy or skill set.

In fiction, Levists may be portrayed as magicians who levitate objects or themselves, as scientists developing anti-gravity technologies, or as religious or philosophical mystics who seek uplift of the body or spirit. Depictions vary from telekinesis-like powers to engineering-driven devices that achieve stable levitation under laboratory conditions. Some narratives treat levists as solitary researchers, while others present levist communities with shared codes or training regimens.

In the real world, levitation is a scientifically observed phenomenon achievable by methods such as magnetic levitation, acoustic levitation, optical trapping, superconducting diamagnetism, and quantum levitation. These disciplines or experiments are typically described without the label “levist” and are studied within physics or engineering. The cultural concept of a levist remains largely within fiction, gaming, and speculative discussion, rather than established science.

See also: levitation, anti-gravity, telekinesis. Notes: No verified real-world individuals or organizations with the formal title “Levist” are recognized in mainstream scholarship.