Until I watched David Blaine practice his craft I had never realized what a Superhuman he really is.
The famous stuntman and magician was born on 4th April, 1973 and was raised in Brooklyn, New York.
When he was ten years old his mother married a man named John Bukalo and the family moved to Little Falls, New Jersey.
Early History
A young four year old Blaine first had his interest sparked in magic when he saw a magician performing in the subway.
The seeds planted back then helped form him into the amazing human being he is today.
As children we believe that anything is possible, the trick is to never forget it. - David Blaine
What is His Super Power?
You only need to watch Blaine in action to realize that he has some very advanced mentalist skills.
On top of his magical and mentalist skills, he also possesses superhuman willpower and has achieved many outstanding feats:
Buried Alive - In April 1999 Blaine was entombed underground for seven days. He was wedged underneath a 3-ton water-filled tank.
By james.spector - Db_buried, CC BY 2.0, Link
Frozen in Time - On November 27th, 2000 Blaine became imprisoned in a block of Ice for 63 hours, 42 minutes and 15 second. Eventually he was freed with chainsaws however it took him a long time to recover from the experience.
Vertigo - It is clear that David has no fear of heights. On May 22, 2002 a crane deposited him on top of a 100 foot high pillar in New York City. It was only 22 inches wide and he stood on this pillar for an amazing 35 hours.
When he eventually jumped off, onto a huge pile of cardboard boxes, he suffered a concussion. This goes to show how much real danger there is in doing this kind of stunt.
Drowned Alive - May 1st 2006 signaled the beginning of Blaine’s Drowned Alive stunt. He was immersed in a water-filled sphere filled with isotonic saline for seven days.
By james.spector - dbspherenight, CC BY 2.0, Link
World Records
David Blaine achieved a World Record for Oxygen Assisted Static Apnea (Breath holding) on April 30, 2008. He managed to hold his breath for an astounding 17 minutes and 4-1/2 seconds.
“I never realized it would become the most amazing journey of my life” Blaine says in his 2009 Ted Talk.
What can we learn from him?
Face your fears. It doesn’t matter how scared David is, whether it was making his first public Ted Talk, or lying entombed for days at a time. He embraces the fear and does it anyway.
Never give up. This man has pushed the boundries and in his own words admits that he has made a career out of doing things, that doctors have said will kill him.
In truth, the only restrictions on our capacity to astonish ourselves and each other are imposed by our own minds. - David Blaine
Videos and Links
David on Wikipedia
