Bilocation, also called multilocation, is a claimed ability where a person or object appears to be in two different places at the same time. Reports of this phenomenon have been found in many historical and religious contexts, such as ancient Greek legends, Christian traditions, and modern occultism.

In ancient Greece

The ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras was believed to have been in two places at the same time. According to Porphyry, who wrote about Pythagoras many years later:

Most sources agree that on the same day, Pythagoras was in Metapontum, Italy, and in Tauromenium, Sicily. In each place, he spoke with his friends, even though the two locations were far apart, separated by land and sea, and would take many days to travel between.

A similar story is told about Apollonius of Tyana, who was supposedly in Smyrna and Ephesus at the same time.

In religion and mysticism

The idea of being in two places at the same time, called bilocation, is connected to several spiritual traditions. These include shamanism, Theosophy, Islam (especially Sufism), and Jewish mysticism. It is also considered one of the siddhis, or spiritual powers, in Hinduism and Buddhism. Some well-known Hindu teachers, such as Neem Karoli Baba, Sri Yukteswar, and Lahiri Mahasaya, have been reported to have this ability.

Christian history includes many stories of people appearing in two places at once. One of the earliest examples is the apparition of Our Lady of the Pillar. This is said to be an appearance of the Virgin Mary in Caesaraugusta, Spain, in the year 40 AD, even though she was believed to have been alive in Jerusalem at that time.

Other Christian figures who are said to have experienced bilocation include Catherine de' Ricci, Saint Drogo, Anthony of Padua, Francis of Paola, Francis Xavier, Martin de Porres, María de Ágreda, Natuzza Evolo, Alphonsus Liguori, Gerard Majella, and Padre Pio.

Some Catholic philosophers debate whether people can truly be physically present in two places at once or if these events only involve non-physical appearances.

In the 17th century, people accused of witchcraft were sometimes said to appear to their victims in visions, even when they were known to be elsewhere. This type of evidence, called "spectral evidence," was used in trials at Bury St. Edmunds and Salem. Matthew Hopkins described this phenomenon in his book The Discovery of Witches.

In 1845, Émilie Sagée, a French teacher working in a boarding school in Latvia, was said to have the ability to be in two places at the same time.

The English occultist Aleister Crowley was reported by people who knew him to have the ability to bilocate, even though he claimed he was not aware of it happening.

Skepticism

Skeptical investigator Joe Nickell has stated that there is no scientific proof that bilocation is a real occurrence. He explains that most reported cases are based on personal stories that cannot be confirmed or tested.

Cultural influence

Bilocation is an important part of David Lynch's film Lost Highway (1997) and appears in Thomas Pynchon's novel Against the Day (2006) and Tim Powers' novel Declare (2000). It also appears in Christopher Priest's novel The Prestige. The phenomenon is discussed in an episode of The X-Files titled "Fight Club" and in several season two episodes of Alcoa Presents One Step Beyond, including "Dead Ringer."

A mysterious story involving Soviet author Yevgeny Petrov inspired the film Envelope (2012), which stars Kevin Spacey.

Bilocation is a central idea in Stephen King's fiction novel The Outsider, and the book includes real-life references on one occasion.