We would lift our subject all the way up..shoulder high..it was as if they were actually weightless. It took no effort at all. The trip back down was just as easy. We did some pretty big kids too..the actual weight made no difference. I've thought about this game off and on for a few years and wondered what it was really all about, where it originated and how common it was/is. I guess it was just some sort of "mind over matter" thing.