We all dream of developing superpowers when we are young, but for most of us (short of finding a handy radioactive spider) dreams is all they will ever be. But the world is a big place and there are people out there who possess some truly incredible powers. Some were born with them and some have developed their skills over the years, but each one of these individuals have unique talents that can only be described as superhuman. Meet 10 people with real life superpowers.
Wim Hof: Mr Freeze
It’s a little known fact, that we as humans have the ability to consciously control our body temperature. Unfortunately to do so, you have to put an awful lot of effort into the yogic wisdom of Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutras…
Wim Hof is one man who has taken this time and effort and is now a master of a technique called Tummo. Using the technique Wim is able to brave Arctic temperatures of -20 degrees C wearing nothing but shorts, climb Moutn Kilimanjaro (again in just his shorts), swim under ice for 66 metres and submerge himself in ice for 1 hour and 13 minutes. Incredible!
Isao Machii: Reflex Man
Isao Machii from Japan has superhuman reflexes which allow him to anticipate the location of an item moving through the air at any given moment. He uses this amazing skill to chop items out of the air using his katana sword and is able to chop up an airsoft pellet fired directly at him at a speed of up to 550 feet per second!
Watch incredible footage of Isao doing just that below.
Liew Thow Lin: The Malaysian Mageneto
Fans of X-Men will know that arch villain Magneto has the gift of magnestism. Well Liew Thow Lin, an 80 year old Malaysian man, has similar real life powers. To the amazement of audiences at charity events worldwide, he has been able to draw up to 36 kilograms worth of metal objects (weighing no more than 2 kg each) to his body, where they stick to his skin. In fact with just a metal plate stuck to his Stomach, Liew can pull a 1.5 tonne car.
The secret of his power is actually a genetic deformity, which causes his skin to have very high levels of friction and creates a suction effect.
Liew’s amazing powers have been featured on the Discovery Channel. You can watch a clip below.
Stephen Wiltshire: The Human Camera
Stephen Wiltshire has a quite incredible photographic memory. He is able to recreate intricate detail on huge buildings, just from an image in his mind. Amazingly, after one flyover of New York City he was able to produce an image with every single building in the right place.
The video below shows Stephen flying over Rome in a helicopter before drawing a panoramic view of what he saw, entirely from memory.
Dean Karnazes: Ultramarathon Man
Marathon runner Dean Karnazes is known as ultramarathon man and his levels of endurance are quite incredible. His many impressive feats include running 350 kilometres non stop (going 3 nights without sleep) and running 50 marathons in 50 states on 50 consecutive days (2006).
It is thought that Dean’s superhuman endurance comes from his body being able to reduce build up of lactic acid, which is what gives you the burning sensation and tells you it’s time to stop running!
In one of Dean’s endurance races he can burn an incredible 30,000 calories and a hungry Dean has even ordered takeout pizza to be delivered to him in the middle of a race!
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Rathakrishnan Velu: Jaws
When he was a teenager, Rathakrishnan Velu met an Indian guru who taught him how to channel all his power to one body part. Rathakrishnan Velu used this knowledge to develop jaws of steel.
Using only his jaws Rathakrishnan managed to pull a 297 ton train a distance of 2.8 metres. Not surprisingly this broke the world record… fortunately it didn’t break his teeth!
Natasha Demkina: X-Ray Girl
From a young age, Natasha Demkina has claimed to be able to see into the body of a person and observe exactly what is happening with their organs. While skeptics have challenged this ability, Natasha has correctly diagnosed a number of people and has the support of many Doctors. A Discovery Channel documentary showed Natasha correctly identifying a mass on a man’s lung, which was later diagnosed as sarcoidus granuloma.
Tim Cridland: Zamora The Torture King
What’s your pain threshold like? If you’re anything like me the answer will be not very high. One man has a freakishly high pain threshold is Tim Cridland, aka The Torture King. Over the years Tim has swallowed swords, skewered his body, eaten fire and even driven nails into wood with his bare hands.
The secret is that pain is all in the mind and Tim has trained his to ignore pain. He also knows where to skewer himself to produce the least amount of blood!
Michel Lotito: The Man Who Eats Everything
You know those annoying times when you are hungry, but there’s nothing in the fridge to snack on? Well that’s certainly not a problem for Frenchman Michel Lotito! Over the years this entertainer has munched his way through pretty much everything including rubber, glass, metal, dirt and rocks. He even munched his way through a Cessna plane (although it did take him two years).
He is able to eat these as he unusually thick lining in his stomach and intestines and a rare condition known as Pica, which actually means he has an appetite for them! It is estimated that between 1959 and 1997 he ate 9 tonnes of metal. Crazy!
Javier Botet: Fleximan
Javier Botet has a rare condition known as Marfan Syndrome, which causes him to be unusually tall with long and thin arms and legs. The condition also allows him to contort himself in quite incredible ways due to the effect on his joints. Botet has used the condition to his advantage and developed a successful career in the film industry, recently starring in the Guillermo Del Torro film Mama.