How to Biohack Fear With Bungy Jumping

Learn the science of fear and how to overcome it

For five years I helped to build, promote, and operate bungy jump sites throughout Japan and China. In that time I bungy jumped hundreds of times and helped to coach hundreds more to take the leap of bridges as high as 250 meters. Everyone, including myself, is scared the first time. However, not everyone handles the fear the same.

Fear is a strong emotion. It has evolved as a survival mechanism over millions of years to keep our species alive. When placed in a survival situation that is dangerous or life-threatening fear will trigger an instinctive set of chemical responses throughout your body. This fight-or-flight reaction happens on a subconscious level.

But can bungy jumping help you learn to biohack fear and improve your performance?

Extreme athletes, high performers, and neuroscience say it can.

Over the past 30 years, elite performers have pushed the boundaries of human performance farther than it has in the previous 150,000 years by mastering the physiological effects of emotions to enhance their physical abilities. A key to their success is the ability to harness fear to dramatically heighten focus. These psychological skills give them the ability to perform at the highest level of human…