Life without Fear is an increasingly popular hands-on course that helps people overcome their phobias and anxiety by putting them through a series of extreme trials, including walking on hot coals, sitting on broken glass, swimming in ice-cold water and even eating pieces of burning cotton.

There are people dealing with fears all around the world. In most western countries experts rely on psychology to help patients confront and beat their phobias. Acknowledging your fears, talking about your problems and visualizing yourself overcoming them are some of the most widely used methods, but in Russia, they have a more direct approach. Life without Fear is a two-day course during which participants go through all kind of extreme challenges and facing their greatest fears head on. Created by Valery Bochkarev, a life coach and fire interaction expert, and Alexander Blagov, a personal trainer and martial arts fighter, Life without Fear relies less on theory and lectures and more on direct contact in order to convince people that fear is just an illusion that can easily be overcome. The main idea is to push participants into doing things they never thought themselves able to, whether it be stopping falling knives with their stomach, dancing with balls of fire or breaking wooden poles with their neck.

During two unforgettable days, participants in the Life without Fear course are transformed into daredevils brave enough to do what most people can only imagine. The classes start off easy, with a short lecture on fear and self confidence, after which attendants have to face their first challenge: standing on a pile of broken glass. Next, they learn to stop falling knives with their stomachs and swim in ice cold water. In the evening of the first day, they’re treated to an amazing fire show and learn the basics of dealing with fire. On the second day of the course, participants have to stand and lie on a bed of nails, break wooden sticks with their necks, walk on hot coals and put burning pieces of cotton in their mouths. Other extreme challenges include getting buried alive, interacting with a Tesla generator and tightrope walking over a lake. Whatever you’re afraid of, Life without Fear promises to help you overcome it and get control of your life in just two days.

 Photos: Life without Fear/VKontakte