Bungee jumping, a sport that is fast catching on in Singapore as well as in other parts of the world, is being promoted by one bungee jumping club in Japan as "the way to conquer fear".
Not surprisingly, many sceptics regard bungee jumping as a dangerous activity. But these people also regard it as the ultimate test of courage. They claim that once you have summoned up the courage to leap off a cliff "by faith", you have the courage to face practically any obstacles in life! Two sisters testified over television, "after we realized that we had survived the fall, our very next realization was that we had conquered our fear of fears!"
What actually happens in bungee jumping? To those who are sceptical of the sport, it consists of foolhardy jumpers hurling themselves from cliffs, bridges, high-rise buildings and even hot air balloons. In fact, the greater the height, the more thrilling the experience! A long rubber rope is attached to the jumper's ankles. This rope stretches and rebounds as the jumper allows himself to free-fall from a height of 40 to 100 metres, jerking him up and down like a human yo-yo!
Bungee jumping clubs, of course, insist that the jumpers are not foolhardy at all. They point out that the ropes and equipment for the jumps have been checked carefully by qualified professionals before they are used. All bungee jumpers must also be checked by a doctor before they are allowed to "take the plunge".