10 Epic Lessons Derren Brown Taught Us About Life

8. Phobias Are Totally Curable

More so, they can be cured in 51 seconds. Derren explains this odd-sounding phobia cure in his book "Tricks Of The Mind", which has proven an effective method.

So how do you do it?

1. Start by thinking of a memory that features the phobia: those memories that makes your hairs stand on end and your stomach feel like you've just glugged an Activia factory.

2. Close your eyes and play that memory as it it were a movie, imagining yourself sat at the back of a cinema. The movie itself is projected in very shaky black-and-white film, in which you star, playing yourself.

3. Imagine a time you've felt confident, strong and powerful. Try to capture that feeling as you're watching the movie.

4. Watch the whole thing to the end with some comedy music to accompany (Peter Griffin's "Surfin' Bird" is a personal favourite). When you reach the end of the movie, make the picture turn to colour as you jump in and congratulate your younger self on being so brave.

5. Now, looking from the eyes of your younger self, rewind the whole film and watch it back at top speed.

What We Learnt...

Phobias are all in your head. When you start to work out what ticks in those four walls they call a skull, you begin to notice you can control it. Replacing previous triggers with rational, helpful responses can not only make you feel stronger; they'll save you from wetting yourself next time there's a spider in the bathroom.