Intro
There are many fascinating facets, that make up the work and experience of this crazy Dutchman named Wim Hof. The aim of this article is to give some slight introduction into his work, and the implications of some of it.
If you already are well versed in all things Wim Hof then. Skip down to the bottom for links to interviews, videos, etc.
Wim, has been a proponent of a particular kind of breathing technique / cold water therapy / meditation. Dressed up into a sort of healthy mind + body lifestyle. Many of these practices have been apart of his life for many years, and helped him come through some trying times in his life.
He is normally cast as sort of a hybrid between extreme athlete, freak of nature and esoteric guru.
This good natured, and lovable ‘Iceman’ has really started to gain in popularity over the past several years. Attempting to explain to the world, concepts such as the conscious power of attention, intention, and most importantly the possibilities of the human body.
Part 1
With a nickname like the iceman, it only seems right to start there.
What he (Wim) is probably most known for is cold water therapy. What the hell is cold water therapy? For some of you who have been engaged in playing a lot of sports. You will be quite familiar with the basic concept of it. The idea of icing different parts of the human body that are sore, swollen, and painful. None of that seems odd or different. Neither is using cold water, and ice to prevent these ailments or byproducts of physical activity from occurring. Or at the least decreasing the effects of them.
This type of techniques are used by professional athletes, amateurs, and health nuts alike. What does separate him from the normal 20 minute ice bath. After a hard days workout.
He takes it many steps further by getting into below freezing water temperatures. For hours and hours on end. During which sessions, it seems he goes into a sort of quasi exploration of his inner world.
The holder of 26 different Guinness World Records, Wim is no stranger to extreme situations.
For those, with a skeptical mindset, if I am still lucky enough to have your ear. The words, that are typed on this page. Are not just anecdotal evidence, and subjective experience. Wim has undergone many, scientific studies. Under the close watchful observation of the scientist in the white coat, and his technological instruments of measurement.
For me the most interesting study, goes like this.
Laying, down in a hospital bed, monitored with the assistance of wires, sensors, IV tubes, all feeding information into machines that monitored his heart rate, brain activity, blood pressure, and many aspects of bodily function. You get the picture. What these group of scientists wanted to test was the propagated theory of the Iceman. That under the conscious control of his mind, he could influence the endocrine system. The one that fights off infection and controls the famous white blood cells. The body’s personal army of soldiers, stamped with a ticket for seek and destroy missions to take out any newly induced pathogen infections. Including a whole host of other bodily functions.
Wim said he could do it. And in the mind of many scientists. This is only pure speculation on my part, but I would imagine that they wanted to prove this person (Wim Hof) wrong. Based on my assumption that the scientists leading this experiment believe in a brain centered viewpoint of human biology and physiology. That humans are just made up chemicals, and that based on certain chemical signatures, activated in the brain = well
Basically all of reality.
Okay, Okay, enough speculating. Back to the experiment.
They tested, him. Injecting him with an Endotoxin infection.
Also, known as the common cold. For the scientists running the experiment they were most surprised when Wim, had the most curious reaction to this infection. That still leaves many, puzzled. He was able to prevent fever, fighting the infection.
No fever. No raised body temperature.
Sweat did not form at the top of his brow. He stayed healthy. As if the virus he was injected with had zero effect on him. Even though it induces the common cold symptoms of runny/stuffy nose, sore throat, and coughing.
None of that happened. They ran this experiment several times, and under double-blind conditions. Meaning that they had other test subjects that were given the same infection, and those people got sick within minutes.
To be clear, I am NOT trying to say that, we have no need for hospitals, doctors, because of this Wim character. But even with a rather skeptical mind, it seems that our body can learn to be influenced to enact its natural defense systems. In ways, that at least modern science believed to be impossible.
Wim would be one of the first to say, that if you have serious injuries that going to a proper hospital is in order. But it is fansticaing to speculate what possibilities we might have as more and more people hop on the Wim Hof train.
Could we one day, be living in a world. Where millions of people use these types of techniques to live longer, happier, and healthier lives.
So he gets in cold water, what else does this guy do?
Part 2
For one he climbed to the base camp of Mt. Everest which is a 5,150 meters or 16,900 feet.
In nothing more than shorts, and no oxygen tank strapped to his back.
Let that sink in for a few moments.
You don’t have to be a hiking expert to know that is crazy. Mt Everest is fucking cold, and good look even trying to think mentally map how high up 5,000+ meters is.
Does Wim, have some sort of superhuman abilities, that the rest of us can only dream of or read about in comic books.
Some of you reading, might be thinking that, and to be honest. I did as well for my first couple of months of looking into this strange world of Wim Hof and his techniques. My little (bitch) inside prevents, me from much of the cold water. But I have done, it in the past, and hopefully will do more of it in the future. But one thing that has really fun for me to personally explore, has been ‘Holotropic Breathing’.
It’s sort of a technique of hyperventilating or breathing in more air than you exhale over an extended period of time. Causing your body to become Alkaline, and when you do this, it allows you to hold your breath for much longer than normal. Even gotten up to 2 minutes =). It feels, to me atleast that while doing this breathing exercise, I clean out my lungs in a way. Causing them to stretch, and compress. My mind, feels quite clear afterwards, perhaps this is how a snake feels after it sheds an old layer of skin. Leaving it behind on the forest floor.
There are many more aspects of Wim Hof the iceman, I would like to discuss in future posts. But for the sake of brevity. Just wanted to hit a few of the more top level highlights. Also, one of the best parts of someone like Wim, is that all of us can participate. Go to his website if your interest has been peaked by any of this. The best way to know if something is bullshit or not, try it for yourself. Your own unique personal experience, and the importance of it can never be understated. Using it and other belief systems, such as fact based science to create your own ‘weltanschauung’ or worldview.
Engage with this post.
Would love to hear your thoughts =)
Video Podcasts
Science on the Rocks
https://scienceontherocks.org/episode4-talking-about-fear-wim-hof/
Joe Rogan
Russell Brand
Reading Links
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110422090203.htm
