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Interesting. There has been at least one study about him and his techniques: Healthy volunteers practicing the learned techniques exhibited profound increases

Interesting. There has been at least one study about him and his techniques: Healthy volunteers practicing the learned techniques exhibited profound increases in the release of epinephrine, which in turn led to increased production of anti-inflammatory mediators and subsequent dampening of the proinflammatory cytokine response elicited by intravenous administration of bacterial endotoxin. This study could have important implications for the treatment of a variety of conditions associated with excessive or persistent inflammation, especially autoimmune diseases in which therapies that antagonize proinflammatory cytokines have shown great benefit. Full paper: http://www.pnas.org/content/111/20/7379.abstract http://www.pnas.org/content/111/20/7379.abstract

johnchristopher 11y ago
It was a bit discussed here two week ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10964515 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10964515 in [“Power pose” research is the latest example of scientific overreach](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10961131 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10961131) > Thanks HN for making a graduated psychology student more critical. When I was studying psychology at uni I had no help from peers in being critical with regards to psychology. It's a lot harder being critical when no one really challenges your thoughts on the subject. > Now on to a method that does invoke "neuroendocrine and behavioral changes". The Wim Hof Method, it takes about 10 minutes to do to feel a strong effect IMO. Don't want to hijack the topic but I thought it was a fitting counter example :) > The results are also not barely statistical significant, it's more like 5 deviations away from the norm with regards to their main RQ. > Paper is here: http://www.pnas.org/content/111/20/7379.full http://www.pnas.org/content/111/20/7379.full > Claims about behavioral changes are mine (and I'm just a guy on the web who takes cold showers every day), the research team focused on immune response. But as you can see in their charts about the adrenaline boost one gets, behavioral change occurs in my experience at least.
- mettamage 11y ago
  I still stand by those statements :)
lukev 11y ago
If I read the methods correctly, then how does this fall into the category of "learned behavior"? Exposing the body to these temperature extremes, which are far outside the norms most of us experience and which must induce borderline hypothermia, surely has its own physiological effect. I don't doubt the effect can be beneficial, but that seems squarely in the camp of physical treatment as opposed to "thinking" yourself into a different bodily state.
- horsecaptin 11y ago
  I think perhaps people look at Wim Hof and think, "ok so I have to go swimming in a lake of snow to make this work. Cold showers are pretty awesome - you'll need all of your will-power to get into one, after a minute or two of discomfort your body will adjust -- especially if you think warm thoughts. And you'll come out feeling great!
- mettamage 11y ago
  To avoid confusion read my answer on cognitive science stack exchange. While it is just an opinion, it is quite an informed one. I participated in the study above. Our final challenge was walking on a ski mountain for 2.5 hours -7 degrees celsius with shorts and shoes. You could bring a hat for style points (I did :) ) but no shirt. Once in a lifetime experience: hugging people in ski-suits who were on vacation while I was dressed like I'd go to a summer pool party. http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/10651/does-wim-hof-really-consciously-control-his-autonomic-nervous-systemx http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/10651/does-wim-hof... I agree with you on the idea it's not classical conditioning. The WHM has 3 components: cold exposure, breathing technique and the right mindset (mindset is akin to optimism but it is more stereotypical game-shaman like, e.g. "the cold is your friend."). IMO the breathing technique produces the biggest effect, then cold exposure itself and the mindset acts like an amplification of what you learned. In my subjective experience I'd ratio the effects as 41/39/20 (breathing,exposure,mindset).
  - iamcurious 11y ago
    Impressive. Can you point to some references regarding the breathing technique?
deleted 11y ago
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johnchristopher 11y ago

It was a bit discussed here two week ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10964515 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10964515 in [“Power pose” research is the latest example of scientific overreach](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10961131 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10961131) > Thanks HN for making a graduated psychology student more critical. When I was studying psychology at uni I had no help from peers in being critical with regards to psychology. It's a lot harder being critical when no one really challenges your thoughts on the subject. > Now on to a method that does invoke "neuroendocrine and behavioral changes". The Wim Hof Method, it takes about 10 minutes to do to feel a strong effect IMO. Don't want to hijack the topic but I thought it was a fitting counter example :) > The results are also not barely statistical significant, it's more like 5 deviations away from the norm with regards to their main RQ. > Paper is here: http://www.pnas.org/content/111/20/7379.full http://www.pnas.org/content/111/20/7379.full > Claims about behavioral changes are mine (and I'm just a guy on the web who takes cold showers every day), the research team focused on immune response. But as you can see in their charts about the adrenaline boost one gets, behavioral change occurs in my experience at least.

mettamage 11y ago
I still stand by those statements :)

lukev 11y ago

If I read the methods correctly, then how does this fall into the category of "learned behavior"? Exposing the body to these temperature extremes, which are far outside the norms most of us experience and which must induce borderline hypothermia, surely has its own physiological effect. I don't doubt the effect can be beneficial, but that seems squarely in the camp of physical treatment as opposed to "thinking" yourself into a different bodily state.

horsecaptin 11y ago
I think perhaps people look at Wim Hof and think, "ok so I have to go swimming in a lake of snow to make this work. Cold showers are pretty awesome - you'll need all of your will-power to get into one, after a minute or two of discomfort your body will adjust -- especially if you think warm thoughts. And you'll come out feeling great!
mettamage 11y ago
To avoid confusion read my answer on cognitive science stack exchange. While it is just an opinion, it is quite an informed one. I participated in the study above. Our final challenge was walking on a ski mountain for 2.5 hours -7 degrees celsius with shorts and shoes. You could bring a hat for style points (I did :) ) but no shirt. Once in a lifetime experience: hugging people in ski-suits who were on vacation while I was dressed like I'd go to a summer pool party. http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/10651/does-wim-hof-really-consciously-control-his-autonomic-nervous-systemx http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/10651/does-wim-hof... I agree with you on the idea it's not classical conditioning. The WHM has 3 components: cold exposure, breathing technique and the right mindset (mindset is akin to optimism but it is more stereotypical game-shaman like, e.g. "the cold is your friend."). IMO the breathing technique produces the biggest effect, then cold exposure itself and the mindset acts like an amplification of what you learned. In my subjective experience I'd ratio the effects as 41/39/20 (breathing,exposure,mindset).
- iamcurious 11y ago
  Impressive. Can you point to some references regarding the breathing technique?

deleted 11y ago

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