We often talk about the benefits of practising the Wim Hof method, whether it be the use
of his breathing techniques or cold therapy.
However, I thought it would be worthwhile discussing the psychology of Wim Hof, not
least because his achievements actually extend beyond just cold therapy.
He's claimed the Guinness World Record for the longest swim under ice, but what's equally
impressive is he's also managed to cope with the heat, as he ran a half marathon through
the Namib Desert without drinking any water.
It's the variety of how he's pushed himself that makes me curious about his mindset, as
beyond just physical accomplishments, achieving such results in different tasks requires an
understanding of psychology.
It's similar to David Goggins, the NAVY Seal hard man who has made his name for pushing
his body to limits we didn't think possible, something he attributes heavily to his mindset.
Now, to clarify, this isn't to speak about what's been mentioned before, such as how
NeuroImage has published articles explaining how Wim Hof is able to artificially induce
stress responses in his body.
Rather, I want to focus on his psychology and mindset, and why he's able to mentally
cope with such extreme feats, including the influence his mind has on the brain.
This is actually related to the third pillar of the Wim Hof Method, which is commitment,
and focuses on having the correct mindset to follow through with the other two pillars,
breathing and cold therapy.
So, let's take a look at the mindset of the Iceman.
Belief Mindset
The first and probably most crucial step for Wim Hof is his unquestionable belief in his
techniques and methods.
He has said on numerous questions that not only does he believe in them, but that's it's
our natural way of being and often the studies conducted on him coincide with this beliefs,
reinforcing them.
This strength in resolve is why he's committed to what he does and is so willing to push
forth in testing himself in extreme environments, often with great success.
And the thing is, this mindset is common amongst those who achieve high levels of success in
life.
When you hear many people who have achieved great things in life, they'll almost always
say how they believed in themselves in good times and bad, unwavering at the prospect
of hitting failures along the way.
This is why commitment is a pillar in the Wim Hof method, because if you don't believe
in what you practise, it's hard to commit to it in a way that will be of benefit to
you, resulting in you likely failing or not progressing beyond a certain point.
Numbing Pain
So we've identified that mindset is absolutely crucial as the first step, but how does it
affect the brain?
Well, here's where things can often be quite interesting.
Otto Muzik, of Wayne State University's School of Medicine, studied Wim Hof and his methods.
In his findings, he found that when exposed to cold, Wim Hof activates a part of the brain
that releases opioids and cannabinoids into the body, something we've previously discussed
on the channel.
These can inhibit the signals in the brain responsible for telling your body you are
feeling pain or cold and actually trigger the release of dopamine and serotonin.
This actually makes you temporarily feel good, rather than discomfort when exposed to extreme
conditions.
As Muzik says, “your brain has the power to modify your pain perception”.
Pain and in Wim Hof's case, the feeling of cold, are your body’s way of telling you
there's a problem.
This is usually done for survival, but in Wim Hof's case, using his methods to alter
his psychological and physical response means he inhibits the feels, thus numbing the pain.
Sometimes, this is necessary to do, such as a situation where you might be in danger and
have to overcome some pain to survive.
Increasing Neuroplasticity
While we talk about physical responses, where things can often get really interesting is
understanding what this means for the brain, as the ability to push ourselves in ways beyond
our comfort can lead to increased neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections
throughout life.
In essence, the reason you develop and grow when you push yourself is because of the effect
of neuroplasticity, helping you adapt and develop.
Now, in the Wim Hof method, this is seen by the physical changes of his brain through
the use of his techhniques.
However, it expands in all aspects of life, as found in a study conducted in 2006, which
looked into the brains of London taxi drivers compared to bus drivers.
Taxi drivers had more grey matter in their hippocampus, which is the center of hand-eye
coordination skills, due to a higher level of navigational skills as they had to be more
dynamic in driving people around London, rather than having a set route.
What This Means For You
So now that we have a better understanding of how our mindset and psychology play a role
in how we develop and grow as indivduals and the physical changes that occur, what does
this actually mean for you?
Well, if we go back to Wim Hof and his methods, it helps in the process of adaptation to extreme
conditions, which is why he's been able to traverse cold and hot environments in ways
people wouldn't have previously thought possible.
And while the average person might not go to such lengths, as humans we're extremely
adaptable, which is why so many have successfully adopted his techniques, as found in a 2011
study, conducted by Radboud University.
However, it's not limited to the Wim Hof method.
Going back to what I said at the start of this video, many of those who are successful
have said they have incredible belief in their ability to succeed.
This often goes to pushing themselves in ways they may not have previously thought possible.
As with the Wim Hof method, the response is usually the brain learns to adapt and grow
with neuroplasticity, which helps their level of competency in particularly skills.
Not only does this help us better understand the psychology of the Iceman, but also helps
us understand how we might be able to achieve similar results in other aspects of our lives.
Are you interested in the psychology of Wim Hof?
Let me know in the comments section below.
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