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I twist my fingers into the rough seam. My skin, cracked and bloodied, leaves glistening burgundy marks every time I readjust. My heart beats wildly, pumping oxygen-starved blood through my veins. Deep breaths at 13,000 feet feel neither deep nor like a real breath at all. I gaze upwards, feet balancing on dime edges, taking in the next ten feet and trying not to think of the remaining hundred after that. The top of the Diamond, closer than I had ever been before, looks as far away as a distant planet.

Shifting my weight, I bring one hand away from the cold rock face and shake it wildly. The lactic acid in my forearm burns with a relentless pump. I press my hand back into the rock and repeat the motion with the other. As I switch between stances, equalizing a tenuous position, my eyes focus on the textured granite in front of me. I notice every swirl of black, grey, and tan mixed together with specks of white chalk. My hands, curled into half-closed fists, jam into the crack like two anchors against an ocean of gravity threatening to wash me off the wall. I glance down at my partner, a red dot leaning into the wind. “I’m going for it!” I yell at him. His words float up, buoying me against the tide of my own doubts. “I’m with you!” he responds. I return my gaze to the crack in front of me. My eyes follow its meandering path. Wide enough for my fists, it slowly tapers into a thin fissure higher up. I grit my teeth and reach for the next constriction. My feet dig into flakes as thin as cereal. I push higher, fighting for success, for safety, for the very air itself, karate-chopping my fingers into the crack with a speed born of desperation.

Time is endless, enduring, until suddenly - it stops. My hands wrap around flat edges as big as dinner plates. I pull my body onto a grassy ledge, the first horizontal feature I’ve encountered since stepping into the vertical world. My mind, subdued with the silence of intense effort, warms back to life as sunshine floods my body and eases the stiffness in my joints. I look down, the glitter of Chasm Lake winking back amidst a sprawl of trees and talus. I look up into the canvas of a bluebird sky. There is no higher place than the summit of my first 14’er.

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The Iceman (Wim Hof) uses incredible mental control to combat and expand his boundaries of comfort!

Joshua, L. (2018, May 22). Science Explains How the Iceman Resists Cold. Article retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/science-explains-how-iceman-resists-extreme-cold-180969134/

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MRI scans reveal that Wim Hof artificially induces a stress response in his brain

smithsonian.com

Finland's Arctic circle might not seem like a great place to run a marathon barefoot and in shorts-unless you're Wim Hof. Hof, better known as "The Iceman," has attained roughly two dozen world records by completing marvellous feats of physical endurance in conditions that would kill others. Yet even he was understandably nervous the night before his 26-mile jaunt at -4 degrees Fahrenheit.

"What did I get myself into?" he recalls thinking. But from the moment his bare toes hit the snow, he began to feel "surprisingly good."

The 59-old Dutchman has climbed Mount Everest in Nepal and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania-Africa's tallest peak-wearing shorts. "I've done about anything I can fantasize about in the cold," Hof said in an interview. He holds the Guinness World Record for longest swim under ice, and has also endured the extremes of dry heat, running a half marathon through the Namib Desert without drinking any water.

Athletes aren't the only ones interested in these feats. Now doctors have put the Iceman's brain-and body- on ice in an effort to better understand the mental and physical mechanisms that allow Hof to seemingly defy the laws of nature. Otto Musik, a pediatrician in Wayne State University's School of Medicine and his coauthors recently put Hof into a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine while exposing him to cold water and analyzed what happened inside his body.

The results, published recently in a study in the journal NeuroImage, might at first sound more like mumbo jumbo than fact: Researchers found that Hof is able to use his mind to artificially induce a stress response in his body that helps him resist the effects of cold. Musik frames it as a case of "brain over body," in which Hof activates an internal painkiller function by conducting breathing exercises, then exposing himself to a threat like extreme, sudden cold.

"By accident or by luck he found a hack into the physiological system," Musik says. He adds that this "hack" allows Hof to feel euphoric while in a freezing cold environment that would be unpleasant in normal circumstances. The researchers tested Hof's responses alongside around 30 control subjects.

The pediatrician had conducted other research on the way the human body reacts to extreme temperatures. When he heard about a man who sits in buckets of ice cubes for hours at a time and walks up the Himalayas like it was a summer stroll through a wine vineyard, he was intrigued.

Hof attributes his success to what he has dubbed the Wim Hof Method, a type of conditioning that involves a series of breathing exercises he says anyone can replicate. Rather than by luck or accident, Hof says he learned his technique by trial and error while going out into nature: "I had to find the interconnection of my brain together with my physiology."

The technique first requires relaxation; Hof says he must find a comfortable place to lie down like a sofa or bed. Then he begins a series of deep breathing exercises for several minutes, often prompting a kind of tingling in parts of his body-a sign of hypocapnia, or low carbon dioxide in his blood. "That's what nature meant us to do, breathe deep when we are stressed," Hof says.

To a degree, Musik's research supports Hof's hypothesis. After Hof went through his preparation exercises to induce this effect, Musik put the Iceman into the MRI machine in a special suit they shot through with shot cold water and hot water in five minute intervals. Some previous research has shown that this exercise makes Hof's blood more alkaline, since it becomes saturated with oxygen.

Musik found that, when exposed to cold, Hof activates a part of the brain that releases opioids and cannabinoids into the body. These components can inhibit the signals responsible for telling your body you are feeling pain or cold, and trigger the release of dopamine and serotonin. The result, Musik says, is a kind of euphoric effect on the body that lasts for several minutes.

"Your brain has the power to modify your pain perception," he says, adding that this mechanism is particularly important for human survival. Pain, and the feeling of cold, are basically your body's way of telling you something is wrong. Since humans instinctively look to remove the source of pain or alleviate any sensation of cold, feeling hurt can help us survive.

But the pain mechanism isn't always useful. Musik gives the hypothetical example of someone spraining their ankle while being chased by a tiger. Many won't actually feel the sprain in the thick of the moment since your brain senses the greater danger presented by the tiger. It makes use of opioids and cannabinoids to inhibit pain signals to allow you to run away and save yourself despite the injured foot. "Your ankle is not important in this context," Musik says.

Rather than being a study of brain over body, the research really parallels other work on how mental training of a particular skill can prompt changes in the brain, says Magda Osman, an associate professor of experimental psychology at the University of London. One study in 2006 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, ostensibly due to a higher level of navigational skills.

"When we spend a vast amount of time cultivating our mental and physical skills, this translates into neurological differences when compared to those that don't practice these skills to the same degree," says Osman.

Musik's study offers a twist to this thinking: It shows that breathing, often thought of as an automatic skill, can be willfully controlled. Harnessing breathing can result in increased activity in the parts of the brain that deal with thought and action, Osman says, which over time can lead to significant physical changes.

Yet stress-induced analgesia, Hof attests, will only last a few minutes at best. For him to continue his ability to resist the feeling of cold, Musik believes that his body needs to anticipate the continued effect, which in turn actually helps his body maintain the state it's in.

"The placebo effect is real," he says. "This is actually by generating in your cortex a certain expectation, and this expectation is fulfilled." He adds that the expectation triggers the release of more opioids, serotonin, and dopamine in a kind of self-fulfilling cycle. In other words, the longer that people jump into holes in the ice practicing this method, the easier it could get as they get more confident in their expectations.

There may not be any pressing need for the world's population to learn how to run barefoot through the snow, Hof says, but the technique could have other uses. Some of Hof's patients claim the method has helped them reduce eczema symptoms or other autoimmune conditions.

While he isn't totally clear on the biological processes that help Hof resist frostbite, Musik does thinks Hof's method might actually suppress tissue swelling and other immune reactions. He and his coauthors write that Hof and his followers' abilities to take more control of their autonomous systems might have implications in dealing with clinical syndromes.

However, while Hof's method may work for short periods in terms of tricking the mind into ignoring extreme cold, it is less clear how the technique might help human bodies resist the physical effects that one might expect from climbing snowy mountains in shorts. (Nor does it explain being able to survive in the desert without water.)

"You can think whatever you want but your body still freezes and you are dead," Musik says.

About Joshua Rapp Learn

Joshua Rapp Learn is a D.C.-based journalist who writes about science, culture and the environment. He has crossed the Sahara Desert, floated down the Amazon River and explored in more than 50 countries.

Read more from this author | Follow @JoshuaLearn1

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Science Explains How the Iceman Resists Extreme Cold

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smithsonian.com Finland's Arctic circle might not seem like a great place to run a marathon barefoot and in shorts-unless you're Wim Hof. Hof, better known as "The Iceman," has attained roughly two dozen world records by completing marvellous feats of physical endurance in conditions that would kill others.

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Alex Honnold is a world-renowned climber and free soloist, meaning that he climbs huge rock faces with no safety gear whatsoever (different from free climbing, which still uses ropes). The boundaries of Honnold's comfort zone have been expanded to the point of extremes. Is there such a thing as having too large of a comfort zone? Is what Honnold does worth it?

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El Sendero Luminoso ft. Alex Honnold | The North Face

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My post from a few weeks ago about the Iceman, Wim Hof, and his ability to withstand extreme cold inspired me to do more research into the comfort zone of the body. Hof believes that technological advancement, specifically control of our environments, has caused our bodies to stop evolving and adapting to temperature change. As humans, our ability to withstand the elements is incredible, but now lies dormant because we don't have to deal with extreme weather anymore. This article confirms Hof's beliefs by getting into the scientific data and explanations behind our body's physiological and biological responses to environmental stress.

Source:
Waite-Chuah, S. (2012 December). Living in the Comfort Zone: At What Cost? Journal of Record, 5(6), 386-390.

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Mind/Body Separation
I decided to do some fieldwork in regards to mental training and expanding comfort zones. I did this by taking a clinic from renowned mental expert in climbing, Arno Ilgner.

For an entire day, he taught me different ways to approach the fear of falling on a rope - how to land appropriately, how to adjust my body, and how to fine-tune my mind to get used to the sensation.

We also went over movement drills to address in-the-moment decision making when our minds start to overanalyze and cause our body to freeze. Arno taught me a process that separated the body from the mind, essentially concentrating on them as two types of attention.

Mind's Transition Process: the time to stop, rest, and think. This transition process gives space for the mind to consider possible options in the future and to plan things out.

Body's Action Process: the time to breath, move, and take action. Once the mind has gone through its thinking, it's the body's turn to take over and do it's thing.

Separating these two concepts not only made a huge difference in my climbing, but in my life in general. I've found so many instances when my mind takes over too much, when the mental chatter drowns out my intuition. Being aware of this process and consciously taking time to think first, and THEN act, has allowed me to make decisions in a more efficient way.

What are some situations in your life where you might benefit from this brain/body separation?

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Getting outside of our comfort zone can lead us to incredible places. Have you ever experienced a scary or uncomfortable journey, only to reach a great view or destination at the end?

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Fear and Fearlessness
"Because of fearism, taught systemically by our cultures, most of us have not well “studied” fear and fearlessness, and mostly we have abandoned the ongoing research into these phenomenon and their knowledges. That’s because a good fear education (analogous to say good “sex education”) has been discouraged
(by ‘fear’ itself). Mostly, we assume we’ve discovered most of what we already need to know; and thus, in fear of knowing all about fear (‘fear’) we tend to assume, and lack the full curiosity to inquiry ongoing."
-R. Michael Fischer, Ph.D.

I found the above quote and following PDF article by R. Michael Fischer fascinating. He touches on the concept that the management of fear is transdisciplinary, in that the concept is able to be explored across time and culture within a variety of platforms such as anthropology, ethnology,
ethology, communications, law, arts, theology, business, education, philosophy, sociology, criminology, religion, spirituality, etc.

Fear, then, unites us all. How might we confront fear within ourselves AND as a collective society, with positive results?

Source:

Fischer, R. M. (2010). World's Fearless Teachings: Radical Approach to Fear Management/Education. In Search of Fearlessness Institute.

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When I first began this Curiosity Project, my initial research revolved around the exploration of fear and how it affects our comfort zone. As the weeks progressed, I learned more about what 'comfort zone' actually means. It turns out, fear is simply a product of pushing the boundaries of our perceived 'comfort zone'. In order to manage our fear, we must not focus on the fear itself. Raising awareness of why we are fearful and asking questions within that context does more to alleviate fear than just trying to overcome the fear itself.

I was initially researching the mental aspect of fear and comfort zones, but my findings also led me to the physical side as well. I became very interested in the breathing techniques and cold-exposure methods of Wim Hof. His training is verified from third-party scientists and multiple studies. He pushes the physical comfort zone of his body in order to adapt and ultimately control his immune system's response to environmental stress and disease. Getting outside of a physical comfort zone tied in well with my underlying goal of discovering more about myself as a person, and motivated me to sign up for an introductory class that outlines Wim Hof's breathing techniques. The class is tonight (Wednesday) and I'm so excited to see how it goes!! I wouldn't have discovered this new interest were it not for the Curiosity Project. I'm happy to have embarked on this journey and am looking forward to continuing it.

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This is an example of 'highball bouldering,' a small niche within the climbing community.

Bouldering = climbing with no ropes but you fall on padded mats below.

Highball bouldering = same as regular bouldering but generally climbing 15 feet or higher.

In the photo, I'm experiencing a moment of discomfort since I'm pretty high up. However, I utilized the mental training I learned from Arno Ilgner and kept it together by separating my mind from my body. I stayed calm and executed the moves in the moment.

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I am researching the science of love, essentially, and my fieldwork question this week is: Name a physical reaction you experience from pure emotion? Your reaction to fear is so interesting to me. I, myself, am not an adrenaline girl but I love that you push yourself while maintaining control. Mrs. Lew has a similar experience when she thinks about running the rivers that she wishes to. She also mentioned that she's thankful to notice the changes in her heart rate, or body, and work through them with breathe work  and a mantra. Thanks for sharing!
Talon

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The concept of fear has always fascinated me. From a young age I liked to push the boundaries of my own fear in calculated, controlled ways. I climbed trees and buildings in an effort to see how far I could get. Nowadays I climb rocks in the same fashion. I don't believe I am fearless; in fact, I have a lot of fear. But over the years I have found ways to activate my fear in a productive way, rather than allow it to hold me back.

I want to use this Padlet blog to further explore what fear means to everyone, and how we may utilize it to our advantage.