00:02:00:01 00:02:03:01 03:00
The results came in, one by one.
00:02:03:04 00:02:09:00 05:21
We collected all the data, and then
the first result emerged. And then the second.
00:02:09:03 00:02:13:23 04:20
VO
Revolutionary research, with revolutionary results.
00:02:14:01 00:02:17:22 03:21
Every few days he would barge into my office
and say:
00:02:18:00 00:02:22:23 04:23
'We've found this! And this!
Now we know how it works!'
00:02:23:01 00:02:26:09 03:08
It was like all the pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place.
00:02:26:12 00:02:29:12 03:00
It was great to be a part of that.
00:02:29:15 00:02:31:22 02:07
VO
A scientific breakthrough.
00:02:43:03 00:02:47:17 04:14
INTERVIEWER
Wim, the wind chill temperature is -15 degrees Celcius.
00:02:47:20 00:02:49:22 02:02
I'm terribly cold right now.
00:02:50:00 00:02:54:02 04:02
And you're walking around like this.
WIM
We've activated certain mechanisms...
00:02:54:05 00:02:56:01 01:21
I have to go!
00:02:57:14 00:03:03:02 05:13
We're warm, because certain mechanisms
have been activated.
00:03:03:05 00:03:07:12 04:07
So we're not cold. For you, it won't work,
because you're clothed.
00:03:13:24 00:03:17:24 04:00
VO
He's famous the world over:
Wim Hof, a.k.a. The Iceman.
TV announcer:
8 o'clock now on a Friday morning, January 25th 2008 - a chilly morning for most folks on the plaza... Really really chilly...
00:03:28:16 00:03:32:08 03:17
VO
He climbed Mount Everest, bare-chested...
00:03:32:11 00:03:37:16 05:05
VO
and ran a half marathon in Lapland,
barefoot. In short, he does the impossible.
00:03:37:19 00:03:41:03 03:09
Interviewer:
It's been two years since we last spoke.
00:03:41:06 00:03:46:05 04:24
There are lots of little Wim Hofs now.
- Yes, it looks like it.
00:03:46:08 00:03:50:23 04:15
VO
In 2011, the Radboud University Medical Centre
examined Wim Hof.
00:03:51:01 00:03:56:23 05:22
Wim Hof came to us claiming he
could influence his immune response.
00:03:57:01 00:03:59:21 02:20
We said, 'No you can't.'
00:03:59:24 00:04:02:20 02:21
But since he'd accomplished so
many extraordinary feats...
00:04:02:23 00:04:06:16 03:18
...we thought, 'Let's give him a chance
to show what he can do.'
00:04:06:19 00:04:10:10 03:16
DOCTOR
Ok, Wim. This is the endotoxin.
00:04:10:13 00:04:13:07 02:19
Just a small dose.
00:04:13:10 00:04:16:20 03:10
This is your last chance to back out,
but I gather...
00:04:16:23 00:04:19:11 02:13
WIM
No, I'm ready.
00:04:20:11 00:04:23:13 03:02
DOCTOR
I'm now going to administer...
WIM
Let battle begin!
00:04:23:16 00:04:27:11 03:20
VO
Wim Hof was administered a dose of harmless dead bacterial cells.
00:04:27:13 00:04:31:03 03:15
There will be no reaction
DOCTOR
There will be no reaction
in the first 90 minutes.
00:04:33:02 00:04:35:17 02:15
WIM
But the body is already working, right?
DOCTOR
Yes, correct.
00:04:35:20 00:04:38:22 03:02
WIM
So I'm OK to start...
DOCTOR
Yes, start meditating.
00:04:39:00 00:04:40:12 01:12
WIM
I'm going to fight it.
00:04:40:15 00:04:43:05 02:15
VO
Ordinarily, this induces a temporary fever.
00:04:43:08 00:04:48:06 04:23
VO
But, remarkably, not for Wim. He had
employed a special meditation technique.
00:04:48:09 00:04:51:04 02:20
Something has happened.
Something good.
00:04:51:07 00:04:55:13 04:06
Back then, Wim Hof
was our only test subject.
00:04:55:16 00:04:59:17 04:01
We've since compared him to 100 other people
who underwent similar screening.
00:04:59:20 00:05:03:17 03:22
What we found was: he was able
to increase his level of stress hormones.
00:05:03:20 00:05:07:04 03:09
We know that they suppress
the activity of the immune system.
00:05:07:07 00:05:11:01 03:19
And, as predicted, we found his count of
inflammation mediators was very low.
00:05:11:04 00:05:15:24 04:20
But one study of one anomalous person
doesn't constitute scientific proof.
00:05:16:02 00:05:20:06 04:04
So we wanted to
compare groups of test subjects:
00:05:20:09 00:05:24:17 04:08
a group trained by Wim Hof,
and an untrained control group.
00:05:28:13 00:05:34:17 06:04
We're very happy to have received a grant
to extend this experiment.
00:05:34:20 00:05:38:12 03:17
These guys who are playing football
in the freezing cold...
00:05:38:15 00:05:44:07 05:17
...went to Poland for a week
and were instructed in his techniques.
00:05:44:10 00:05:49:14 05:04
And we'll see if they, too, are able
to suppress their immune systems.
00:05:49:17 00:05:53:21 04:04
If that does indeed turn out to be the case,
what could it mean?
00:05:53:24 00:05:59:24 06:00
I don't want to get ahead of myself --
Sorry, the cold wind is making me cry!
00:06:00:02 00:06:02:05 02:03
Chilly, isn't it?
- It's freezing!
00:06:03:08 00:06:08:16 05:08
Let's do the tests first,
and see what the results are.
00:06:08:19 00:06:11:17 02:23
Then we'll tell you what they mean.
00:06:11:20 00:06:15:13 03:18
But it would be pretty incredible if you could
consciously influence your immune system.
00:06:15:16 00:06:18:11 02:20
That'd be extraordinary.
- Indeed.
00:06:19:05 00:06:21:22 02:17
VO
Twelve volunteers - all healthy young men -
00:06:22:00 00:06:25:07 03:07
VO
...spent four days training with Wim Hof
in Poland...
00:06:25:10 00:06:28:18 03:08
VO
to learn how to do what he
has been doing for years:
00:06:28:21 00:06:32:00 03:04
VO
withstanding extreme cold.
00:06:33:19 00:06:36:00 02:06
Feel the power of your own body.
00:06:36:03 00:06:40:05 04:02
Initially, we had 24 lads who wanted
to take part in Wim Hof's training programme...
00:06:40:08 00:06:45:18 05:10
...and who had the time to travel to Poland,
and undergo the tests, etc.
00:06:45:21 00:06:51:06 05:10
And so we drew lots to determine
which twelve would go to Poland...
00:06:51:09 00:06:52:23 01:14
...and which twelve wouldn't.
00:06:53:01 00:06:54:21 01:20
We've made it.
00:06:54:24 00:06:57:01 02:02
Well done.
Great power.
00:07:00:23 00:07:02:24 02:01
Well done.
00:07:03:02 00:07:04:20 01:18
There it is.
00:07:31:08 00:07:35:01 03:18
If you don't feel that tingling...
00:07:35:04 00:07:40:06 05:02
...and don't feel that heaviness,
just keep breathing rapidly.
00:07:40:09 00:07:42:20 02:11
Not 10, but 20 breaths per minute.
00:07:42:23 00:07:47:07 04:09
Then five slow breaths
and one last very deep breath.
00:07:47:10 00:07:49:07 01:22
Then it should work.
00:07:53:01 00:07:58:10 05:09
We went out to visit them in Poland.
That was very special...
00:07:58:13 00:08:01:16 03:03
getting to see how Wim worked.
00:08:01:19 00:08:07:21 06:02
He pushed the group hard,
and within days had forged a team spirit.
00:08:07:24 00:08:12:00 04:01
They did some pretty extreme things.
00:08:12:03 00:08:14:11 02:08
Ground-breaking things.
00:08:16:05 00:08:21:14 05:09
We've played for an hour.
The wind chill temperature is -15.
00:08:21:17 00:08:26:01 04:09
They're all warm.
In 20 minutes they'll take an ice bath.
00:08:26:04 00:08:31:11 05:07
Ice water - water is 25 times better
at conducting cold than air.
00:08:31:14 00:08:35:18 04:04
You'll see their natural resistance
will have strengthened after just four days.
00:08:38:19 00:08:43:09 04:15
Within four days, these guys
have greatly improved...
00:08:43:12 00:08:46:03 02:16
...their strength and physiology.
00:08:46:06 00:08:50:07 04:01
Now they know how to get into ice water...
00:08:50:10 00:08:54:22 04:12
...without shaking, shivering or panting...
00:08:55:00 00:08:57:20 02:20
They don't do that anymore.
- That won't happen?
- No. Precisely.
00:09:01:16 00:09:05:21 04:05
The exercise was all about
learning to close your capillaries.
00:09:05:24 00:09:07:24 02:00
Full circle. Go.
00:09:28:11 00:09:30:12 02:01
How did it go?
00:09:31:11 00:09:36:05 04:19
Fine. It's cold, but once you're in control
it's not unpleasant.
00:09:36:08 00:09:40:21 04:13
What on earth made you want to take part?
- It's a great experiment.
00:09:40:24 00:09:43:17 02:18
You're learning...
00:09:45:18 00:09:52:03 06:10
...to train your mind so that you're in control.
It's a powerful feeling.
VO outside hospital:
Just like Wim in 2011, the men are injected with a strain of harmless bacteria, while applying his coping techniques.
00:10:11:01 00:10:13:01 02:00
DOCTOR
Here comes the toxin.
00:10:13:23 00:10:17:24 04:01
VO
The result: nothing happens.
00:10:19:12 00:10:22:20 03:08
Can I ask you how you're feeling, Felix?
00:10:22:23 00:10:27:13 04:15
Nausea on a scale of 0 to 5?
0 being nothing, 1 being a light nausea...
00:10:27:16 00:10:30:00 02:09
...and 5 being the worst you've ever felt.
00:10:30:03 00:10:33:13 03:10
How would you say you're feeling?
FELIX
Zero. Fit as a fiddle.
00:10:33:16 00:10:36:04 02:13
DOCTOR
And the same for headache?
FELIX
Yes.
00:10:36:07 00:10:40:00 03:18
I don't have any symptoms at all.
DOCTOR
Sore muscles?
00:10:40:03 00:10:42:09 02:06
Back pain?
FELIX
No, and no.
00:10:42:12 00:10:45:00 02:13
DOCTOR
Shivering?
FELIX
No.
00:10:45:03 00:10:50:16 05:13
DOCTOR
How would you rate your general physical
condition on a scale of 0 to 10?
00:10:50:19 00:10:53:13 02:19
10 being the worst you've ever felt, 0 being the best.
FELIX
Zero.
00:10:53:16 00:10:58:10 04:19
VO
But only the blood test results
can be considered scientific evidence.
00:10:58:13 00:11:01:00 02:12
This is what it's all about.
00:11:01:03 00:11:03:10 02:07
The test is a lot of work...
00:11:03:13 00:11:06:01 02:13
...and so is the laboratory analysis.
00:11:06:04 00:11:10:14 04:10
I saw you this morning.
You were like a mean machine.
00:11:10:17 00:11:13:11 02:19
Warriors. Thanks, man.
00:11:15:18 00:11:17:05 01:12
Great.
00:11:18:09 00:11:21:15 03:06
Fantastic.
We're gonna conquer the world!
00:11:24:09 00:11:26:14 02:05
VO
Next, it's time for the control group.
00:11:27:22 00:11:31:15 03:18
DOCTORS TALKING
98 and 0.87
00:11:31:18 00:11:34:19 03:01
VO
Men who were not trained by Wim.
00:11:34:22 00:11:38:09 03:12
VO
The outcome: they are shivering, and visibly ill.
00:11:43:14 00:11:47:05 03:16
DOCTORS
Look at his condition.
00:11:47:08 00:11:49:14 02:06
VO
Several months later,
00:11:49:17 00:11:54:03 04:11
VO
...the blood tests of the control group and
Wim Hof's apprentice ice-men are compared in the lab.
00:11:56:20 00:11:59:22 03:02
VO
The findings are remarkable.
00:12:00:00 00:12:02:08 02:08
The point is...
00:12:02:11 00:12:07:11 05:00
...that for the first time,
we have conclusive proof...
00:12:07:14 00:12:12:01 04:12
...that a human being is capable
of voluntarily influencing...
00:12:12:04 00:12:16:09 04:05
...his autonomous nervous system
and immune response.
00:12:16:12 00:12:19:02 02:15
All the textbooks say it's impossible.
00:12:19:05 00:12:22:20 03:15
So the textbooks will have to be rewritten?
- Yes.
00:12:22:23 00:12:24:24 02:01
As simple as that?
- I think so.
00:12:25:02 00:12:26:21 01:19
VO
A scientific breakthrough:
00:12:26:24 00:12:30:01 03:02
VO
proof that our autonomous immune system
can be mentally manipulated -
00:12:30:04 00:12:33:16 03:12
VO
something that, until now, was thought impossible.
00:12:33:19 00:12:37:24 04:05
And we also have some idea
of how they managed this.
00:12:38:02 00:12:41:02 03:00
Basically...
00:12:41:05 00:12:45:20 04:15
the introduction of the bacteria
provokes an immune response.
00:12:45:23 00:12:50:10 04:12
First, inflammatory proteins are released
that activate the immune response...
00:12:50:13 00:12:53:20 03:07
...followed by proteins that suppress
the inflammation.
00:12:53:23 00:12:58:01 04:03
What we found was
that the trained group...
00:12:58:04 00:13:02:02 03:23
...were able to trigger a temporary
stress state in their bodies.
00:13:02:05 00:13:04:05 02:00
Their adrenaline levels increased...
00:13:04:08 00:13:09:02 04:19
...causing the inflammation-suppressing
proteins...
00:13:09:05 00:13:11:19 02:14
...to increase earlier and at a higher rate...
00:13:11:22 00:13:17:15 05:18
...suppressing the inflammation mediators.
00:13:17:18 00:13:22:11 04:18
Let me explain what you're seeing here.
00:13:22:14 00:13:29:08 06:19
Adrenaline is produced by the body
as a reaction to stress.
00:13:29:11 00:13:33:15 04:04
In the untrained group - the control group -
00:13:33:18 00:13:38:04 04:11
...adrenaline stays level in the beginning
and only increases later...
00:13:38:07 00:13:44:00 05:18
...as a result of the inflammatory proteins
reacting to the bacteria.
00:13:44:03 00:13:49:03 05:00
The group trained by Wim Hof,
who did breathing exercises...
00:13:49:06 00:13:54:04 04:23
...their adrenaline levels increased rapidly
after beginning their breathing exercises.
00:13:54:07 00:13:57:08 03:01
So you can influence...
00:13:57:11 00:14:00:00 02:14
your immune system.
00:14:00:03 00:14:01:18 01:15
Consciously.
00:14:02:11 00:14:05:11 03:00
Shall we do one more exercise?
00:14:05:14 00:14:08:18 03:04
VO
An extraordinary discovery,
but how does it help us?
00:14:08:21 00:14:13:17 04:21
VO
Could we all achieve such a rarefied level of bodily control?
00:14:13:20 00:14:17:21 04:01
VO
And could this mean, one day, fighting illness without medication?
00:14:17:24 00:14:22:09 04:10
We can only really look at what we've
researched, and what we've found.
00:14:22:12 00:14:25:08 02:21
The results are impressive.
00:14:25:11 00:14:29:13 04:02
And we're convinced we're onto something
really special.
00:14:29:16 00:14:33:22 04:06
But at the same time, one shouldn't
extrapolate too much...
00:14:34:00 00:14:37:13 03:13
...and declare this a cure
for rheumatism.
00:14:37:16 00:14:40:13 02:22
That's simply not true.
We didn't look at that.
00:14:40:16 00:14:46:23 06:07
It might not be possible to suppress chronic
inflammation issues...
00:14:47:01 00:14:49:07 02:06
...using this technique.
00:14:49:10 00:14:52:20 03:10
We don't know, because we didn't test it.
00:14:52:23 00:14:55:12 02:14
But we've made progress.
00:14:55:15 00:14:59:21 04:06
We're one step closer
to examining the effect on patients.
00:14:17:24 00:14:20:19 02:20
The results came in, one by one.
00:02:03:04 00:02:09:00 05:21
We collected all the data, and then
the first result emerged. And then the second.
00:02:09:03 00:02:13:23 04:20
VO
Revolutionary research, with revolutionary results.
00:02:14:01 00:02:17:22 03:21
Every few days he would barge into my office
and say:
00:02:18:00 00:02:22:23 04:23
'We've found this! And this!
Now we know how it works!'
00:02:23:01 00:02:26:09 03:08
It was like all the pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place.
00:02:26:12 00:02:29:12 03:00
It was great to be a part of that.
00:02:29:15 00:02:31:22 02:07
VO
A scientific breakthrough.
00:02:43:03 00:02:47:17 04:14
INTERVIEWER
Wim, the wind chill temperature is -15 degrees Celcius.
00:02:47:20 00:02:49:22 02:02
I'm terribly cold right now.
00:02:50:00 00:02:54:02 04:02
And you're walking around like this.
WIM
We've activated certain mechanisms...
00:02:54:05 00:02:56:01 01:21
I have to go!
00:02:57:14 00:03:03:02 05:13
We're warm, because certain mechanisms
have been activated.
00:03:03:05 00:03:07:12 04:07
So we're not cold. For you, it won't work,
because you're clothed.
00:03:13:24 00:03:17:24 04:00
VO
He's famous the world over:
Wim Hof, a.k.a. The Iceman.
TV announcer:
8 o'clock now on a Friday morning, January 25th 2008 - a chilly morning for most folks on the plaza... Really really chilly...
00:03:28:16 00:03:32:08 03:17
VO
He climbed Mount Everest, bare-chested...
00:03:32:11 00:03:37:16 05:05
VO
and ran a half marathon in Lapland,
barefoot. In short, he does the impossible.
00:03:37:19 00:03:41:03 03:09
Interviewer:
It's been two years since we last spoke.
00:03:41:06 00:03:46:05 04:24
There are lots of little Wim Hofs now.
- Yes, it looks like it.
00:03:46:08 00:03:50:23 04:15
VO
In 2011, the Radboud University Medical Centre
examined Wim Hof.
00:03:51:01 00:03:56:23 05:22
Wim Hof came to us claiming he
could influence his immune response.
00:03:57:01 00:03:59:21 02:20
We said, 'No you can't.'
00:03:59:24 00:04:02:20 02:21
But since he'd accomplished so
many extraordinary feats...
00:04:02:23 00:04:06:16 03:18
...we thought, 'Let's give him a chance
to show what he can do.'
00:04:06:19 00:04:10:10 03:16
DOCTOR
Ok, Wim. This is the endotoxin.
00:04:10:13 00:04:13:07 02:19
Just a small dose.
00:04:13:10 00:04:16:20 03:10
This is your last chance to back out,
but I gather...
00:04:16:23 00:04:19:11 02:13
WIM
No, I'm ready.
00:04:20:11 00:04:23:13 03:02
DOCTOR
I'm now going to administer...
WIM
Let battle begin!
00:04:23:16 00:04:27:11 03:20
VO
Wim Hof was administered a dose of harmless dead bacterial cells.
00:04:27:13 00:04:31:03 03:15
There will be no reaction
DOCTOR
There will be no reaction
in the first 90 minutes.
00:04:33:02 00:04:35:17 02:15
WIM
But the body is already working, right?
DOCTOR
Yes, correct.
00:04:35:20 00:04:38:22 03:02
WIM
So I'm OK to start...
DOCTOR
Yes, start meditating.
00:04:39:00 00:04:40:12 01:12
WIM
I'm going to fight it.
00:04:40:15 00:04:43:05 02:15
VO
Ordinarily, this induces a temporary fever.
00:04:43:08 00:04:48:06 04:23
VO
But, remarkably, not for Wim. He had
employed a special meditation technique.
00:04:48:09 00:04:51:04 02:20
Something has happened.
Something good.
00:04:51:07 00:04:55:13 04:06
Back then, Wim Hof
was our only test subject.
00:04:55:16 00:04:59:17 04:01
We've since compared him to 100 other people
who underwent similar screening.
00:04:59:20 00:05:03:17 03:22
What we found was: he was able
to increase his level of stress hormones.
00:05:03:20 00:05:07:04 03:09
We know that they suppress
the activity of the immune system.
00:05:07:07 00:05:11:01 03:19
And, as predicted, we found his count of
inflammation mediators was very low.
00:05:11:04 00:05:15:24 04:20
But one study of one anomalous person
doesn't constitute scientific proof.
00:05:16:02 00:05:20:06 04:04
So we wanted to
compare groups of test subjects:
00:05:20:09 00:05:24:17 04:08
a group trained by Wim Hof,
and an untrained control group.
00:05:28:13 00:05:34:17 06:04
We're very happy to have received a grant
to extend this experiment.
00:05:34:20 00:05:38:12 03:17
These guys who are playing football
in the freezing cold...
00:05:38:15 00:05:44:07 05:17
...went to Poland for a week
and were instructed in his techniques.
00:05:44:10 00:05:49:14 05:04
And we'll see if they, too, are able
to suppress their immune systems.
00:05:49:17 00:05:53:21 04:04
If that does indeed turn out to be the case,
what could it mean?
00:05:53:24 00:05:59:24 06:00
I don't want to get ahead of myself --
Sorry, the cold wind is making me cry!
00:06:00:02 00:06:02:05 02:03
Chilly, isn't it?
- It's freezing!
00:06:03:08 00:06:08:16 05:08
Let's do the tests first,
and see what the results are.
00:06:08:19 00:06:11:17 02:23
Then we'll tell you what they mean.
00:06:11:20 00:06:15:13 03:18
But it would be pretty incredible if you could
consciously influence your immune system.
00:06:15:16 00:06:18:11 02:20
That'd be extraordinary.
- Indeed.
00:06:19:05 00:06:21:22 02:17
VO
Twelve volunteers - all healthy young men -
00:06:22:00 00:06:25:07 03:07
VO
...spent four days training with Wim Hof
in Poland...
00:06:25:10 00:06:28:18 03:08
VO
to learn how to do what he
has been doing for years:
00:06:28:21 00:06:32:00 03:04
VO
withstanding extreme cold.
00:06:33:19 00:06:36:00 02:06
Feel the power of your own body.
00:06:36:03 00:06:40:05 04:02
Initially, we had 24 lads who wanted
to take part in Wim Hof's training programme...
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...and who had the time to travel to Poland,
and undergo the tests, etc.
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And so we drew lots to determine
which twelve would go to Poland...
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...and which twelve wouldn't.
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We've made it.
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Well done.
Great power.
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Well done.
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There it is.
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If you don't feel that tingling...
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...and don't feel that heaviness,
just keep breathing rapidly.
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Not 10, but 20 breaths per minute.
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Then five slow breaths
and one last very deep breath.
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Then it should work.
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We went out to visit them in Poland.
That was very special...
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getting to see how Wim worked.
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He pushed the group hard,
and within days had forged a team spirit.
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They did some pretty extreme things.
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Ground-breaking things.
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We've played for an hour.
The wind chill temperature is -15.
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They're all warm.
In 20 minutes they'll take an ice bath.
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Ice water - water is 25 times better
at conducting cold than air.
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You'll see their natural resistance
will have strengthened after just four days.
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Within four days, these guys
have greatly improved...
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...their strength and physiology.
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Now they know how to get into ice water...
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...without shaking, shivering or panting...
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They don't do that anymore.
- That won't happen?
- No. Precisely.
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The exercise was all about
learning to close your capillaries.
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Full circle. Go.
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How did it go?
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Fine. It's cold, but once you're in control
it's not unpleasant.
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What on earth made you want to take part?
- It's a great experiment.
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You're learning...
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...to train your mind so that you're in control.
It's a powerful feeling.
VO outside hospital:
Just like Wim in 2011, the men are injected with a strain of harmless bacteria, while applying his coping techniques.
00:10:11:01 00:10:13:01 02:00
DOCTOR
Here comes the toxin.
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VO
The result: nothing happens.
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Can I ask you how you're feeling, Felix?
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Nausea on a scale of 0 to 5?
0 being nothing, 1 being a light nausea...
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...and 5 being the worst you've ever felt.
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How would you say you're feeling?
FELIX
Zero. Fit as a fiddle.
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DOCTOR
And the same for headache?
FELIX
Yes.
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I don't have any symptoms at all.
DOCTOR
Sore muscles?
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Back pain?
FELIX
No, and no.
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DOCTOR
Shivering?
FELIX
No.
00:10:45:03 00:10:50:16 05:13
DOCTOR
How would you rate your general physical
condition on a scale of 0 to 10?
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10 being the worst you've ever felt, 0 being the best.
FELIX
Zero.
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VO
But only the blood test results
can be considered scientific evidence.
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This is what it's all about.
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The test is a lot of work...
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...and so is the laboratory analysis.
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I saw you this morning.
You were like a mean machine.
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Warriors. Thanks, man.
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Great.
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Fantastic.
We're gonna conquer the world!
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VO
Next, it's time for the control group.
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DOCTORS TALKING
98 and 0.87
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VO
Men who were not trained by Wim.
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VO
The outcome: they are shivering, and visibly ill.
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DOCTORS
Look at his condition.
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VO
Several months later,
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VO
...the blood tests of the control group and
Wim Hof's apprentice ice-men are compared in the lab.
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VO
The findings are remarkable.
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The point is...
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...that for the first time,
we have conclusive proof...
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...that a human being is capable
of voluntarily influencing...
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...his autonomous nervous system
and immune response.
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All the textbooks say it's impossible.
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So the textbooks will have to be rewritten?
- Yes.
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As simple as that?
- I think so.
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VO
A scientific breakthrough:
00:12:26:24 00:12:30:01 03:02
VO
proof that our autonomous immune system
can be mentally manipulated -
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VO
something that, until now, was thought impossible.
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And we also have some idea
of how they managed this.
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Basically...
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the introduction of the bacteria
provokes an immune response.
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First, inflammatory proteins are released
that activate the immune response...
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...followed by proteins that suppress
the inflammation.
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What we found was
that the trained group...
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...were able to trigger a temporary
stress state in their bodies.
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Their adrenaline levels increased...
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...causing the inflammation-suppressing
proteins...
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...to increase earlier and at a higher rate...
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...suppressing the inflammation mediators.
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Let me explain what you're seeing here.
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Adrenaline is produced by the body
as a reaction to stress.
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In the untrained group - the control group -
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...adrenaline stays level in the beginning
and only increases later...
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...as a result of the inflammatory proteins
reacting to the bacteria.
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The group trained by Wim Hof,
who did breathing exercises...
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...their adrenaline levels increased rapidly
after beginning their breathing exercises.
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So you can influence...
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your immune system.
00:14:00:03 00:14:01:18 01:15
Consciously.
00:14:02:11 00:14:05:11 03:00
Shall we do one more exercise?
00:14:05:14 00:14:08:18 03:04
VO
An extraordinary discovery,
but how does it help us?
00:14:08:21 00:14:13:17 04:21
VO
Could we all achieve such a rarefied level of bodily control?
00:14:13:20 00:14:17:21 04:01
VO
And could this mean, one day, fighting illness without medication?
00:14:17:24 00:14:22:09 04:10
We can only really look at what we've
researched, and what we've found.
00:14:22:12 00:14:25:08 02:21
The results are impressive.
00:14:25:11 00:14:29:13 04:02
And we're convinced we're onto something
really special.
00:14:29:16 00:14:33:22 04:06
But at the same time, one shouldn't
extrapolate too much...
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...and declare this a cure
for rheumatism.
00:14:37:16 00:14:40:13 02:22
That's simply not true.
We didn't look at that.
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It might not be possible to suppress chronic
inflammation issues...
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...using this technique.
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We don't know, because we didn't test it.
00:14:52:23 00:14:55:12 02:14
But we've made progress.
00:14:55:15 00:14:59:21 04:06
We're one step closer
to examining the effect on patients.
00:14:17:24 00:14:20:19 02:20