Summary: What Doesn’t Kill Us: How Freezing Water, Extreme Altitude, and Environmental Conditioning Will Renew Our Lost Evolutionary Strength by Scott Carney

Key Takeaways

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you exposed yourself to freezing water, extreme altitude, and environmental conditioning? Would you get sick, injured, or die? Or would you discover a hidden power within yourself that could transform your health, performance, and happiness? In this article, we will review the book What Doesn’t Kill Us by Scott Carney, which explores these questions and more.

If you are intrigued by the idea of using environmental challenges to enhance your abilities, or if you are simply curious about the science and stories behind this phenomenon, then you should definitely read this book. It will open your eyes to a new way of thinking about your body and your environment, and it might even inspire you to try some of the methods yourself. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to unlock your hidden potential and push past your perceived limitations.

What Doesn’t Kill Us (2017) investigates the human body’s potential to overcome extreme environmental conditions through engaging with frigid temperatures and high altitudes. It presents a compelling argument for the health benefits of environmental conditioning and the ways it can help individuals reconnect with their evolutionary resilience. By outlining techniques that challenge the body’s comfort, it offers a glimpse into the potential for improved physical and mental fortitude.

Introduction: Unleash your body’s hidden strength by embracing the transformative power of the cold and breath

Imagine facing a blizzard in nothing but a swimsuit, and feeling invigorated rather than frozen. This scenario challenges our modern sensibilities – comfort equals happiness, right? Yet, history and biology suggest that our bodies are designed for more than constant warmth and safety – they thrive on challenge and adapt to stressors in ways we’re only just beginning to understand. Harnessing these stressors can unlock a wealth of untapped potential within us, from physical endurance to resilience against disease.

In this summary, you’ll discover how extreme cold and other environmental stressors can strengthen the body and mind. You’ll learn about a method that promises to restore our lost connection to nature’s power, and you’ll follow the stories of those who’ve tested this method in some of the world’s harshest conditions to achieve feats that defy conventional wisdom.

Of course, be sure to seek medical guidance before experimenting with your own body, especially if you have underlying health issues. Ready to connect with your body’s primal power? Let’s get started!

Reawakening resilience: Tapping into our evolutionary adaptations

In our quest for comfort, modern society has inadvertently stifled a fundamental aspect of human biology: the ability to adapt to and thrive in varied environmental conditions. The conveniences that define contemporary life, such as climate-controlled surroundings and readily available food, have led to unintended consequences – like obesity, chronic illnesses, and a surge in autoimmune diseases.

But look at our ancestors. They were attuned to a life of environmental challenges. The human body evolved to respond to and manage these stressors, not only to survive but to fortify itself. Such evolutionary responses are not irrevocably lost; they merely lie dormant, capable of being reawakened through exposure to conditions like extreme cold.

The infamous Wim Hof, also known as “The Iceman,” brings this concept to life. Hof claims that he can control his body temperature and immune system through specialized breathing techniques and direct exposure to cold. Although developed independently over many years, his methods are reminiscent of practices from eastern traditions such as yoga. They allow him to perform extraordinary feats, like swimming under ice sheets.

Hof’s claims are not without scientific merit. In fact, evidence suggests there is a physiological basis to Hof’s methods. Studies have indicated that he can indeed influence his immune response, stimulate brown fat to produce heat, and modify his blood chemistry. The science community is still unraveling how these abilities are possible and what their implications might be for the wider population.

It seems that embracing extreme cold through practices like snow exposure, ice baths, and controlled breathing can lead to notable health benefits. These activities have been shown to improve endurance and assist in fat reduction. Physical challenges like ascending a frosty peak test the limits of these gains, yet they also highlight the risks, such as afterdrop. This is when the body’s core temperature continues to fall dangerously low even after one has warmed up.

There’s evidence to suggest that, much like Neanderthals who might have used stores of brown fat to endure the cold, this same type of fat is present in modern humans. However, it’s largely inactive due to the constant warmth provided by contemporary lifestyles. Investigating how early humans digested food and managed body fat offers insight into the many health issues we face today, issues which could be addressed by reintroducing certain environmental stressors.

The potential benefits of such stressors are significant; they could reactivate the body’s latent abilities, leading to improved health and resilience. Controlled exposure to the cold could be a key to unlocking these dormant capabilities, offering a counterbalance to the ailments that have emerged from our preference for constant comfort.

In the next section, we’ll delve into the science and practice of the Wim Hof Method in more detail.

Mastering the elements: The Wim Hof Method decoded

Let’s take a closer look at the Wim Hof Method – a tool for reclaiming dominion over your internal environments. At its core, the method is a regimen rooted in a primal truth: the human body harbors the latent capacity to endure thresholds far beyond cozy modern comfort.

The method is simple yet profound – a combination of breath, cold, and will. Certain breath-holding exercises, followed by a bout of hyperventilation, can enable a longer suspension of breath. This physiological manipulation floods the body with oxygen and expels carbon dioxide, extending the limits of endurance and carving a mental “wedge” between the instinctive gasp for air and the controlled serenity of the mind.

Push-ups performed during breath retention capitalize on this oxygen surplus, accelerating performance beyond ordinary bounds. Meditative exercises also play a part, with visualization techniques that tether the mind to the body’s sensations, bridging the gap between thought and visceral experience.

But the crux of the method is its use of cold, and the effect that this has on the sympathetic nervous system. Immersion in ice baths or snow sends an undeniable call to action, prompting the body to stoke its metabolic fires. By resisting the reflex to shiver, you can summon warmth from within, tapping into the body’s stores of brown fat. This fat, which was crucial to our ancestors’ survival, becomes a furnace for the modern ice-age adventurer.

There are also thermal variations on this method – embracing extreme heat, or alternating between hot and cold. These variations awaken dormant evolutionary abilities, conditioning the body to not just withstand, but to thrive amid extremes.

The Wim Hof Method can be distilled into a daily routine: a 15-minute program of breathing, meditation, cold exposure, and simple exercise. Taking steps towards heightening your control over your body’s autonomic processes isn’t just about weathering the cold or holding your breath; it’s about accessing a deeper layer of human potential, rewriting the biological script that has been dulled by the conveniences of modern living.

The method proves that the body’s responses to the environment aren’t as involuntary as people typically believe, and that the mind can, indeed, cultivate resilience in the face of elemental adversity.

This sets the stage for the next section: the conquest of physical limitations.

Beyond boundaries: The power of endurance and adaptation

Do you ever feel that the daily grind doesn’t test the limits of your physical capacities? Maybe it’s time to tap into your primal instincts with obstacle course races, or OCRs. OCRs, such as the Spartan Race, draw millions of participants who are eager to confront their fears and push past the boundaries of their endurance, strength, agility, and resolve. The appeal of these events lies not just in physical exertion but in the visceral experience of survival, the adrenaline rush of the fight-or-flight response, and the profound sense of achievement that arises from overcoming adversity.

These races have both their allures and the limitations in reaching the depths of the survival instinct. While the races are demanding, they only skim the surface of what’s possible. Perhaps more extreme conditions are necessary to fully condition the adrenal stress response, in order to enhance mental fortitude and voluntary control over innate biological reactions.

We see this in elite athletes like Laird Hamilton, the legendary big wave surfer, who incorporates Wim Hof’s breathing methods into his rigorous training. Hamilton’s underwater exercises and his philosophical approach to surfing colossal waves epitomize pushing human performance to its zenith. His training is an exercise in adaptation, not only to the lack of oxygen but to the psychological demands of extreme sports. Despite the risks, including the danger of blackouts, Hamilton’s exploits showcase the potential to expand the “wedge” between conscious will and the subconscious mind.

This exploration of physical limits isn’t without its dangers. There’s a thin line between tapping into deeper consciousness and the perils of oxygen deprivation. Hamilton’s holistic approach – which blends spirituality, environmental awareness, and physiological knowledge – underpins his mastery of the waves, although fortune and resources undoubtedly play their roles.

There’s currently a shift from the individual to the systemic as pharmaceutical companies race to harness the power of burning brown fat through medication, aiming to replicate the effects of cold exposure without the chill. Yet, this reductionist approach often misses the intricacies of the concept – the way cold exposure affects muscles, mitochondria, and beyond. As studies suggest, there are multiple avenues through which the body adapts.

These biohacking techniques offer a more holistic and nuanced approach to wellness than pharmaceuticals can. On top of this, environmental stimuli can trigger a cascade of integrated evolutionary responses. In the next section, you’ll learn how exposure to the elements might not only test the limits of human endurance but also provide a pathway to healing and health restoration.

Therapeutic frontiers: Environmental exposure as medicine

The idea of using the raw forces of nature as a catalyst for healing is ancient, yet it finds new life in the Wim Hof Method. While synonymous with superhuman feats, the method also holds a promise for those battling chronic ailments. Individuals with conditions such as Parkinson’s, Crohn’s disease, arthritis, and even recovery from bone fractures have turned to the icy embrace and controlled breathing to reclaim parts of their lives from the clutches of disease or injury.

This can be seen at Hof’s training center in the Netherlands. The simple building stands in stark contrast to the complexity of the human conditions it seeks to ameliorate. Here, amid the sparse training spaces, people gather in the hope that the cold biting at their flesh will also bite into the fabric of their ailments. Hof’s philosophy of “healthy, happy, strong” resonates through the center, offering a simple message to a society entrenched in sickness and an over-reliance on technology for well-being.

The journeys of individuals like Hans Spaans and Hans Emmink illustrate the profound impact of Hof’s techniques. Grappling with Parkinson’s, Spaans found that cold exposure techniques, like ice baths and breathing routines, strengthened environmental signals to his brain, helping overcome neurological dysfunction. Emmink saw his Crohn’s disease recede into remission, attributing his improvement to a combination of cold exposure and the power of visualization. These are two of many stories which demonstrate the body’s capacity for self-repair when prompted by the right stimuli.

Of course, skepticism naturally arises in the face of such claims. Are these recoveries attributable to the power of belief, a placebo effect, or are they the tangible results of a profound mind-body connection? While the anecdotes are powerful, they underscore the need for clinical trials to unravel the efficacy and mechanisms of the Wim Hof Method in medical applications. Yet, there’s a deeper truth here: the body possesses latent self-healing capacities that, when harnessed, can exert significant influence over functions long considered involuntary.

Take a moment to reflect on the broader implications of these practices. The idea that environmental exposure and focused breathing could unlock self-healing leads us to the final discussion: achieving a state of superordinary existence. It’s a proposition that not only challenges the conventional understanding of health and disease but also invites a reexamination of the boundaries between the possible and the extraordinary.

Elemental ordeals: From battlefields to obstacle courses

When it comes to testing the limits of human endurance and unearthing the deep well of inner strength, few things are as effective as combining the biting challenge of cold with the explosive demands of high-intensity interval training – or HIIT. This is seen in the unique training regime of Brian MacKenzie, where athletes alternate between intense bursts on an assault bike and submersion in ice baths. This blend of environmental stress and exertion forces the body to tap into its energy reserves, pushing oxygen efficiency to new heights.

Then there’s The November Project. This community fitness initiative invites participants to brave outdoor workouts in any weather condition. Such communal trials against the elements are a throwback to the times when humans battled the raw environment daily. Embracing the cold, as these groups do, is less about novelty and more about reconnecting with a primal aspect of our nature – where facing the cold was once a badge of honor.

This principle of pushing to the very edges of what’s considered safe is echoed in the military, where training in extreme conditions is essential. The tragic history of unprepared armies succumbing to the elements is a stark reminder of our physical limits. Yet, research led by Dr. John Castellani at the USARIEM lab aims to redefine these limits. By simulating harsh conditions and studying soldiers’ responses, the lab is developing protocols that not only safeguard against the cold but enhance performance, even down to the fine motor skills required in combat.

The military’s approach to training for extremes has led to advancements like heat acclimatization, preparing troops for the desert’s scorching temperatures and potentially aiding in recovery from traumatic injuries. It’s a testament to the human body’s capacity for cross-adaptation – a remarkable ability to adjust to wildly different environments.

Then there are Tough Guy races. Conceived by “Mr. Mouse” Billy Wilson, these grueling events put this capacity for adaptation to the ultimate test, as participants confront an array of military-style obstacles amid the biting cold of an English winter. The race isn’t just a physical challenge but a crucible for mental fortitude, where competitors push themselves to the brink of hypothermia to emerge victorious.

Participants in such races and training programs don’t just aim to survive the conditions – they seek to thrive within them, unlocking a level of mental toughness and physical resilience that modern comfort often obscures. Through these practices, they rediscover the profound strength and adaptability that lies within, proving that with the right conditions and mindset, the human body can astonish us with its capacity to endure and overcome.

Conclusion

Our bodies possess a remarkable, yet dormant, capacity to adapt to environmental stressors – a legacy of our evolutionary past. By engaging with the cold, practicing specialized breathing techniques, and confronting physical challenges, individuals have rediscovered strengths that modern comfort has numbed. From overcoming chronic illnesses to scaling mountain peaks, these practices have offered many people a way to harness their innate resilience. Embrace the elements, and you too can tap into the profound vitality that nature has equipped you with.

About the Author

Scott Carney

Genres

Science, Health, Nutrition, Personal Development, Nature and the Environment, Nonfiction, Self Help, Fitness, Psychology, Adventure, Biography, Sports

Review

The book is an exploration of how humans can use environmental challenges to enhance their physical and mental abilities. The author, Scott Carney, is an investigative journalist and anthropologist who embarks on a personal journey to test the methods of Wim Hof, a Dutch fitness guru who claims to control his body temperature and immune system in extreme cold. Carney also interviews and observes other people who use similar techniques to overcome obstacles, heal diseases, and achieve extraordinary feats. He combines his own experiences with scientific research and historical anecdotes to explain how environmental conditioning can help us reclaim our lost evolutionary strength and push past our perceived limitations.

The book is a fascinating and engaging read that challenges the conventional wisdom of comfort and convenience. Carney writes with humor, honesty, and curiosity, and does not shy away from the skepticism and criticism that he faces along the way. He also provides a balanced perspective on the benefits and risks of the methods he tries, and does not make exaggerated or unrealistic claims. The book is well-researched and well-written, and offers a compelling argument for why we should embrace the discomfort and variability of nature, rather than avoid it. The book is not only informative, but also inspiring and motivating, as it shows how ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things by tapping into their innate potential.