Phenomenological research into Wim Hof Method through auto-ethnography and participatory practices
Author
Intovics, Deivids
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2022
Submitted on
2022-06-03
Pages
696
Abstract
This thesis examines the Wim Hof Method (WHM) and how digital technologies influence its practice, against the backdrop of increased post-pandemic stress and a wider turn toward healthier lifestyles. Using phenomenology (attention to lived experience), auto-ethnography (the author’s own practice), and participatory fieldwork, the study interprets core elements of WHM—breathing exercises, cold exposure, and commitment—alongside insights from active participation. Fieldwork took place in Copenhagen and included a 4-week course, several WHM workshops led by the only certified WHM instructor in Denmark, and the author’s own cold immersions and breathing sessions. The thesis combines phenomenological insights with a techno-anthropological perspective to understand how tools such as the WHM app facilitate, structure, and transform learning and experience. Findings indicate multiple ways technology mediates WHM, a range of personal health benefits, and less visible aspects of the practice that merit attention. Overall, the work bridges personal experience, theory, and technology to inform how WHM can be supported through digital means.
Dette speciale undersøger Wim Hof Metoden (WHM) og hvordan digitale teknologier påvirker dens praksis. Det tager afsæt i øget stress efter pandemien og en bred søgen mod sundere livsstile. Med fænomenologi (fokus på oplevet erfaring), autoetnografi (forfatterens egen praksis) og deltagende feltarbejde fortolkes centrale elementer i WHM: åndedrætsøvelser, kuldeeksponering og vedholdenhed, samt indsigter fra aktiv deltagelse. Feltarbejdet fandt sted i København og omfattede et 4-ugers kursus, flere WHM-workshops ledet af den eneste certificerede WHM-instruktør i Danmark, samt forfatterens egne kolde dyp og vejrtrækningssessioner. Specialet forener fænomenologiske indsigter med en tekno-antropologisk tilgang for at forstå, hvordan værktøjer som WHM-appen faciliterer, strukturerer og forandrer læring og oplevelse af metoden. Resultaterne peger på flere måder, hvorpå teknologi medierer WHM, på mange personlige sundhedsgevinster, og på mindre synlige sider af praksissen, som fortjener opmærksomhed. Samlet bygger arbejdet bro mellem erfaring, teori og teknologi og kan bruges til at forstå, hvordan WHM kan understøttes digitalt.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]