Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Susan H. Marcus
Abstract
The practice of meditation for the purpose of increasing mental clarity, health, and healing has grown steadily over the past 50 years or more. While meta-analyses and literature reviews of hundreds of studies have shown that individuals who meditate improve neuro-biopsychosocial functions and recover from illness, few studies have examined these benefits within specific systems of practice. This qualitative study explored the experience of meditation and healing in adults who have trained in the Wim Hof Method (WHM). Transpersonal psychology and placebo theory served as the conceptual framework of this research. Narrative analysis was used to guide data collection and analysis. The narrative interviews of 10 participants who experienced the WHM were transcribed and analyzed using both structural and thematic strategies. The results indicated that WHM practitioners experienced neuro-biopsychosocial and emotional well-being through the use of breath, cold-immersion, and/or meditation. All participants reported profound experiences involving symptomatic reduction and/or the healing of maladies, as well as transpersonal/transcendental experiences that transformed their lives. Future research is encouraged to study the experience in more diverse populations (gender, nationality and age), and to explore participants’ worldviews prior to, during, and following the practice of the Wim Hof Method. Quantitative research assessing effectiveness and the influence of individual difference factors is recommended. Given the benefits associated with engaging in the WHM, as well as its low cost, ease of access and simplicity, this method could be deployed across a variety of venues to inspire social change.
Recommended Citation
McKinney, Chad David, "The Experience of Meditation and Healing in Practitioners of the Wim Hof Method" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 13569.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/13569
