Wilhelm Reich: Orgone Energy & Sexual Liberation. Truth or Madness?

Wilhelm Reich was an Austrian-American Psychiatrist who was a pupil of Sigmund Freud. Reich developed a complete understanding of Sigmund Freud’s model of the mind and psychoanalytic methods before branching off in his own direction. Reich is typically seen as the “black sheep” in the history of psychology because his methods were at odds with traditional societal values and principles. Because of this, there is usually very little mention of his practices and theories in modern academia. Reich was perhaps the most controversial figure in the history of psychology, and perhaps even in world-academia as a whole.

Wilhelm Reich held many controversial views, which eventually had him rejected from the Psychiatric community, imprisoned and ultimately, killed. In very short form, Wilhelm Reich’s primary principle that pushed him away from Freud, was his idea of complete sexual liberation, in both the individual and in society.

Reich believed that the stifling of sexual energy, or “Orgone,” as he called it, is the primary source of all neurosis. In Reich’s therapy, he would help his clients unblock the passages of this energy. As you can imagine, this led to all sorts of crazy stories and clashes with the mainstream structures.

Fun Fact: Wilhelm Reich’s book burning was the biggest act of censorship by the US government in all of its history.

In this article, we will explore Reich’s concepts and practices. These ideas include the concept and utility of Orgone Energy, applications of Orgone consciousness in everyday life, detrimental effects of a dis-regulated Orgone system, Reich’s version of psychoanalysis called, “Character Analysis,” Reich’s physical science of Orgone Energy and mystical extensions of Orgone Energy in today’s time.

Read at your own risk! Beware, this article is rated R. If you are not comfortable with the topic of sexuality, it may be worth finding a different article to read ;)

Wilhelm Reich’s Concept of Orgone Energy

Wilhelm Reich was a psychoanalyst who studied under the famous, Sigmund Freud. Reich learned the fundamentals of Freud’s theories of the mind, and used them to develop the foundation of his own theories.

Reich was convinced that the root of all neurosis is caused by a dis-regulation of the “Orgone” system. Whether this be cases of anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, etc., Reich was sure that all of these outward symptoms are caused by an Orgone blockage. In Reich’s book The Function of the Orgasm (1927), he illustrates these ideas in great detail.

In summary, Orgone is a bio-electric force that exists throughout the universe, and is the core essence of all life. Reich believed that Orgone is a vital energy that needs to be kept in flow, rather than stasis. Orgone Energy is also said to be the “sexual energy,” and according to Reich, levels of this are evident by someone’s “orgastic potency.” This idea also closely related to Abraham Maslow’s concept of Self-Actualization, as he says those who are more self-actualized, have an enhanced capacity for “peak experiences,” which includes one’s ability to experience the heights of sexual ecstasy. And on the flip side, Orgone blockages create negative psychological symptoms such as anxiety, or exhibitions of Character Armor (more on this later).

Orgone Energy is like the blood in the cardiovascular system. Orgone Energy is the vital force that flows through everyone naturally, as the blood does. And just like with cardiac issues, the Orgone system can malfunction as well.

Reich delved deeply and expanded on his idea of Orgone Energy through laboratory research, weather modification tools (the Cloudbuster), and real firsthand experience with a large variety of clients in his psychiatric practice. He remained convinced that the orgone system is something that is critically out of balance in all of humanity, and the source of all of our collective ailments- extending out from the individual into sociological structures.

In brief, the goal of sexual suppression is that of producing an individual who is adjusted to the authoritarian order and who will submit to it in spite of all misery and degradation. . . The formation of the authoritarian structure takes place through the anchoring of sexual inhibition and sexual anxiety. – Wilhelm Reich

Furthermore, Reich used these ideas of Orgone Energy to build new theories on why societies are the way they are, often citing Nazi Germany as an example. To Reich, the authoritative Nazi reign was caused and carried out by extreme suppression of natural sexuality, self-expression and individuality. Reich also expounded upon this idea and branched it out to more general societies and groups, as he could see symptoms of this in a large variety of cultures. This often put him at odds with established institutions who worked to suppress natural sexuality.

Applications of Orgone Consciousness in Everyday Life

As you develop an understanding of Orgone energy, it becomes an intellectual utility for making sense of your own feelings and behaviors, as well as those of others. With a fundamental understanding of Orgone Energy, you can assess your own blockages and negative feelings by assessing your own Orgone Energy system.

In order to apply Reich’s idea of Orgone, it is essential to read his book The Function of the Orgasm (1927), as this book goes into great detail on the innate Orgone system. In this book, Reich associates the orgasm with a “release valve” for the Orgone system to discharge when it is too full. This idea here is what give rise to many other of his ideas, such as why people seem to either be split by “Dark Orgone” (or the energy of death and destruction), and healthy Orgone (the force of life). As you gain deeper understanding of Orgone Energy, the energy dynamics that Reich observed will become more obvious in everyday life and personal interactions.

To Reich, Orgone Energy is a vital life force that is slowly built up in the body, and reaches a point where it needs to be released. If this energy is not cycled and released appropriately, the energy can reach capacity and become stagnant. This produces a variety of symptoms generally referred to as “neurosis.” Orgone energy blockages are largely caused by “nurture” instead of “nature,” and are typically products of authoritative conditioning, whether that be through parental upbringing, or strict institutional indoctrination.

Only the liberation of the natural capacity for love in human beings can master their sadistic destructiveness. -Wilhelm Reich

Of course, many disagreed with Reich’s ideas on Orgone Energy, though he persisted with his research even amidst a full on attack by the FDA, who ultimately imprisoned him and destroyed a huge amount of his work (read more about this here). However, despite a massive degree of opposition, Reich’s theories are still alive and well, even today. They are also quite simple to put into practice.

A Method for Assessing Your Own Orgone System:

• Do you feel present and fully in the moment?
• Is deep satisfaction found in your daily activities?
• Are you easily and readily able to feel sexually charged?
• Are you able to fully enjoy and immerse yourself in activities (flow state)?
• Do you feel genuinely connected with others?

*If you answered “No” to three or more of these questions, your Orgone Energy system could use some work.

Detrimental Effects of a Dysregulated Orgone Energy System

Optimizing your Orgone Energy system comes with tremendous benefits, the most apparent would be feeling far more vital and full of life than you may have with a depleted system. However, the process of optimizing your Orgone Energy systems does not come without risk- as Reich encountered, there is a darker force in the world that acts against those who increase their capacity for this energy. These darker forces are typically those who seek to control others through fear and manipulation, often seen in organizations and societies that value absolute conformity, no autonomy and the elimination of individuality.

Once one awakens more towards Orgone Energy, they will inevitably begin to notice all of the forces that detest it. And just like Reich, may come up against intense opposition. However, the benefits of re-awakening this system within yourself is worth it, as it will give you far more life-satisfaction than letting it remain depleted. This is not just about sexuality, Orgone Energy is the core ingredient of joy and well-being. The appreciation for art, a deeper connection with nature, a more authentic love for others, increased gravitas, a higher frequency aura and sharper mental acuity are just some of the benefits.

There are many benefits of optimizing the Orgone Energy system, though a dysregulated Orgone Energy system can produce negative symptoms in contrast to the benefits:

• A general feeling of lack of joy
• Inability to authentically connect with others
• Decreased sensitivity to different energies
• Physical manifestations such as obesity, cardiac issues and a variety of other diseases
• Feelings of constant dread and stress
• Low self-esteem

Reich compared Orgone Energy to water, as flowing water is purer, more clear, healthier and more vital than stagnant water. As you have seen, stagnant water produces all sort of growth and bacteria, it begins to stink and become unsuitable for most life. In contrast, moving water is clear, colorful, full of life, and visually appealing. This concept here, is the same idea that can be used to paint a psychological map of yourself and others- and Wilhelm Reich used this very concept to help his clients “come back to life.”

Dark Orgone is the opposite of life energy, it is the energy of stagnation and death. Dark Orgone is the energy that opposes life force, and attempts to draw all life force into itself, only to make that energy stagnate as well. Humans tend to operate in either of these two categories, and patterns of these forces can be seen throughout human history.

Regarding the individual, those who exhibit high degrees of Dark Orgone, can readily be perceived by those who are even somewhat sensitive to energies of others. Dark Orgone individuals tend to feel draining to be around, uninspiring, rude, emotionally damaging, identify heavily with their Persona, fake, egotistical and don’t have a connection to the genuine and authentic (love, joy, patience, peace, hope). However not all Dark Orgone individuals are obvious, which is a large motivator behind Reich’s science of Character Armor- sometimes these symptoms are far more subtle, and require a well-experienced eye. Also not all individuals with Orgone challenges are bad, and many are experiencing a great degree of internal suffering. This concept is also closely related to Carl Jung’s theory of Shadow Repression.

Wilhelm Reich went deeply into the path of using the Orgone Energy system to identify these blockages within his clients. Reich turned these ideas into a respected psychological theory that ultimately did help a lot of people break free from their suffering. Reich was able to use what he called “Character Armour” to identify and address these blockages within his clients.

Wilhelm Reich’s Character Analysis, Character Armor and Orgone Blockages

Character Analysis is a psychoanalytic method created by Wilhelm Reich that largely is done by dismantling an individual’s “Character Armor.” This is done by using different psychoanalytic tactics to both identify and then deconstruct an individual’s psychic blockages, and ultimately free up the person’s Orgone Energy system. Reich believed that the surest sign of someone being “cured,” is their ability to fully experience orgasm, without any energy blockages.

Character Armor is simply the external expressions (symptoms) of repressed or misdirected Orgone Energy. Character Armor can manifest in symptoms such as muscular tension, strange posture, over-politeness, anxiety, neurotic thought patterns, illogical beliefs, low self-esteem, an inability to remain present, constant worry, lack of enjoyment in daily activities, lack of focus and a host of other symptoms. Reich used his concept of Character Armor to find the symptoms, and then work to dismantle them. In his book called Character Analysis, Reich goes into great detail on these symptoms and provides real examples from this psychoanalytic practice.

A real example, of Reich using this method can be seen in this case: One of Reich’s most notable patients was a woman he referred to as “The Frigid Woman.” She suffered from emotional numbness, chronic anxiety and sexual frigidity. Reich linked her symptoms to deeply seated Character Armor- both physical and psychological.

• This patient was a young woman in her mid-twenties, who had an inability to experience pleasure or emotional depth in her relationships.
• She described herself as feeling disconnected, cold, and unable to expression passion or love.
• Her body exhibited muscular tension, especially in the chest, abdomen and pelvis, which Reich concluded were preventing her from experiencing natural emotional and sexual impulses.
• She had an upright, stiff posture and a habitually tight jaw, which to Reich, indicated severe emotional repression.

Reich observed that her Character Armor was built as a defense against early emotional pain, which stemmed from her strict and oppressive upbringing. Through Vegeotherapy, he worked to loosen her muscular character armor by using deep breathing exercises, targeted pressure on tense muscles and encouraging emotional expression. These methods helped the patient release her concreted Character Armor.

Over time, “The Frigid Woman,” began to experience involuntary body movements and strong emotional releases such as crying, laughing, trembling and freer speech. To Reich, these were sure signs that her body was “unlocking” from the ingrained Character Armors that had been built up over time. She gradually became more expressive, emotionally open, and far more capable at experience both emotional and sexual pleasure in her relationships.

This example serves as a good overview to what Reich’s therapy typically looked like. Reich believed that Character Armor is not purely psychological, but deeply embedded in the body’s muscular system. By releasing tension, and breaking down Character Armor, we are all able to reconnect with natural emotion and sexual responses. The example case above reinforced Reich’s theory that neurosis and sexual dysfunction were often stored in the body and could be treated through proper psychotherapy.

The Physical Science of Wilhelm Reich’s work with Orgone Energy

Wilhelm Reich identified Orgone Energy as a real physical force that exists in nature, that can be measured and quantified. Later in Reich’s career, he purchased a 175 acre property in Maine, that he named “Orgonon.” Reich dedicated this property to the study of Orgone, or “Orgonomics,” and set up a full scale laboratory and many other features centered around the study of Orgone.

Reich branched off from psychology into physical science and created a variety of Orgone related devices. He created a motor that ran off of Orgone Energy, a Cloudbuster, and perhaps the most famous invention, the Orgone Accumulator (pictured above).

The Orgone Accumulator is a large wooden box that is layered with metal and wool, that someone could sit in and close the door. Reich believed that by layering organic matter and metal, he could pull in a large amount of Orgone Energy from the atmosphere and direct it into the human body. This was believed to recharge the participants’ Orgone supply, and through plenty of anecdotal evidence, it worked.

Wilhelm Reich’s most notable study using the Orgone Accumulator began with cancer mice, that showed great improvement. He later expanded this out to Late Stage III human cancer patients. The patients who underwent the Orgone box therapy reported far more life-satisfaction, good feelings and overall positivity than they had before undergoing the treatments. However, none of these patients recovered from their cancer, and all passed away.

Despite this, Reich continued to build upon and improve his methods. This led to a large amount of people seeking him out for treatment and spending time on his property. The local town eventually caught on and began spreading a variety of derogatory propaganda of Reich and his followers, often calling them “Orgonites,” who were typically made out to be a sexually immoral cult of deranged individuals. However, Reich fought against these accusations and persisted on with his studies and treatments of patients.

Eventually, the FDA caught on to what Reich was doing at Orgonone and decided to fight it. If you would like to learn more about his story you can watch this video. The FDA had the belief that what Reich was doing was not medically approved, and wanted to prevent him from making this into a business. Reich was not accepting payments for his treatments, and only wanted to continue his studies to help those who are suffering, and he did. Reich was deeply troubled by the continuous attacks from the US government and released this recording, one of his last recordings, where he expresses his frustration with the who situation and how he is being treated.

Reich had many run-ins and accusations held against him, from being some crazy sex-cult leader, to being called a communist. Despite all of the opposition, Reich persisted the best he could. On June 5, 1956 the FDA arrived at Reich’s Orgonon property to oversee the complete destruction of all of Reich’s work. The two FDA officials and their teams raided Orgonon and took nearly all of Reich’s written and physical works, including all of his laboratory research documents and all of his Orgone devices. The officials took all of the work to a trash incinerator in New York City and proceeded to destroy nearly 4 tons of Reich’s work. This was the largest act of censorship in the history of the United States.

Reich was eventually arrested and placed in prison because one of his Orgone devices had crossed state lines, which was a violating condition to the FDA and they quickly placed him in custody and gave him a court date. Wilhelm Reich’s friend once said that if he were ever placed in prison, he would die, and that prison is no place for a soaring eagle. To this prophecy, Reich was arrested for refusing to show up at court for his case- Reich had written a letter to the Judge stating that this whole case was a violation of his right to study Orgone:

My factual position in the case as well as in the world of science of today does not permit me to enter the case against the Food and Drug Administration, since such action would, in my mind, imply admission of the authority of this special branch of the government to pass judgment on primordial, pre-atomic cosmic orgone energy. I, therefore, rest the case in full confidence in your hands. -Wilhelm Reich

Reich was later sentenced to two years in prison. He was taken in and died shortly after of a heart attack, in 1957.

Mystical Extensions of Wilhelm Reich’s Work

Wilhelm Reich had a crazy life, and was met with intense opposition. Despite all of this, some of his work is still looked to with more respect today. Some of his books survived the FDA raid and are still available for us to all purchase today. Many have also branched off of his ideas and created new fields of study and new ideas for Orgone devices.

In today’s time, you can find artwork called “Orgonite,” which are resin items that contain Metal and organic materials. These Orgone devices are said to pull in Dark Orgone and filter it into Life Orgone. Although these devices are not directly created by Wilhelm Reich, they are pretty cool little tokens of appreciation for the work he did. You can purchase them from any vendor for a reasonable price, though there are expert artists out there who put a lot of time and experience into these. An example of an Orgonite artist can be seen here.

Wilhelm Reich’s work was legendary, and many claim it to be a pseudoscience, but still, over 60 years since Reich’s passing, his work is still vibrant in today’s world. Many have successfully incorporated his ideas and theories into their own psychiatric practices with great results, and even many more have utilized these principles themselves and have increased their life-satisfaction to a great degree.

There is even a book on how you can create your own Orgone devices! Such as Orgone boxes, Orgone blankets, and other Reich-based Orgone devices. If you are interested in learning more, or making your own, you can purchase this book:

Conclusion

Overall, Wilhelm Reich is one of the most interesting characters in the history of psychology. Reich is known as the black sheep of Sigmund Freud’s core group of pupils. Though with Freud’s foundation, Reich’s ideas can be beautifully interrelated with Freud’s other pupils, such as Carl Jung. As you continue on with your studies of psychology, it will become easier and easier to see how all of these ideas, branching from Freud, are interrelated, yet different.

Wilhelm Reich believed in, and was extremely passionate about his study of Orgone Energy, and he followed through with it until the very end. In this article, we have covered Reich’s main ideas and psychiatric practices centered around Orgone Energy. Reich’s psychoanalytic technique, called “Character Analysis,” his idea of “Character Armor,” his vegeotherapy treatments and even his physical sciences such as weather modification tools and Orgone boxes are all based in Orgone Energy. Reich’s ideas have been proven to affect the lives of those who partake in it, though his ideas are still challenged even today.

Optimizing your Orgone Energy system will provide you with a lot of benefits. These benefits include, far greater vitality, more genuine enjoyment, closer and more long lasting relationships, an increased capacity for love, deeper appreciation for the beautiful, closer connection with nature, and a plethora of other benefits. Despite these ideas being challenged, you can explore Orgone Energy for yourself, and see what happens.

What do you think?

With all of this, many condone the censorship of Wilhelm Reich’s work because they believe it indirectly promoted sexual promiscuity and ultimately led the the sexual revolution of the 1960’s. Throughout Reich’s career, he consistently countered these claims and made it clear that the study of Orgone is regarding the study of life energy, not solely sexuality- however, these two forces are intertwined.

What do you think? Have you had any experience with Orgone Energy? Or, do you believe, as many others do, that Reich’s work was just a very loud pseudoscience that made its way into traditional academia? Spark a conversation, and let us know in the comments below.