The Body's Energetic Armor
Reich chose to focus on the biophysical aspects of psychological conditions. Through his research, he discovered that people with unresolved negative emotions would hold more rigidity in their muscles, blocking the natural flow of energy through the body. He referred to this tension as "muscular armor" and noted that firm pressure of his thumb or deep massage into a rigid muscle would elicit a strong emotional response accompanied by physical pain that then appeared to stimulate the memory which initially created the tension. The more repressed the mind, the more stuck the body.
The Lifeforce: Reich's Discovery of Orgone Energy
The second thing Reich discovered came from observing a dying plant in water under a microscope. As the life force faded, he witnessed luminescent blue "bubbles" departing from the plant and then, as if by magic, coming together again separately to form a new protozoa - a new living organism. He called this glow, BIOME and concluded that if energy is not lost, but simply transformed at death, it must exist everywhere - always.
He was able to see and measure biome energy. To put it simply: Wilhelm Reich rediscovered what shamans in ancient healing modalities have known for centuries: there is an energetic life force in the Universe… an etheric substance that is the essence of every living thing and non-living thing.
Orgone accumulator
The Orgone Accumulator: Harnessing the Universal Life Force
Seeing how negative energy disrupts the flow of life through the body, Reich devised an invention that would direct the flow of life orgone into a patient. He called it the Orgone Accumulator. Reich's invention was designed to concentrate positive energy around and into a human being.
It was based on stacking alternating layers of:
- Organic materials - such as wool and fiberglass that attract and hold Orgone energy,
- Inorganic materials or metallic - such as metal and steel wool – that attract and then immediately repel energy in all directions.
In 1940, Wilhelm Reich constructed the first device to accumulate orgone energy: a six-sided box created of alternating layers of organic materials and metallic materials. Patients would sit inside the accumulator and absorb Orgone through their skin and lungs. The accumulator had a healthy effect on blood and body tissue by improving the flow of life energy and by releasing energy blocks.
Orgone accumulators - devices invented by Reich in 1940 to concentrate orgone energy for use in treating a wide variety of illnesses and injuries. The blanket, the walls of the box, and the sides of the cabinet consist of layers of organic materials alternated with inorganic materials. Steel wool, glass insulation, or sheet metal might be layered with wool, cotton or plywood. Treatment was accomplished by sitting in the cabinet or applying the blanket or funnel shaped "shooter" to the afflicted area for periods of time ranging from ten minutes up to a half hour.
Wilhelm Reich Simplified Diagram Of The Orgone Energy Accumulator -Orgone Energy, Free Energy Projects
The Design and Function of the Orgone Accumulator
The orgone accumulator's design relied on the principle that organic materials attract and hold orgone energy while inorganic materials repel it. It employed alternating layers of organic materials like wool and fiberglass with metal layers. The metal layers repelled both POR and DOR, while the organic layers attracted and held POR.
In theory, this design would create a concentration of POR within the accumulator, potentially fostering a beneficial environment for healing. Patients would sit inside for a set period to absorb this concentrated POR energy.
He constructed large boxes called orgone accumulators or "oracs" using this simple layering principle and was able to successfully heal his patients of various ailments, including various forms of cancer, by having them sit inside the box for periods of time.
Reich built his research lab in rural Maine, USA, as this location was at the time very isolated from sources of "deadly orgone," which his accumulators would collect indiscriminately. Operating an orgone accumulator near sources of DOR (such as nuclear power plants, radio towers, etc.) has the potential of harming anyone receiving treatment inside it, so geographical location was and is an important factor for orgone accumulator operation.
The Suppression of Reich's Groundbreaking Work
Sadly, Reich's celebration was short-lived. In the 50s, he was first singled out by the US government for being a communist, though it was eventually determined in 1957, that he was not guilty of subversive activity. Just before he was about to go public with his research and new product, however, the FDA suddenly stepped in, seizing all of his product and convicting him of fraud. Wilhelm Reich was thrown in prison and the FDA not only confiscated his equipment, they completely destroyed it.
You can read:
- Part 1: Wilhelm Reich and His Discovery of Orgone Energy
- Part 3: The Advancements of Orgonite
- Orgonite Accumulator and Orgonite Generator - The Difference