Orgone is a concept not based on real science. It is sometimes described as a mysterious energy or a type of energy thought to exist everywhere. The idea was first introduced in the 1930s by Wilhelm Reich, and later developed by Reich's student, Charles Kelley, after Reich died in 1957. Orgone was described as a creative force found in all of nature, similar to other ideas like Mesmer's animal magnetism (1779), Carl Reichenbach's Odic force (1845), and Henri Bergson's élan vital (1907). Orgone was believed to be a massless substance present everywhere, like the once-theorized luminiferous aether, but more closely linked to living energy than to non-living matter. It was claimed to form structures at all sizes, from tiny microscopic units called "bions" to large structures like organisms, clouds, or galaxies.
Reich believed that a lack or blockage of orgone in the body could cause diseases, especially cancer, much like how a lack of sexual energy was thought to cause mental health issues in Freud's theory. In 1942, Reich created the Orgone Institute in the United States to study orgone energy. He designed special devices called "orgone energy accumulators" to collect and study this energy, claiming they could improve health. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the distribution of orgone-related materials because Reich and his group made false claims. A judge later ordered Reich to be jailed and all orgone-related materials at the institute to be destroyed.
Reich denied that orgone accumulators could improve sexual health by increasing sexual energy.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health lists orgone as a type of "putative energy," which refers to energy fields that have not been proven through scientific testing. These fields are thought to exist in humans, with different names in different cultures, such as qi, prana, etheric energy, fohat, orgone, odic force, mana, and homeopathic resonance.
After Reich's death, some of his students, including Kelley, continued studying orgone. In 1982, an Institute for Orgonomic Science was created in New York to continue Reich's work, publishing research and collecting related materials. However, there was no scientific evidence supporting the concept of orgone in medicine or physics, and research on the topic ended with the institute's closure.
History
The concept of orgone is part of Reich's later work after he moved to the United States. Reich's early ideas were based on Freud's theory of the libido, though he also considered sociological views that Freud disagreed with but others, like Herbert Marcuse and Carl Jung, partially supported. Freud believed the mind was focused on personal, unconscious desires, such as the sexual drive (libido), which were controlled by internal mental images of parental figures (the superego). Reich, however, saw the libido as a life-affirming force that society directly suppressed. For example, Reich observed a workers' political rally and noted that people avoided walking on grass because of signs, which he interpreted as society using rules to control behavior, similar to how parents influence children. Because of his disagreements with Freud about the nature of the libido and his growing political views, Reich was expelled from the Institute of Psycho-analysis. He left Germany soon after Hitler came to power.
Reich later developed a more biological view of the libido, possibly influenced by his teacher Paul Kammerer and biologist Otto Heinrich Warburg. In the early 20th century, when molecular biology was still developing, theories about life energy were widely discussed, as seen in the work of Hans Driesch. As a psychoanalyst, Reich connected these ideas to Freud's concept of the libido, but as a scientist, he believed such energy could be studied physically.
In his well-known book, The Function of the Orgasm, Reich wrote: "Between 1919 and 1921, I studied Driesch's theories… Driesch argued that life could create a whole from a part, unlike machines. However, I did not accept his belief in a spiritual life force. Seventeen years later, I found a way to explain this using energy formulas. Driesch's ideas remained important to me when I considered vitalism, and I later saw his assumptions as incorrect, placing him among spiritualists."
The idea of orgone came from Reich's research on the physical and psychological aspects of the libido. After moving to the United States, Reich explored biological development, evolution, and the universe, leading him to propose "bions"—tiny, glowing structures he claimed could be found in decaying materials. Initially, he thought bions were related to electricity or radioactivity, as suggested by biologist Alexander Gurwitsch. Later, he concluded he had discovered a new, measurable force and named it "orgone," a term combining Greek roots for "impulse" (as in "orgasm") and a suffix used in scientific terms (like "ozone").
Reich described neurosis as a physical condition he called "body armor"—deep physical tensions and restrictions that affected mental health. He developed a treatment called vegetotherapy to release these tensions, allowing natural, instinctive responses—seen as signs of mental well-being—to emerge.
Evaluation
Orgone was closely linked to sexuality. Reich, influenced by Freud, believed that early stages of sexuality were the main energy source of life. The word "orgone" shares a root with "orgasm," which both Reich and Freud considered important for mental health. While this focus on sexuality was accepted by some doctors in Vienna, it shocked many people in the United States and interested some writers, like William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac.
Reich’s experiments sometimes lacked careful methods and failed to avoid unfair influences. Reich wanted other scientists to verify his work. Albert Einstein agreed to help but believed Reich’s research was not objective and lacked scientific accuracy. Einstein concluded that the results were due to temperature differences in the room. In a letter dated February 7, 1941, Einstein told Reich that the matter was resolved. Later, Einstein said he could not help further and asked that his name not be used for advertising.
After World War II, orgone and related ideas were strongly criticized in American newspapers. Reich and his followers were called a "cult of sex and anarchy," partly because of the title of Reich’s book, The Function of the Orgasm. This led to investigations and accusations, including claims of communist ties. Many doctors at the time considered Reich’s methods for treating illness unscientific. In 1954, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered Reich to stop making medical claims about orgone. This prevented him from sending "orgone devices" between states. Reich refused to follow the order, was jailed, and the FDA destroyed his books, research, and devices at his institute.
Some therapists who use body-based or somatic psychology continue to apply Reich’s ideas about emotional release and character analysis in their work.
In popular culture
Dušan Makavejev began his 1971 humorous film W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism with real footage showing Wilhelm Reich and his creation of orgone accumulators. He mixed this with other images and a made-up story to create a film that criticized leaders related to sex and politics. One scene showed only "ten or fifteen orgone boxes left in the country" at that time.
The 2025 first-person shooter video game Psycho Patrol R includes ideas from Reich. In the game’s world, orgone has been proven by science and is used as a power source for new and powerful technologies.