Orgone ( / ˈ ɔːr ɡ oʊ n / OR -gohn ) is a concept not supported by science, described as a mysterious energy or a supposed universal life force. It was first introduced in the 1930s by Wilhelm Reich, and later studied by Reich’s student, Charles Kelley, after Reich died in 1957. Reich believed orgone was a force that helped create order in nature, similar to earlier ideas like Mesmer’s animal magnetism (1779), Carl Reichenbach’s Odic force (1845), and Henri Bergson’s élan vital (1907). Orgone was thought to be a substance without mass that exists everywhere, like the old idea of luminiferous aether, but more connected to living things than to non-living matter. It was claimed to form structures at all sizes, from tiny microscopic units called “bions” to large things like clouds, organisms, or galaxies.
Reich believed that problems with orgone in the body could cause diseases, especially cancer, much like how Freud thought issues with sexual energy could lead to mental health problems. In 1942, Reich started the Orgone Institute in the United States to study orgone energy. He created 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) stopped the spread of orgone-related materials because Reich and his group made false claims. One of Reich’s associates broke the rule, and a judge later ordered Reich to go to jail and destroy all orgone-related materials at the institute.
Reich denied that orgone accumulators could improve sexual health or increase sexual energy.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes orgone as a type of “putative energy,” meaning energy that has not been proven through scientific testing. It explains that such energy fields are believed to exist in different cultures under names like qi, prana, etheric energy, fohat, odic force, mana, and homeopathic resonance.
After Reich’s death, some of his students, including Kelley, continued researching orgone. In 1982, an Institute for Orgonomic Science was created in New York to continue Reich’s work. It published research and collected related materials. However, there was no scientific evidence supporting orgone in medicine or physics, and research on the topic ended when the institute closed.
History
The concept of orgone comes from 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 was also influenced by other thinkers, such as Herbert Marcuse and Carl Jung. Freud believed that the unconscious, selfish drives (like the sexual drive, or libido) were controlled by mental images of parents (called the superego). Reich, however, saw the libido as a positive force that society repressed. He was removed from the Institute of Psycho-analysis because of disagreements about the nature of the libido and his growing political views. After Hitler became leader of Germany, Reich left the country.
Reich began to think of the libido as a form of energy in the body, possibly influenced by his teacher Paul Kammerer and biologist Otto Heinrich Warburg. In the early 1900s, biology had many unanswered questions, making the idea of a life energy seem possible, as suggested by Hans Driesch. As a psychoanalyst, Reich connected this to Freud's ideas about the libido. But as a materialist, he believed this life force could be studied through experiments.
In his famous book, The Function of the Orgasm, Reich wrote about Driesch's theories. He agreed with Driesch's idea that life could develop from a small part, unlike machines. However, Reich did not accept Driesch's spiritual views. Later, Reich developed a new idea about energy, which he called "orgone." The word comes from the Greek "org-" meaning impulse and "-one" as in ozone.
The concept of orgone came from Reich's research on the physical aspects of the libido. In the United States, he studied how life develops and evolves, leading him to believe in "bions" – tiny, glowing parts in decaying materials. At first, he thought they were electrical or radioactive, like the work of Alexander Gurwitsch. Later, he discovered a new force and named it "orgone."
Reich believed that mental issues, like neurosis, showed up as physical tension in the body, which he called "body armor." He created a treatment called "vegetotherapy" to help release this tension, allowing natural reflexes to improve mental health.
Evaluation
Orgone was closely connected to sexuality. Reich, following Freud, believed that early stages of sexuality were the main source of life's energy. The word "orgone" was chosen because it shares a root with the word "orgasm," which both Reich and Freud considered a key sign of mental health. This focus on sexuality was accepted by some doctors in Vienna but caused outrage among many Americans. It also attracted interest from writers like William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac.
Some of Reich's experiments did not seem carefully planned or designed to avoid unfair influences. Reich wanted other scientists to test his ideas. Albert Einstein agreed to help but later said Reich's research lacked scientific fairness and proper methods. Einstein believed the results were caused by temperature differences in the room. He wrote to Reich on February 7, 1941, stating that the matter was resolved. After more letters from Reich, 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 Reich's book titled The Function of the Orgasm. This led to investigations and accusations of being a communist. Many doctors at the time saw Reich's methods for treating illness as unscientific. In 1954, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered Reich to stop making medical claims about Orgone. This prevented him from shipping "orgone devices" between states. Reich refused to stop and was jailed. The FDA also destroyed his books, research, and devices at his institute.
Some therapists who use body-focused or somatic psychology continue to apply Reich's ideas about emotional release and character analysis.
In popular culture
Dušan Makavejev began his 1971 humorous film W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism with real footage showing Wilhelm Reich and his invention of orgone accumulators. He combined this with other images and a made-up story to create a mix that criticized leaders in areas of sex and politics. One scene shows 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 advanced technology.