Wilhelm Reich & Orgone Energy : Looking Back, Looking Forward

The 2005 conference at Orgonon, four miles west of Rangeley, Maine, was entitled �Wilhelm Reich & Orgone Energy: Looking Back, Moving Forward�. In an extremely generous gesture, Mary Higgins, the trustee of the Wilhelm Reich Infant Trust, had invited Noriko and me to attend. Because of the work I did revamping the Wilhelm Reich Museum�s website recently, our conference fees were waived. All we had to do was get there. A flight was booked, a campsite was reserved, and rental car arrangements were made. I would be making my third trip to Orgonon, and Noriko would be making her first.

Our journey began on Sunday, July 17th at 5:00 in the morning. We had booked an early morning flight to Maine in order to avoid arriving at our campsite too late (two years ago I had made the mistake of taking an afternoon flight that resulted in me setting up my tent at 12:30 in the morning). The flight was relatively uneventful. I spent most of it reading the Sunday New York Times and chatting with my traveling companion. After a brief layover in Cleveland, we arrived at the Portland Jetport a little bit after 1:00 in the afternoon. The first thing I noticed was that it was hot�unseasonably hot, especially for Maine. I had really been looking forward to a break from the humidity so common in Indiana during the summer. I was beginning to think that wouldn�t be happening�a real bummer in my book. Regardless, we grabbed our luggage and rental car and headed north.

We made a couple of stops along the way. The first was at a dumpy Chinese restaurant in Auburn. The food was okay, but it was hot, cramped, and�well, dumpy, dirty, and downright disgusting. At least we avoided the corporate alternatives: KFC, Wendy�s, and Burger King. Our second stop, about 10 miles from our destination, was at a scenic overlook high above Lake Mooselookmeguntic. It was here that Reich had first observed atmospheric orgone energy back in 1940. The significance of this was sort of lost on Noriko (who has her doubts regarding the existence of orgone in the atmosphere despite her willingness to equate bodily orgone with chi), but I found it interesting to wonder exactly what it was that caught Reich�s eye that day. Sadly, there would be no observation of atmospheric orgone at that time. It had been raining off and on all day, and clouds and humidity are two factors that make it very difficult to observe orgone.

All this time we had been trying to connect with my pal and all-around good guy Jim Strick, one of the presenters at the conference (and a past presenter to boot). He and I were trying to arrange a rendezvous as he would be leaving to return home early Tuesday morning. We tried unsuccessfully to call him as we passed through Oquossoc and decided to head on up to our campsite on Cupsuptic Lake and check in. Once there we were able to connect with Jim. He had been invited to dinner with the other presenters but had an hour to spare. As such, we hurried over to his cabin where Noriko fought with the black flies while Jim and I enjoyed a quick swim in the soft, warm water of Dodge Pond. I�d never had a chance to swim in Dodge Pond before (its western shore borders Orgonon), and let me tell you: it�s a whole different experience than swimming in Indiana lakes. Absolutely wonderful! All I can say is that it must have something to do with the granite lakebeds in Maine as opposed to the limestone lakebeds one finds here in Indiana. Anyway, Jim and I had a nice swim and discussed work and such while Noriko eventually gave up and retreated to the cabin to wait for us.

Jim was kind enough to allow us to spend some time in the cabin that evening while he went off to dinner. When he left we headed into Rangeley to grab some grub at the Red Onion and some libations at the grocery store (Maine, being a civilized state, actually sells liquor on Sundays and I was in the mood for a cocktail�hell, I was on vacation after all). Then it was back to Jim�s cabin. When we arrived, we spied a light on and thought perhaps that Jim had beaten us back. Instead we found Grier Sellers, a longtime attendee of the summer conferences and a presenter from the 2003 conference on the bions. Jim, Grier, and I had spent one evening together back in 2003. Noriko and I explained our situation, and Grier invited us so that we could wait for Jim together. That�s when the rain hit, a proper thunderstorm, in fact. At that moment, Noriko and I were very glad not to be sitting a tent wondering just how waterproof it was. Very glad. I was also wondering how long the rain would last. It was also at this time that Noriko finally go a taste of just exactly what she had gotten herself into. While I tried to steer the conversation away from topics related to Reich and orgone, it was inevitable that Grier and I would talk about these subjects. As the week wore on, I think Noriko slowly came to the realization that she had somewhat underestimated just what it meant to be immersed in orgonomic culture. It was definitely unlike any conference she�d ever been to before.

Anyway, time passed, and Jim still hadn�t shown. It was getting late. So when the rain finally let up, Noriko and I decided it best to just head back to the campsite.

I, personally, was glad we hadn�t set up the tent earlier for, as I mentioned earlier, I don�t know how long our tent would have held up against the downpour we�d just witnessed. On the downside, I had to once again set up a tent in the dark. It took me about an hour�the real challenge being the fact that I was having a very hard time figuring out how the rain fly fit on the damn thing. Eventually, however, we got it set up and snuggled into the 4 blankets, sleeping bag, comforter, and two sheets set atop an inflatable pad and a foam egg crate-type pad that we�d crammed into Noriko�s heavy duty mega-suitcase. Pretty comfy setup. It�s what I like to call �camping in style�.

Monday I awoke at 5:30 and could not fall back to sleep. I finally gave up trying a little bit after 6:00, set up our clothesline, organized the car, and headed off to the bathhouse to take a warm shower. Refreshed and clean, I went about waking my better half. While I was in no way adamant that she attend every session of the conference with me, I did want her to go the Monday morning session. Jim Strick would be the speaker, and, considering how much I�ve talked about him and his work and the good times he and I had together at the 2003 conference, I wanted Noriko to get a better impression of the guy than that afforded by one she�d received watching he and swimming in Dodge Pond while she swatted away flies.

We were both ready and dressed by 8:00 and were at the conference center within 15 minutes. I can�t speak for Noriko and her first impressions, but I was glad to be back. Orientating myself, I noticed that all of the lab tables from the 2003 conference were gone, but everything else was much as I remembered: from the patched crack running up the fieldstone fireplace to the orgone room to the mannequin/scarecrow sitting in the corner. Jim was there setting up, and I finally had the chance to introduce Noriko to Mary Higgins (the director of the museum) and Mary Henderson (the administrative secretary). Good people.

Also, being prepared, Noriko and I had brought along our own tea. Nothing against plain old Lipton, but she and I much prefer green tea, so it was nice to have some on hand. In addition, Mary Henderson had a hot pot full of water on hand.

Slowly some familiar faces and some new faces trickled in. As is tradition, when it was time for the program to begin, Mary Higgins rang a bell, and the attendees took their seats.

Jim is an assistant professor of science at Franklin and Marshall College who has published two books of note, Sparks of Life: Darwinism and the Victorian Debates over Spontaneous Generation and The Living Universe: NASA and the Development of Astrobiology. He specializes in the history of science, and his talk that morning was entitled �The Historic Context of Reich�s Laboratory Work: From Biomedical Research of the 1930s to the Present Day�. Dr. Strick introduced his talk with a question: why do Reich�s theories sound so foreign in the context of mainstream biology and medicine? He answered this by describing the context in which Reich�s theories emerged and the various approaches scientists were taking toward biology and medicine at that time.

According to Strick, by the late 1920s the casual observer (with an eye toward Reich�s work) would note three approaches: 1) that of the mechanistic mainstream which was already emerging as the dominant approach. This approach looks at the body, basically, as a machine, i.e., it is governed by chemical and biological processes in which all things are explained in mechanistic terms in the same manner that mainstream science explains nonliving systems; 2) neo-vitalism which was then dominated by theories of Hans Driesch and posited that living things are governed by an �entelechy�, i.e., a force not accessible to mechanistic laboratory investigations; and 3) Reich�s approach which was looking to develop a synthesis of the mechanistic mainstream and neo-vitalistic approaches.

In time, the gap between Reich�s approach and that of the mechanistic mainstream widened. Dr. Strick pointed out two major discoveries of Reich�s which led to this: 1) the discovery of bions in 1939 and the discovery of atmospheric orgone in 1940. In light of these discoveries, the connections between Reich�s approach and that of the mechanistic mainstream had become difficult to see. This gap widened even further in 1953 with the publication of Watson and Crick�s paper on the structure of DNA and the turn toward overwhelmingly molecular approaches by the mainstream.

At this point, Dr. Strick backed up a bit and explained the foundations of Reich�s approach�which, in time, developed into the science of orgonomy. Dr. Strick stated that Reich had drawn upon the following research approaches:

• Freud�s libido theory, i.e., the idea that there is a specific sexual energy.
• the theories of various schools that represent non-mechanistic versions of materialism (especially dialectical materialism).
• opposition to over-simplistic Mendelian genetics, i.e., the idea that everything�including behavior and disposition�is inherited, and inherited by simple Mendelian patterns. Dr. Strick argued that Mendelian genetics was strongly influenced by the eugenics movement which was strong not only in Nazi Germany but also in the United States (e.g. Margaret Sanger successfully courted the eugenics movement in order to gain support for the birth control movement which she championed). Dr. Strick also remarked on neo-Lamarckianism, the last prominent advocate of which was Paul Kammerer, an instructor of Reich�s at the medical school in Vienna. It was noted that neo-Lamarckianism was more popular with the Left in Austria (as opposed to the eugenics movement which tried to tie�via Mendelian genetics�sloth, alcoholism, prostitution, etc. to inherited genetic traits). Paul Kammerer�s ideas were later bastardized in the theories of the Soviet geneticist T.D. Lysenko�a scientist basically ignored in the West after denouncing Mendelian genetics as �reactionary and decadent� at a Russian conference in 1948, i.e., he was espousing dialectical materialist biology.
• energeticist/�field� theories in embryology, especially for the understanding of cell mitosis. Dr. Strick pointed out that Gurvitch had proposed that mitosis is governed by a type of radiation which he called �mitogenetic radiation� (these theories later came into play when Reich experimented with bion cultures, specifically the SAPA-bion cultures). Gurvitch�s theories greatly influenced Reich�s theories of bioenergetics. The theory of �relative sexuality� developed by Max Hartmann provided further support for his view that sexual attraction was a bioelectric phenomenon. Hartmann had published a paper on the subject in 1931 that Reich read in 1933. Dr. Strick argued that Reich�s interest in energeticist theories was further bolstered by the concept of conservation of energy. Reich wondered that if heat can be converted to electricity, then what was going on at the biological level. Was there some other type of energy, perhaps something analogous to libido energy that Freud had described? However, although there had been early advocates of a specific biological energy (i.e. Kammerer and Benjamin Moore), by 1939, Reich was one of a very small minority in his interest in understanding these energetic phenomena. Another scientist that influenced Reich�s thoughts on energeticism was Otto Warburg who had studied how energy is released from food. Later Warburg studied cancer cells and posited that cancer develops when cells produce energy anaerobically instead of aerobically. Finally, Dr. Strick mentioned Friedrich Kraus�s �fluid theory of life� described in a hard-to-find book published in 1926. All of the scientific thought mentioned above�which was coming out of Germany�was basically quashed with the rise of Nazi fascism or lost in WWII and its aftermath.
• origin of life studies and theories relevant to spontaneous generation would have a tremendous impact on the bion experiments. Reich had been led to this field of thought�most famously championed by Bastian in his debates with Pasteur in the late 1800s�by his own work with the bions in 1936-9.

In terms of opposition to Reich, his investigation into the origin of life compounded with his earlier advocacy of abortion rights and contraceptive rights did little to endear Reich to the mainstream. And if the above was not enough to make Reich�s theories unpopular, consider the other 50% of the equation:

• the study of the function of the orgasm.

Dr. Strick next passed out a handout in which he had sketched out a flow-chart detailing the progression of Reich�s thought and that of mainstream mechanistic materialism. Of significance, Strick pointed out, was the influence of the Rockefeller Foundation on the direction research into biology and medicine would take in the early 20th century. Warren Weaver, director of the Natural Sciences Division at the Rockefeller Foundation basically sat on the only substantial pot of money via which scientists could turn to for funding of research following the stock market crash in 1929. This meant, as Dr. Strick pointed out, that during the Depression years, unless you were able to convince Warren Weaver that your research was worth funding, you either had to finance scientific research on your own (as Reich was forced to do via his therapy practice) or go without. Weaver�s allegiances did not align with the type of work Reich was doing. He was more interested in physics, chemistry, and mechanistic biology, especially the theory of macromolecules, which led to molecular biology which, as Dr. Strick had been indicating, Reich was not necessarily in tune with. As a result, the mechanistic mainstream became the de facto mainstream and scientists like Reich, Pijper, Kraus, and Gurvitch were marginalized.

By 1939 or soon afterward, Reich had come to the realization that he was doing something totally original, i.e., that he wasn�t even being acknowledged by those who had influenced his thought. As Reich moved further from the mainstream with the discovery of atmospheric orgone in 1940, his experiments from 1940 onwards with the orgone accumulator, the discovery in 1951 of Oranur and DOR, and the invention of the cloudbuster, he had placed himself in a position that went well against the grain of conventional biology and medicine.

With the subsequent FDA injunction, Reich�s imprisonment, and the destruction of Reich�s printed works in New York City incinerators, the discoveries of Reich and his scientific approach were left to be championed by a handful of his students�a fact further complicated by the squabbles that plagued the orgonomic community after Reich�s death.

Dr. Strick concluded by stating that, at present, it would be very difficult to pick up where Reich left off. First of all, it would take an enormous amount of money. Secondly, it would go against the well-ingrained traditions of bio-mechanistic medicine and science.

On that note, Dr. Strick concluded his talk. He had definitely provided those of us in attendance with a context for understanding Reich�s work. As the conference would progress, many would share thoughts as to how orgonomy and those interested establishing its relevance within the mainstream (and in alternative medicine circles) might best move forward at this moment in time.

Noriko and I took advantage of the break by heading into town to grab a bite to eat at A Stone�s Throw, a local sandwich shoppe specializing in �eclectic� cuisine. I was happy to hear that she�d enjoyed the first talk. It was very interesting�especially to think about the influence a body like the Rockefeller Foundation might have on the direction of scientific progress. One can only wonder what the world would look like if German neo-vitalism had not been co-opted by the Nazis or if Warren Weaver had been predisposed toward Reich instead mechanistic biochemistry. Such speculation is the stuff of good science fiction, I suppose, but it�s an interesting question nonetheless.

After lunch, Noriko and I returned to the conference center to sit in on the afternoon session. Dr. Bernard Grad, a biologist who had studied bions with Reich would be giving a presentation entitled �Memories of Working with Reich: Opportunities and Obstacles for the Future of Reich�s Biological Work�. Dr. Grad had first met Reich in September of 1949. Impressed, Reich had asked Grad to stay on for a time and observe the research being conducted at Orgonon. He watched as the T � To experiment was replicated and made his first observations of atmospheric orgone energy. Still somewhat skeptical, Dr. Grad approached the fledgling science of orgonomy cautiously. He stated that he would often compare the conflicting perspectives of orgonomy and mechanistic science. For example, he pointed out that mechanistic science claimed the sky was blue due to the refraction of light in the atmosphere (blue being the shortest wavelength and thus the color that the eye sees) with that of orgonomy which stated that the sky was blue due to the presence of orgone energy which had been shown to give off a blue glow in orgone charged vacuum tubes and in the orgone accumulator. After a year of observations, Dr. Grad eventually came down on the side of orgonomy.

Dr. Grad stated that he last met with Reich in 1954 or 1955. However, his interest in the work pioneered by Reich continued. He was most taken by Reich�s work with the bions and set about attempting to replicate Reich�s experiments. Much of this experimental work was undertaken during �free time� at the lab at which he was employed. Working alone for fear of being ostracized by his colleagues, Dr. Grad carried out a number of experiments with bion cultures. He began by adding and subtracting different variables to the basic bion culturing experiments.

At this point in his presentation, Dr. Grad shared a number of slides with the attendees. Of especial interest were those of bions he had cultured via the combination of chemical compounds. Many in attendance were impressed by the bions Dr. Grad had cultured from calcium carbonate, i.e., the idea that chemicals in solution could produce bions that exhibited the same characteristics Reich had observed when working with grass infusions.

All in all, it was wonderful to hear about Reich and the activities at Orgonon during Reich�s day from someone who was there. It was also very interesting to see how one of Reich�s students moved forward with the pioneering bion experiments after Reich�s death.

After the talk I was informed that Noriko and I had been invited over to Mary Higgins�s home for after-dinner drinks and dessert with some of the presenters. Needless to say, I was honored to be included. And so, after homemade pizza at the Red Onion (if you like that ultra-thin crust type pizza, you�d have liked this), we headed over to Mary�s home.

The first thing you notice when you visit Mary�s are her ferocious guard dogs. I swear, if you were unprepared, you�d probably poop your pants as these two barrel toward you barking up a storm and showing enough teeth to make you think you�d stumbled upon the brood of Kerberus. But with coaxing from Mary, they calm down�though they do continue to remain rather wary of strangers. Nevertheless, the next thing you notice is her Steinway grand piano. Wow! I�d have loved to have knocked out a rendition of �Fat Belly Boy� on that. As it was, I was a bit embarrassed to ask.

The evening itself was very nice. Jim and Grier were there, as was Mary�s long-time friend (and Lexington, Kentucky native) Kate, Dr. Conny Huthsteiner (a practicing orgone therapist from Boston), Theirrie Cook (owner of Orgonics and a veteran of a number of cloudbusting operations), Andy Kahn (a long-time supporter of the museum and accomplished jazz pianist), and Kevin Hinchey (associate director of the museum). Mary and Kate were gracious hosts and kept Noriko and I sated with delicious black tea. I had a very nice talk with Conny about her practice, and also had an interesting talk about the similarities between Eastern medicine and Reich�s work with Noriko, Jim, and Grier. Noriko had been wanting to ask Jim about this unmentioned approach after listening to his talk that morning, and, while Jim deferred to Grier as resident expert on Eastern medicine, the conversation we had was very interesting.

As the evening started to come to a close, Jim suggested that Noriko and I join him and Grier at their cabin for cocktails. Noriko, being accommodating to a degree worthy of an award, agreed, and the two of us headed over to find a couple of conference attendees already there. They had gotten a nice fire going in the backyard, and, with gin and tonic in hand, Jim, Grier, Kevin, and I had a good time joking about the Billy Rich orchestra, the history of the museum, and the future of orgonomy�and what sort of role, if any, we might play in the grand scheme of things. It was at this juncture that I started pondering whether or not some sort of weblog would afford orgonomists a useful forum for discussion�especially since it seemed that there was so much to talk about, yet there was only one week of the year when everyone could come together to discuss ideas face-to-face. I ran my idea past those present, and I got the impression that it would at least be worth a try.

All this time Noriko had been hanging out in the cabin reading articles for school�I think she�d had her fill of orgone-related talk. In fact, I�m pretty sure that she�d had more than her fill. She was, as I said, very gracious in allowing me to chum about with the fellas (especially since Jim would be leaving in the morning), but it was getting late.

We got back to the campsite at 1:00 and hit the hay.

I slept until 10:30 the next morning. It�d been a while since I�d had three gin and tonics, and I was definitely feeling the effects. Noriko had been up for a while and was ready to eat, so I quickly showered and prepared for the day. There was no morning session that day, so we had plenty of time to grab a bite to eat and explore a bit in Rangeley. Food was our first priority, and we decided to eat at a Thai carryout place. I had green curry; Noriko had sesame chicken. Her meal was delicious, and while mine couldn�t hold a candle to the Kang Kiew Wan at Esan Thai here in Bloomington, it was purty darn good for a town of just over a 1000 people in the middle of what some might consider nowhere.

After lunch we headed across the street to the Rangeley Public Library. Noriko was interested in checking her email and figuring out whether the library would be a good spot for her to hang out while I attended some of the conference sessions she wasn�t as inclined to attend (as I learned later, she�d sort of been overwhelmed by Monday�s activities which basically had her immersed orgonotic talk from nine in the morning until after midnight). I was also interested in checking out the library simply because I�m a curious public librarian who is interested in visiting libraries in other towns (I had done the same thing during our honeymoon on Kaua�i). The library in Rangeley is very cozy. There�s an M.L.S. on staff (though he stayed upstairs most of the time). They have a tight budget (for instance, there�s no encyclopedia due to fiscal issues) but they had received grant money from the state for the installation of a wireless system. It had only been in place for three weeks, but Noriko was very happy since this meant she�d be able to use her laptop in the library. As such, she found a cozy chair and I milled about taking pictures to share with my reference class.

Noriko stayed at the library that afternoon while I journeyed back to Orgonon for the afternoon session. Morton Herskowitz, D.O., would be giving a talk entitled �Remembering Reich�. Dr. Herskowitz is a practicing orgone therapist in the Philadelphia area, President of the Institute for Orgonomic Science, and author of Emotional Armoring: An Introduction to Psychiatric Orgone Therapy. He began his talk with a comment about the problems inherent in taking some of Reich�s off-hand remarks too seriously. As an example he mentioned the off-hand remark Reich had made about homosexuals to Ilse Ollendorff Reich. Dr. Herskowitz recounted his own conversation with Reich on the issue and told us of the very different answer he received�an explanation that conflicted with Ilse�s account. Personally, I think Dr. Herskowitz�s point was that if someone says something that you have a question about or that conflicts with your expectations of an individual, it�s usually a good idea to ask for clarification. More specifically, it is important when examining the lives of a great thinker, like Reich (a man who was, at times, a victim of his strong opinions), to be careful about making judgments based on off-hand remarks for it is a mistake to discount an individual�s entire contribution over a single remark made off-the-cuff or taken out-of-context.

Having shared this anecdote, Dr. Herskowitz talked of his involvement with Reich by describing his first encounter with Reich�s writings: as a young medical student he had been lent a copy of The Sexual Revolution and, being profoundly impressed that he had discovered a thinker who was addressing many of the questions he had about psychoanalysis and providing elucidation and thoughtful answers, he sought out Reich with the intent of entering into therapy with him. At this time Reich was still living in Forest Hills, a somewhat affluent suburb of New York City. He recounted with humor his first impressions of Reich, of the home in Forest Hills, and how he had hoped that the interaction would focus squarely on psychoanalysis as he had doubts about Reich�s theories of orgone energy. Of course, he stated, this was a fruitless wish for when Ilse answered the door, Reich appeared in his lab coat and almost immediately asked him what he thought of orgone energy.

Dr. Hersokowitz stated that Reich was very serious during therapeutic sessions. There was no small talk. He charged fifty dollars a session. He shared humorous stories about Reich. One of the most memorable centered on a conversation about the perception some had of Reich as �crazy�. To make a point, Reich crossed the room, retrieved a rifle from the mantle, aimed it an Herskowitz, and asked, �Do you think I�m crazy?�. Caught up in the absurdity of the moment, Herskowitz began laughing. Reich replaced the rifle, his point made, and quickly instructed Herskowitz, �Now don�t ever do this with one of your patients�. This anecdote was received well by the conference attendees (though, out-of-context, it would be easy to see how such a tale might be twisted to put Reich in a bad light).

When Reich moved to Rangeley after purchasing the parcel of land he would come to call Orgonon in November of 1942, Dr. Herskowitz began making the 14-hour drive from Philadelphia to continue his therapy.

Herskowitz commented on Reich�s effective use of metaphors. As an example, he referred to the metaphor Reich used in his essay �The Emotional Plague� which first appeared as chapter 16 of Character Analysis:

The circulation of steam in the steampipes of a factory is an unquestioned precondition of the factory�s operation. However, the workers in a factory hardly give a moment�s thought to the circulation of the steam. Their attention is completely concentrated on their work. The energy engendered by the steam is �not everything� in the factory. There are other important interests, e.g., the manufacture of machines and similar things. Let us imagine that all of a sudden one or more steam valves became clogged. The flow of energy engendered by the steam would cease immediately. The pistons would stop; the wheels would no longer turn; work would be out of the question. All the workers would have to direct their attention with dispatch to the obstructed flow of steam in the pipes. All thinking would be centered on one question: how a regulated circulation of steam could be reestablished in the quickest way. Let us further imagine that some workers began to argue about this situation as follows: �This confounded theory of heat exaggerates the role of steam. Sure, it's true that steam is necessary, but it's far from being everything in this factory. Don't you see that there are other things to worry about? What about the economy?� In a breakdown like the one described, these �brainstorms� would merely be laughed at, and one would quickly attempt to eliminate the basic disturbance in the circulation of the steam before turning one's thoughts to �other things�. It would serve no purpose to consider the interests of economy when the steam valves are clogged.

This example illustrates the nature of the sexual problem in our society. The flow of biological energy, i.e., sexual energy, is disturbed in most people. The biosocial mechanism of society therefore functions poorly and sometimes not at all, and we have irrational politics, irresponsibility on the part of masses of people, biopathies, homicide�in short, the emotional plague. If all people fulfilled their natural sexual needs in a natural way, there would be little talk of the sexual problem; there would be no sexual problem. Then one would be justified in contending that there are �also other things�.

One attendee asked Dr. Herskowitz about Reich�s enthusiasm for treating psychological problems via the body, i.e., by sometimes choosing to treat the physical manifestations of character armor rather than the psychic root. The attendee wondered if orgonomy would reach a point where it was no longer necessary to talk through problems, if everything could be addressed through �body work�. Dr. Herskowitz replied that some things simply must be talked though�he specifically mentioned guilt. He did, however, attribute some of Reich�s enthusiasm for body work to the reliance of the Freudian school of thought on �excessive talk�.

Another attendee asked whether Dr. Herskowitz ever used the DOR-buster in therapy. He replied that he tried using it but abandoned it because he was a poor judge of its effectiveness.

Finally, Dr. Herskowitz was asked about his impressions of Reich�s attitude toward the FDA trial. Dr. Herskowitz stated that he thought that Reich had underestimated the judge and felt that, had Reich addressed the specific charges against him instead of taking issue with the fact that scientific research should not be judged by a court of law but rather by the scientific method, he would have won the case. However, I later had conversations with attendees that felt that Reich had taken the nobler path in defending his right to conduct scientific research. It is, of course, an interesting issue to discuss and one that perhaps further civilized debate should address. The fact is that Reich took the stand that he did, and what is done is done. It is for us to move forward upon the groundwork that Reich worked so hard to lay.

The afternoon session ended with Andy Kahn asking both Dr. Herskowitz and Dr. Grad to share their thoughts on what it was like to be back in the conference center which, in Reich�s day, had housed the student laboratory and the orgone room in which the Oranur Experiment was carried out.

Dr. Grad recalled coming up to Orgonon after the Oranur Experiment and experiencing the conditions at that time. He mentioned that the 20-ply accumulator in which the radium needle used in the experiment had placed had been removed from the orgone room and placed in the middle of a nearby field. He talked of the negative physical reactions he experienced simply by approaching the 20-ply accumulator.

Dr. Herskowitz mentioned the fireplace and recalled a time when he and another student were disposing of dead cancer mice in the fireplace. Reich had walked in on this and, according to Herskowitz, had become extremely angered with the casual and unprofessional method of disposal. I got the impression that it was not pleasant to be around Reich when he was angry. Not pleasant at all.

After the session ended, I hurried back into town. It was a little bit after five o�clock, and the library had closed at 4:30. I found Noriko at the bar in the Red Onion drinking iced tea. For dinner, we decided to follow the path of least resistance and ate there. This time I had the pot roast. Not quite as good as the pot roast at Wee Willie�s, but still purty darn tasty.

That evening there was a reception at the Orgone Energy Observatory. Noriko and I headed over and arrived about a half an hour after the festivities began. A lot of the attendees had shown up. Kevin Hinchey, with whom I correspond regarding the museum website and such, was there. I�d wanted to take some pictures inside the museum to possibly use for the official museum webpage; however, picture taking is not encouraged in the museum. I asked Kevin if it would be okay to take a few photos, and he accompanied Noriko and me inside. Another attendee, a young Korean-American named Anna who had received the student scholarship from the museum, joined us. We made our way up and through the museum until the four of us stood on the roof outside of Reich�s art studio. From there one has a fantastic view looking down toward Dodge Pond. On a clear day, one can see Saddleback Mountain in the distance. The four of us had an interesting talk about the cloudbuster. Listening to Anna ask questions reminded me of my first trip to Orgonon, how I�d been so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, how everything was new, and how I�d asked copious questions of the presenters. Noriko is another story. While it was her first trip to Orgonon as well, she�d already heard plenty. It drove home the fact that there�s a fine line between skepticism and curiosity, between interest and enthusiasm.

Next we tooled around on the second floor where Reich�s office was. The man had an impressive library, and, from what I�ve heard, was prone to make notes in the margins of many books. Having been employed by the Kinsey Institute for a couple of years (and having my own opinion about the value of Kinsey�s work�which is not necessarily a glowing opinion), I couldn�t help but wonder what sorts of notes Reich wrote in the margins of the two Kinsey reports. Of course, I was not able to look as handling of the books is a definite no-no. However, the preservation of Reich�s library is something I think about�as they say, dust never sleeps�and dust can wreck havoc on a book, as can oxygen. The thought of all that marginalia going undocumented frustrates me�but what can I do?

Finally, we spent some time on the first floor where the majority of the museum�s displays are. There one can see the apparatus that Reich put together to shoot time-lapse film of living cell and bion cultures on microscope slides, pieces of the orgone motor, the instruments Reich used for measuring the electrical potential of skin during his Oslo experiments, a cloudbuster, and various other devices for accumulating and measuring orgone energy.

Noriko, as it turns out, was having a rather strong reaction to Reich�s artwork. Reich used very bold colors and deliberate brush strokes. In addition, he was not what you�d call adept at capturing the subtleties of the human figure. As such, his paintings can have a disconcerting effect�and that�s what Noriko was noticing. She told me that she felt they �radiated� an oppressive energy. Not being the biggest fan of Reich�s paintings myself (he was definitely a more talented scientist and would most assuredly have struggled to get by as an artist), I sympathized. We moved outside onto the porch where the reception was starting to wind down. It made me think longingly of the previous year when Jim and I joked until sunset on the observatory porch. The differences this time around: 1) Jim had left that morning to return home, and 2) the black flies and mosquitoes were eating people alive. And so, after pausing to allow Kate to take our picture in front of the observatory, Noriko and I headed back to camp where we tried unsuccessfully to get a fire going before calling it a day.

Wednesday morning. Noriko and I awoke early and made it to the conference about 8:00. This allowed me to take a 20-minute breather and sit in one of orgone accumulators in the orgone room. It was probably the strongest charge I�ve ever felt in an ORAC (and I�ve sat in the ORACs in the orgone room before). I attributed it to the massive drop in humidity during the night but later learned that a couple of conference attendees had wiped down the entire room with wet rags the day before�something that ORAC owners are highly encouraged to do as it will help increase the charge accumulated. It was quite impressive. I could feel the energy enveloping me and moving along the surface of my body�especially my uncovered arms. It also made me think on the fact that I really need to put my ORAC back together (it�s been in pieces since in moved in with Noriko as she�s not exactly what you�d call �excited� about having an ORAC set up in the house).

Anyway, Noriko needed a break from all the orgone talk and headed for the library before the morning session began. I settled in with a cup of tea for the next talk. Conny Huthsteiner, M.D., a psychiatric orgonomist with a private practice in Boston and the Vice President of the Institute of Orgonomic Science in addition to being on the staff and faculty at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School would be giving a presentation with Dr. Ron Maio, professor and Associate Chair of Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School as well as Director of the University�s Injury Research Center and Assistant Dean for Research Regulatory Affairs for the university�s medical school. Their talk was entitled �A Proposed Clinical Study to Test the Effectiveness of Orgone Blankets in the Treatment of Burns�.

Dr. Huthsteiner began the talk by quickly describing the principles of ORAC construction. She then read a case history from the recently published Heilen Mit Orgonenergie by Jorgos Kavouras, M.D. The book includes over 40 case studies involving the medical use of the orgone accumulator collected over the past 25 years.

The bulk of the morning session was presented by Dr. Maio. He outlined a proposed study of the treatment of burns with orgone blankets. He began by describing current social and medical attitudes toward alternative medicine. He attributed the growing openness to orgone research to increased interest in alternative medical treatments. He added that for many years medical practitioners (and members of the scientific community in general) have been opposed to use orgone energy in treatment because there is so little research supporting it, yet ironically, he stated, the reason there is so little research supporting it is because many are not open to funding or supporting research associated with orgone energy. In short, there is a vicious cycle that must be broken to move orgone research forward. That is one of the goals of the proposed study.

Dr. Maio next outlined the study. Two groups of 50 burn patients would each be given a blanket in addition to traditional treatment. The blankets given to one group would be orgone blankets; the blankets given to the other would be �sham� blankets. One attendee suggested there be a third group that was not given any blanket to use as a control for any sort of placebo effect. Dr. Maio agreed that this would be a good idea. The groups with the blankets would use them for 30 minutes twice a day. The primary measurement taken would be the length of time it took for the wound to heal. Secondary measurements would include infection rate, pain control, and functional outcomes, i.e., would the use of the orgone blanket lead to increased or decreased motility of the affected region compared with those using no blanket or the �sham� blanket.

Dr. Maio stated that the real challenge lay in explaining the mechanism by which the blankets work. This would require describing the mechanics by which the orgone energy blanket functions. Some of this would come into play in approaching potential funding sources as well as gaining approval for the study from the Internal Review Board at the University of Michigan (if, indeed, the study were to be conducted at the University of Michigan). Dr. Maio also mentioned that, given the ORACs past history with the FDA, steps might have to be taken to earn an exemption�something he felt shouldn�t be too much of a problem given the non-invasive nature of the ORAC.

Dr. Maio also made a few suggestions that would help move medical orgonomy forward. These included encouraging more collaboration between orgonomic societies, the creation of international partnerships (e.g. with Dr. Kavouras), the establishment of a national or international congress on medical orgonomy, and the development of a medical network for the discussion of medicinal applications of orgone energy.

The conference attendees were very enthusiastic and offered a number of suggestions to the researchers regarding approaches to the study and how to control for random variables. A few stated that they felt that while Dr. Huthsteiner and Dr. Maio should definitely give thought to the numerous variables and control for as many as reasonably possible, what was imperative was that the study move forward, that if a well-planned study could make it into a mainstream medical journal, that this might help to create new opportunities for further follow-up research involving medicinal applications of orgone energy.

The excitement generated by listening to the aforementioned proposal had piqued many attendees� imaginations. Hopefully, Dr. Huthsteiner and Dr. Maio will be able to return to Orgonon to discuss their progress at a future conference.

Noriko returned to Orgonon at noon to pick me up. I suggested that we take part in the planned hike up Bald Mountain with some of the other conference attendees that afternoon. She wasn�t entirely enthusiastic about this plan as she had really hoped to avoid listening to �orgone talk� for a while longer. We chatted about the possibility and grabbed a bite to eat at A Stone�s Throw. We then tried to check out the Rangeley Lakes Region Logging Museum, but it was closed. As such, Noriko caved in, and we joined the hike. Her participation was somewhat conditional though: she really wanted to avoid too much �orgone talk� and for the afternoon to include time for us. Reasonable enough.

Bald Mountain rises 2443 feet (745 meters) above sea level. The hike up it is somewhat tough (I couldn�t have imagined trying to hike up it with Noriko on a rainy day). The hike starts out relatively gradual but the last half of the trek finds one scrambling up bare rock and searching for foot- and handholds. We talked with Kevin quite a bit during the first half of the ascent. I asked him about his work (he�s been teaching a class on film and owns a video production company) and talked with him about film theory and The Average Joe Movie Show and how iMovie and similar computing technology is making it easier for the common person (like me) to make a professional looking video. The second half of the hike Noriko and I spent on our own. We found a nice overlook at which to rest and admired the Maine countryside (miles upon miles of pine).

The top of Bald Mountain is not necessarily �bald�. There is, however, a lot of exposed rock, but trees have found purchase in a few cracks. One can also climb a 50 foot tall observation tower to get above the tree line and obtain a 360 degree view of the Rangeley Lakes region. It was most impressive. A lot of the attendees who had gone on the climb were attempting to discern the motion of the atmospheric orgone envelope as well as orgone in the air and streaming from the trees. An interesting conversation sprung up as to what exactly the optical phenomena were, but no real conclusion was reached and even some of the diehard orgone enthusiasts remained skeptical of optical manifestations of the energy.

As we began our descent, a short conversation about Reich and UFOs started up. It is, of course, interesting to ponder conspiracy theory when you discuss Reich�especially whether the government persecution of him was related to something juicier than the FDA and the use of the orgone accumulator�like, maybe, the orgone motor, his anti-gravity equations, or the effect the cloudbuster had when pointed at UFO phenomena sighted during some of Reich�s cloudbuster operations in Maine and Arizona. Of course, such conversations are difficult to move past conjecture. Remembering my earlier promise to Noriko, I disengaged myself from the conversation, dropped back, and descended the mountain with my better half.

Toward the end of the hike we caught back up with Kevin and Andy. Then it was into the car and back to the campsite to clean up. We had plans to journey to the eastside of town to a Thai restaurant we�d heard about. Yes, we�d tried the little Thai carry-out place downtown, but that place was just a satellite operation. We were headed for the parent establishment�and we had high hopes.

Thai Blossom is located above the clubhouse of a 9-hole golf course that winds its way through the tree-covered hillside east of Rangeley. One has an incredible view looking west, and we were just in time to catch the sunset. Unfortunately, there was a party of three mothers with 8 kids at a nearby table, and they were, to put it mildly, obnoxious. Compound that with the sub-par cuisine, and you can put money on the fact that I will never, ever return to Thai Blossom. I mean, the chef was using hot sauce (probably Red Hot) to season my meal. Not crushed red pepper or cayenne or some clever mixture of ginger and herbs, Red Hot. In a word: terrible. Now, it may be that I�ve been spoiled by the superb, authentic cuisine at Esan Thai in my hometown of Bloomington (where one can sample authentic Asian cuisine in a number of downtown restaurants), but I really expected a little better given the passable Thai cuisine at the carry-out restaurant in Rangeley-proper. Oh well, we did get to enjoy the sunset.

After dinner we headed back to camp and finally got a fire going. Noriko helped me carry the campsite�s picnic table over near the fire, and we had a nice chit-chat before calling it a day.

Thursday would be the last full day of the conference. Theirrie Cook, founder and sole proprietor of Orgonics (a business that sells orgone accumulators and blankets), would be speaking during the morning session. Noriko and I repeated our approach from the day before arriving early so that I would have time to sit for a spell in the orgone room. Once again, she took off before the session started to hang out in the library (she was, unfortunately, still recovering from Monday�s �orgone talk� overload). And, once again, I settled into the chair I sat in the entire week with my cup of tea and some of the delectable vittles that Mary Henderson and some of the Orgonon volunteers had prepared for us attendees (of note was the pan of homemade crumb cake and the homemade donuts).

Theirrie founded Orgonics in 1988. She first encountered Reich�s writings in 1971 while working as a Leftist organizer in Berkeley. She had wandered into Cody�s Books and noticed a copy of The Mass Psychology of Fascism laying on a display table. From there, her interest led her to other books by Reich, and she eventually entered into therapy with Myron Sharaf, a student of Reich�s and author of Fury on Earth: A Biography of Wilhelm Reich.

From 1988 to 1992, Orgonics only produced orgone blankets. The company began producing orgone accumulators in 1992. Presently, Orgonics produces ORACs ranging from 3-ply to 10-ply, various sizes and strengths of orgone blankets, and a number of other orgone accumulating devices.

The focus of Theirrie�s talk was on what she considers to be the three major research issues to keep in mind when working with orgone accumulators: 1) the quality of the charge; 2) Oranur and DOR; and 3) their use in therapy and for medical applications.

With regard to the quality of charge, Theirrie made a number of points. The most important consideration when considering quality of charge is the materials used for construction. For instance, aluminum and copper are not suitable for construction of an ORAC. The best material is carbon steel; however, since pure carbon steel is prone to rust (and wiping down the metallic surfaces of an ORAC with a damp cloth helps keep them clean in addition to increasing the charge), Theirrie advocated use of galvanized steel�i.e. zinc-coated carbon steel�which will not rust. She stated that there is even some anecdotal evidence that galvanized steel has a positive affect on unwanted skin blemishes�a fact that she attributed to the zinc coating. Theirrie mentioned two other companies that make devices similar to orgone accumulators: Scenar and Nyvatex. Theirrie cautioned against using the devices sold by these companies. The �healing blankets� produced by Scenar are made with palladium which, Theirrie stated, does not work nearly as well as steel, and the Nyvatex Health-Mat is made with aluminum which Theirrie considers a �toxic� metal. To demonstrate the effectiveness of accumulators built with different metals, Theirrie has performed experiments on seedlings and suggested anyone interested in �objectifying the subjective� consider doing the same.

Theirrie also shared her thoughts on the different types of organic material she prefers to use in the construction of ORACs and orgone blankets. For blankets she recommends acrylic felt. The problem with cotton and wool, she stated, is the fact that these materials are hydroscopic, i.e., they absorb moisture in the atmosphere. This results in a diminished charge in the ORAC and under the orgone blanket.

With regard to Oranur and DOR (i.e. Deadly ORgone), Theirrie stated that as a result of the Oranur Experiment, we know that radioactivity irritates orgone energy. As such, she recommended that ORACs and orgone blankets not be stored or used near television and computer screens containing cathode ray tubes (CRTs), fluorescent lights, microwaves, or any device that generates ionizing radiation. She recommended a book by Ralph Graeub entitled The Petkau Effect which discusses the negative effects of low-level radiation on living things�she emphasized that orgone is also a living thing. Theirrie also warned against using an orgone blanket in conjunction with an electric blanket. Never do it, she implored.

Finally, Theirrie talked about the use of orgone accumulating devices in therapy or medical treatment. First, she reiterated that which Reich had stated numerous times: that it is important to remember that most physical diseases have a psychological component and vice versa. As such, treatment of a physical illness with an ORAC may require concomitant character analytic therapy. Emotions often come to the fore while using the ORAC and may even result in resistance to using the device. In addition, Theirrie emphasized that it is important to detoxify in conjunction with ORAC use�especially when using the ORAC to treat physical biopathies.

Theirrie then shared a number of anecdotes and personal testimonies from those who have used the ORAC. She also mentioned some negative side-effects of ORAC use. Negative effects are always the result of misuse (or a negative psychic reaction), e.g., overcharge (using the ORAC too much and/or too often). Theirrie also stated that persons with high blood pressure should not use orgone accumulating devices.

Theirrie concluded her talk by addressing the factionalism within the orgonomic community. She stated that if orgonomy is to move forward, then researchers and proponents of orgonomy needed to work to break down the barriers between the various camps and bring an end to the backbiting and rumor mongering. She did not state that the various orgonomic groups would agree on everything, just that, if they didn�t agree on this or that point, then differences of opinion should be resolved via healthy debate. I, for one, agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly and hope that the proposed international congress on orgonomy might prove to be a step in the right direction.

One very new bit of information (at least for me) that Theirrie brought to the table was the one-man smear campaign being conducted by Joel Carlinsky. Carlinsky has been arrested for burglarizing the Wilhelm Reich Museum, has knowingly exposed orgonomists to radiation, and has harassed orgonomists via letter writing campaigns and personal intimidation. I�d never heard of the guy before, but he sounds like a sick, little man.

After the talk Noriko picked me up, and the two of us headed out for lunch at Moosely Bagels where they serve�you guessed it�moosely, er, I mean, mostly bagels. I had a bagel sandwich that was just about the best damn sandwich I�ve ever had. Next time I return to Rangeley, I�ll likely eat quite a few meals at this spot. I mean, the Red Onion is good (and the Thai carryout place ain�t bad), but this place is affordable, filling, healthy, and delicious.

Kevin Hinchey, Associate Director of the Wilhelm Reich Museum, would be giving the afternoon talk. After a two-day absence, Noriko decided to join me for this presentation. As such, we found ourselves back in the conference room enjoying tea when the time came for Kevin to give his talk entitled �Wilhelm Reich and Orgone Energy: A Survey of the FBI and FDA Files�. In February of 2005, the records in these files were declassified via a Freedom of Information Act request�though, as one might imagine, many names and addresses mentioned in the documents were blacked out.

Kevin began by introducing the topic. Reich left for the United States on August 19, 1939, on the last ship to leave Europe for the U.S. before war broke out. He arrived in New York nine days later on August the 28th. The FBI file on Reich (of which approximately 800 pages have been declassified) was opened in December of 1940. These records were accumulated somewhat sporadically and reflect the on-again/off-again interest that the FBI had taken in Reich. The FDA file on Reich was opened in August of 1947 in the wake of a Mildred Brady article that appeared in the New Republic which painted an inaccurate and sensationalized portrait of Reich and his work with the orgone accumulator. These records contain 1000s of pages, and FDA interest in Reich would continue unabated from the time their investigation began.

Kevin first commented on the FBI files. The first mention of Reich in the FBI files was on December 7, 1939. FBI interest in Reich had been piqued because of his affiliation with the German Communist Party. These previous ties to the Communist Party would later become a major issue. The FBI�s interest in Reich was piqued again when he initiated efforts to bring his second wife to America. Again, Reich�s previous ties to the Communist Party were of concern to the FBI as was, to an extent, his involvement with the New School in New York.

Soon thereafter, Reich was taken into custody by the FBI on suspicion of being an �enemy alien�. Reich was incarcerated for 24 days, and there are 17 pages of documents relevant to this weeks-long investigation. In these documents, Kevin stated, one first sees the seeds of distortion being planted relevant to Reich�s work, in particular, to the claim that he had bragged of a �cure for cancer��which he had never, nor did ever, make. Reich was eventually released.

In 1949, following up on complaints from Maine residents, the FBI conducted another investigation into Reich�s activities. Another was conducted in 1950. By this point, Reich had already begun writing letters to the Atomic Energy Commission (the first were composed in 1947), and they had already decided that his science was unsound. It is disheartening to know that a man who had so much respect for American democracy and who made every effort to keep the government abreast of his research was, ironically, considered a threat.

The FDA investigation, as mentioned, was precipitated by an article in the May 26, 1947 issue of the New Republic entitled �The Strange Case of Wilhelm Reich�. In response to the allegations made in the article, the FDA sent an investigator named Wood to Rangeley. Kevin described Inspector Wood�s first visit with Reich in the Student Laboratory. According to accounts, it was congenial and Inspector Wood seemed impressed with what he saw. Inspector Wood then talked with a number of Rangeley residents including Ms. Templeton, the woman responsible for building the first orgone accumulators for Reich. She gave the investigator�without Reich�s approval�a list of every ORAC user in the United States. The FDA would go on to contact the individuals on this listing hoping to find a dissatisfied ORAC user. They failed to so.

Kevin then read a number of personal accounts collected by Inspector Wood. These accounts are marred by Inspector Wood�s editorializing and insinuation. For example, oftentimes the word �disciple� is used when describing Reich�s co-workers. Also evident is Inspector Wood�s drive to uncover negative testimonials to help build up the FDA case against Reich. As stated, there were none.

Of particular interest is the relationship that developed between Inspector Wood and Ms. Templeton. The two eventually married. Ms. Templeton, of course, stopped building ORACs, but one would have to wonder if this did not constitute a conflict of interest of sorts for Inspector Wood.

In 1951, Reich conducted the Oranur Experiment in which he placed a small quantity of radioactive radium into a 20-ply orgone accumulator itself housed in the orgone room in the Student Laboratory in order to study the reaction of the two energies to each other. Reich had informed over 100 state and federal government agencies of his intentions prior to the experiment including the President of the United States, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), and the FBI. He did not, however, inform the FDA�though the FDA did learn of it soon thereafter at an interdepartmental meeting convened on August 20, 1951.

Kevin then went through a detailed chronology of the government�s reaction to the Oranur Experiment. In the end, the AEC decided that Reich had either fabricated the Oranur Experiment, that he exaggerated the effects, and/or that he misunderstood the cause of the effects witnessed.

The trial was then discussed, but since that has been examined at length elsewhere, the discussion of the trial was brief.

Attendees then asked questions and made comments. Dr. Maio pointed out that research methodology was still in its infancy in the 1950s. This, he posited, might explain the shoddy (at least by today�s standards) methodology of the FDA in conducting their own experiments into Reich�s claims regarding medicinal applications of the ORAC. It was pointed out that the researchers hired to investigate the ORAC were not considered very good researchers by their peers and/or, as is the case with a researcher mentioned in a recent New Yorker article that touches on the FDA investigation of the ORAC, were under-qualified medical students working alone with inadequate training and supervision. Given this, one is inclined to draw the conclusion that either there was never any intention of giving Reich�s ideas a fair hearing or that any attempts to replicate Reich�s experiments by the FDA were hampered by sub-par research methodology conducted by unqualified or negatively prejudiced researchers.

After the lecture, Noriko and I hung out a bit waiting for Kevin to field some one-on-one questions from some of the attendees. Once he was able to pull himself away, Kevin, Noriko, Mary, and I headed over to Mary�s home to take some pictures of DOR-buster prototypes being stored in Mary�s basement. These reminded me of the draw bucket I built based on the plans in DeMeo�s book, The Orgone Energy Accumulator Handbook. In fact, during Theirrie�s lecture, a photo album of hers was passed around that contained photos of a draw bucket. When I asked Theirrie about it using the term �draw bucket�, she corrected me by calling it a DOR-buster. Regardless, I found it interesting that the device Reich had built for drawing DOR out of patients was basically the same device that DeMeo was advocating for indoor DOR cleaning (i.e. it is something like a mini-cloudbuster).

Regardless, Mary had three DOR-buster prototypes in her basement�one of which had belonged to Chester Raphael. I snapped some photos�which Kevin intended to share with the aforementioned Jorgos Kavouras, an orgonomist in Germany who has spoken at previous conferences. Hopefully the book will be translated into English soon.

After the photo session, the four of us went for a short walk on the Orgonon property and discussed the museum website, how it can be improved, and how it would be nice to have access to more pictures. We also discussed the archives which will be opened in January of 2008. I offered some of my own thoughts based on my work with the Kinsey archives, and Mary and Kevin asked if I could draw up some suggestions concerning the handling and preservation of the various materials in the archives (including film and photographs) as well as the Reich�s personal library which is housed in the museum. Indeed, it is an honor to be involved in this work, and I hope to do my very best to come up with the best advice possible. At the very least, it will be an excellent learning opportunity for me. At best, I�ll help to insure that the legacy of Reich�s work will live on for many, many years.

By the time we had finished our discussions, it was almost time for the evening session. Noriko was not about to skip dinner, so we excused ourselves, took Kevin�s advice, and headed into town to dine at the Rangeley Inn. The restaurant there was quite nice. Very Maine-ish, if you know what I mean. We had seafood and pasta. It was okay. Not enough seafood, if you ask me�especially considering our proximity to the ocean. Regardless, the week was winding up, and Noriko�s spirits seemed to be lifting given the reality of the situation�i.e. that she�d be returning to Bloomington and her DSL connection within 24 hours.

After dinner we stopped for ice cream at a small shoppe. At the time, there was a police officer there herding everyone inside. I figured there was some fugitive on the loose or a bust going down in the house next door, but learned instead that a bear had been sighted rummaging around behind the shoppe.

Instead of heading straight back to the campsite, Noriko and I decided to swing by the conference center to see if we could catch the tail end of the evening�s program. Wanda Ferguson, a writer and native of Rangeley, Maine, and Kathy Steward, daughter of Tom Ross (caretaker at Orgonon while Reich was alive) were discussing life at Orgonon during Reich�s lifetime. Wanda discussed her experiences as a young woman working at Orgonon immediately after the Oranur Experiment in 1951, and Kathy, whose parents lived on the property, was instrumental in opening Orgonon to the public as The Wilhelm Reich Museum following Reich�s death.

By the time we arrived, however, Wanda had left, but Kathy was still taking questions from the attendees. Kathy had also brought along some photos that were being passed around the room. These were very interesting. There was a picture of Reich�s original tomb (a cinder block affair that rested next to the museum where one now finds the original prototype of the cloudbuster), pictures of Kathy with Peter and Reich, many shots of the museum and student laboratory (including one after an enormous snowstorm), and a few shots of Reich�s German Shepard, Troll.

As I said, we arrived at the tail end of this talk, so I really don�t have much to say about it as I had little opportunity to do much but check out the photos. Once it wrapped up, Noriko and I headed back to camp. We�d have to wake up early the next morning to tear down our camp, so we were interested in hitting the hay a bit early.

On Friday I was up early. There were a lot of blankets to fold and fit back into our suitcase in addition to the tent and mattresses we�d brought along. Happily, I was able to fit them all in even though we�d picked up a few items in Rangeley to bring back with us including some books and 50 feet of festive lights made with empty shotgun shells (they are supercool!). Showered, dressed, and packed, we headed to Orgonon for the last time. The morning session was to be a round-table discussion involving those presenters still on hand (Dr. Strick, Dr. Grad, and Dr. Herskowitz had already left).

Each presenter summed up their own feelings and reflections on the future of orgonomy (in line with the theme of the conference: looking back, looking forward). Dr. Huthsteiner addressed the group first. She emphasized the fact that growing interest to alternative medicine could translate into increased openness to the medical application of orgone energy. She also noted the growing interest in the opening of the Reich archives in 2008. Now, she stated, was the time for orgonomy to become �unstuck�, and she stated that she saw the field growing in the next five years.

Theirrie Cook spoke next and emphasized opportunities for new research in orgonomy citing growing interest in astrobiology, ether science, energy medicine, and issues related to sexuality. To elucidate, she pointed out that the bion experiments have practical applications in the field of astrobiology and that orgone energy has relevance to ether science and energy medicine. Regarding sexuality, Theirrie pointed out that too often it is the first aspect of Reich�s work to be abandoned and that this is unfortunate as it forms the groundwork of our understanding of orgone energy and its study was the avenue by which Reich happened upon the discovery of the orgone.

Theirrie encouraged the physicians and researchers involved in orgonomy to join professional organizations, pursue grants, write articles for publication, and make presentations at appropriate conferences. As an example, she pointed out that Dr. James DeMeo had recently been invited to speak before the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the most prestigious scientific associations in the United States and publishers of the journal Science. She also mentioned the International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine (ISSEEM) and the Society for Scientific Exploration (SSE). Finally, Theirrie emphasized the need to establish a presence in the scientific community, to establish networks of and open avenues for communication between orgonomists, to locate sources of funding for level-headed, trustworthy researchers in the field, and to move forward with intent and to be resilient in the face of opposition.

Dr. Ron Maio then spoke. He worried that, in his case, his specialized focus might be an issue�and could be for other researchers as well�especially in light of Theirrie�s comments about keeping the big picture in mind, or, as one attendee eloquently put it, the �red thread� that runs through Reich�s work and which ties his psychoanalytic work into his study of the bions, the discovery of the orgone, and the development of cloudbuster, etc. Dr. Maio emphasized his earlier point regarding the need for collaboration, to break down the barriers between the various orgonomic �camps�. He stated that there is a need to develop awareness of the ways in which bioenergetic research informs orgonomy�especially when compiling literature reviews for paper submissions.

Ron also mentioned his concerns about possible reaction to research involving orgone energy from review boards and sources of funding. Specifically, he worried that these individuals and groups might become distracted by the issues of sexuality inherent in orgonomy. Theirrie stated that she felt there was no getting around it and that it was imperative that one have a response ready. Kevin added that while one should have a response ready, the researcher must stay on message and keep the focus on the project at hand�for example, discussion of the proposed study of the treatment of burns with orgone blankets should focus on just that, the treatment of burns with the orgone blanket, and should not devolve into an impromptu evaluation of the role of orgasm in psychic health.

Finally, Ron mentioned how good laboratory work now would lay the groundwork for openness to future research. This led to a brief discussion of the value of perhaps taking an �indirect� approach, to frame orgonomic research in a language that is not strictly orgonomic. The question then arose as to when this �indirectness� would become subterfuge. It was agreed that the crux of this line of thought lay in the use of the word �orgone�. Personally, I agree with Theirrie�s earlier comment that researchers in orgonomy move forward with intent and be resilient in the face of opposition.

As the meeting drew to a close, many in attendance�especially those without scientific backgrounds�asked what they could do to help. Mary Higgins pointed out that the best way to support the museum is financially. While many obviously wished for ways in which to contribute in a more �hands-on� fashion, I felt that Mary�s point was quite valid. Too often I�ve run into people who think their doing the legacy of Reich a favor by proselytizing only to cringe as they mix up facts and provide muddied interpretations that do more to confuse the issue and turn off individuals to orgonomy than to present the material objectively and coherently. When the museum and the Wilhelm Reich Trust Fund receive the support, however, Reich�s legacy is enriched via the museum displays, the continued publication of primary materials, the preservation of archival materials, and by providing a logical hub for ongoing discussion of Reich and orgone energy.

And then it was over. Noriko and I hung out for a little while saying our goodbyes and thanking Mary Henderson and the volunteers on hand for the wonderful, home-cooked breakfast goodies (have I mentioned the homemade crumb cake?). I did make one final jaunt up the hill with Kevin, Theirrie, and Grier to have a look at the remnants of one of the platforms where a cloudbuster had once been mounted near the observatory and a few other artifacts of special interest. Then it was back down the hill to bid everyone a final goodbye before Noriko and I jumped in our rental car and headed back to Portland.

Along the way we made a quick stop at Coos Canyon. We had left a bit early, and it was a good thing. I missed my exit in Portland and drove another 15 miles before realizing that I�d passed the airport. The gas gauge in the car was uncomfortably close to �empty� when we turned around. To compound my worries, I then got off the highway one exit too soon. I simply headed north hoping to see a sign. I�m not sure if we coasted into the airport parking garage on fumes or not, but it was damn close.

Regardless, we returned the car, boarded our plane, and were airborne and Indianapolis-bound via D.C. Soon we�d be reunited with Ole Fat Bellers. The trip had had its stressful moments. Noriko, though an extremely good sport about the trip and my interest in Reich/orgone energy, probably would have preferred to have stayed in Bloomington. I know that she was a bit overwhelmed being surrounded by some of the �enthusiasts� at the conference and the constant talk of Reich and orgone. But we survived, and I, personally, am glad I had a chance to show her Orgonon and Rangeley. I�m not sure when or if she�ll return with me, but it was grand to be able to show her the place and to introduce her to the folks there like Jim and Mary and Kevin. Good people, good times.

I�m already looking forward to my next trip.