|
|
|
|
Wilhelm Reich
Wikipedia on
Wilhelm Reich
Related Publications, by Pierre F. Walter
Related Audio Books, by Pierre F. Walter
The Wilhelm Reich Museum publishes on the Biography page of their site a quote taken from their own non-public archive:
Regarding the orgone energy of which Wilhelm Reich by his present-time hagiographers is always quoted as the unique 'discoverer', the truth is that Reich himself, in his book Ether, God and Devil clearly stated that this allegation was wrong and did not originate from himself or any of his writings.
Source: Wilhelm Reich, Äther, Gott und Teufel, Frankfurt/M: Nexus, 1983, pp. 80-81. Translation mine. This book was originally published in its English version: Ether, God and Devil, ©1949, 1972 by Mary Boyd Higgins as Trustee of the Wilhelm Reich Infant Trust Fund and published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York. The first edition of Ether, God and Devil was published in the English language as Volume 2 of The Annuals of the Orgone Institute in 1949. We know today that scientific genius often manifests by a skill to observe nature in a holistic and systemic way. This is a quality not often to be found with Western scientists, as it was not very much promoted by the former Cartesian science paradigm that was the reigning one in the West until very recently. But not so in Asia. In fact, manuals of Chinese Medicine or Tibetan Medicine as well as Zen and Taoist writings abound of Gestalt-enriched descriptions of nature. Suffices to read Dr. Reich describing a patient walking in his psychiatric clinic to see how much he could see, in the best sense of the word, of the patient's unique pathology, without yet having done his clinical diagnosis of the patient's psychic health condition. And this truly is genius, as we know today, in 2007, at a time where even paranormal healing, and intuitive healing, by people like Caroline Myss, Dora van Gelder-Kunz or Barbara Ann Brennan are more or less accepted. But at Reich's time, this was very different, which is perhaps why he was an outcast almost all through his later years, and died in jail. If you know both authors, you will understand me when I say that having read Reich before reading Freud has given me an opportunity to read Freud 'with critical eyes'. And this has built in me, very truly so, a kind of immunity toward the myth of the Oedipus Complex that is unfortunately missing today in most people involved in health care or coaching regarding this greatest myth Freud ever came up with. And I would probably not have built my concept of Oedipal Culture if I had not looked through the veil so early in my scientific life. But I owe Reich much more than that. And many mental health professionals, and coaches today owe him much, without however always admitting it, which is what I find very sad, because silently plagiarizing revolutionary insights from another under a new name or header is not clean scientific behavior. On the other hand, I would like to state here very clearly that Dr. Wilhelm Reich, against much hearsay, has not invented or discovered the cosmic life energy. Who did, first in Western history, at least as it's documented today, was Paracelsus (1493-1541), and after him Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) and Baron Ludwig Karl Freiherr von Reichenbach (1788-1869), and only thereafter came Reich, at about the same time as Harold Saxton Burr (1889-1973) who did quite a parallel research on what he called the L-Field, as Reich with his orgone research, and Georges Lakhovsky (1869-1942) who equally did a parallel research on the cosmic energy and who called it universion. And regarding the earliest attempts to healing cancer, there is also a parallel development to note. Not only Reich is famed today to have come up with a unique way to reduce cancerous growth by using bioenergy, but also Lakhovsky published in 1929, in Paris, his book L'étiologie du cancer where he shows how he neutralized the bacterial radiations in plants using frequencies, thereby very early establishing what we today call vibrational medicine. I know that many 'Reichians' do not like to hear this truth and even tend to get very angry at anybody who says that or writes it, but their sectarian zeal is not really bringing the rehabilitation of Wilhelm Reich forward. In the contrary, their limited and somehow anachronistic worldview sets them apart today as a science clique that is hardly taken serious anywhere in the world. And their fixation on the orgone as the only valid set of research parameters to inquire in the functionality of the cosmic life energy is simply ridiculous. Where is there sense for diversity? Why are they so hard on reproaching current science to cast out the energy formula, while they themselves remain stuck on a single term, the orgone, and don't see that what other scientists have named differently is basically the same soup? As a matter of fact, current science, as by January 2007, has accepted the cosmic life energy as a valid ingredient in Western science, but under a quite different name. It's called the zero-point field, and below are some of many leading-edge publications where you can learn about that, and see for yourself. But of course, I am not reductionist nor am I pro or against Reich, as strangely enough so many people, as Reich seems to divide the minds around his charismatic figure. I would like to emphasize here that all of the polemics pro or con Reich should not keep anyone from reading Reich because to read the books of a genius scientist never is superseded by newer scientific developments, nor is it in any way distorted by the personality of the scientist. Reich's books are very well written, very honestly researched, very sound and logically meticulous, and they abound of clinical examples. They are not at all the writings of a fanatic, as some of his detractors would like to let them appear in the great public, but of a sane mind. Reading Reich is highly educational in many respects! It has been for me, and I am thankful for that. But to become fanatic about Reich and his life, and put up hagiographies about him is not very scientific, to be true! And it's not in the sense of Reich's idea of scientific heritage. Reich - a saint! He would have felt offended, surely, by this kind of productions, and misunderstood. And what I found in years of biographic research on Reich was clearly that Reich's style and manner to treat people, to deal with relationships, and ultimately to handle or mishandle his emotions was a major causal factor in the contempt he was triggering in others, and in authorities. Ilse Ollendorf-Reich, his second wife, has given some scant evidence of his character in her biography.** I have spent almost 20 years reading Reich, and re-reading Reich, and researching about Reich but I have myself suffered the utmost contempt from the side of 'Reichian' scientists, and this will be pointed out in detail on my blog because it's a serious matter for which I could engage a label and slander action against some of them! His greatest discoveries cannot be wiped under the carpet. Reich has found an effective way of treating cancer, long before the French couple Dr. Carl O. Simonton and Dr. Stephanie Matthew-Simonton gained their merits with non-mainstream cancer healing. And his orgone research has shown that DOR-affected emotions can be carefully retransformed into healthy functional emotions by muscular body work, in just the same way as in Feng Shui, sha is retransformed into lively ch'i by using a remedy. But in my view Reich's greatest merit is to have proven that schizophrenia really can be healed with orgonotic treatment, and this is a medical revolution that searches its equal. In his case report The Schizophrenic Split, Wilhelm Reich stated:
Here are some of the leading-edge publications that show that basically the existence of the ether and of the cosmic life energy are today accepted and integrated in the new holistic science paradigm, as it is the final outcome of the strongly shattering impact of quantum physics on the formerly Cartesian science paradigm: BOOK REVIEWS
*Gestalt is a German word, and as such was overtaken in English, that means translated in English something like shape or form. See also Science and Gestalt. Webster's Dictionary ge•stalt \ge-"stalt, -"shtalt, -"stolt, -"shtolt\
noun pl ge•stalt•en \-"stal-ten, -"shtal-, -"stol-, -"shtol-\ or
gestalts [G, lit., shape, form] (1922): a structure, configuration,
or pattern of physical, biological, or psychological phenomena so
integrated as to constitute a functional unit with properties not
derivable by summation of its parts **Ilse Ollendorf-Reich writes: Bibliography Whilst every effort has been made to ensure
that the details contained herein are correct and up-to-date, it does
not constitute legal, psychological, psychiatric or other professional
advice. I do not accept any responsibility, legal or otherwise, for any
error or omission. |
|
FAQs | 12 Points Agenda | Purpose | Res Publica | Response | Search | Contact | About Copyright© 2012
Pierre F. Walter
Publications on
Amazon United States |
Publications on Barnes &
Noble, United States Last updated:
April 11, 2012 |
Wilhelm Reich
I read
Wilhelm Reich (1897-1957) early in life, and
interestingly enough, before I read
I am well aware of the fact that the human race has known
about the existence of a universal energy related to life for many ages.
However, the basic task of natural science consisted of making this
energy usable. This is the sole difference between my work and all
preceding knowledge.
Wilhelm Reich