Wilhelm reich the function of the orgasm, 1993

Wilhelm Reich THE FUNCTION OF THE ORGASM NEWlY TRANSlATED BY VINCENT R CARFAGNO WILHELM REICH THE FUNCTION OF THE ORGASM SEX-ECONOMIC PROBLEMS OF BIOLOGICAL ENERGY N ewly translated [rom the German by Vincent R Car/agno A CONDOR BOOK SOUVENIR PRESS (E & A) LTD ( 'opy111-:h1 (otential ( skin of the abdomen, right and left) Fig Symmetrical normai potentials of a right and left palm FROM PSYCHOANALYSIS TO BIOGENESIS 389 Fig, "W andering" of the potential of a palm Fig Mucous membrane o/ tlu anus in a 'WOman in a state of sexua/ excitation Fig S The same mucous membrane in a state o depression ( menstruation) 390 Fig Contro/ experiment with «aet tosuel, Fig Changes of potential produced by an electric flas'1light FROM PSYCHOANALYSIS TO BIOGENESIS Fip Mucous membrane of th« lip K to • = ticklinp plunomenon are visible at regular ìntervals) , 391 (The cardiac peaks Fip Mucous membrane of th« tonpue a= wandering; b = tickling phenomcnon; D = pressure, 392 Fig 10 X reaction of vagina! mucous membrane to a stimulus of annoyance Fi9 11 To119ue K = tickling; E= fright FROM PSYCHOANALYSIS Fig 12 Reaction o] tonỗuô to sugar ( about 70 MV; in this experiment, the first application of sugar resulted in a reaction way out of the field: I, arrow) + Fig 14 Excitatian TO BIOGENESIS Fig 13 Reaction tongue to salt ( - wit/1 a ltiss (changes in the bio-electrieal of the lips, up to 40 MV) 393 o/ sam e 60 MV) excitation INDEX Abraham, Karl, 58; on character traits, ; on melancholia, 80; on duration of treatment, 86; at Psychoanalytic Congress (1924), 129 Actual neurosis, 88, l 13, 136; cure of, 89; see a/so Stasis neurosis Adler, Alfred, 34, l l ; theory of the "nervous character," 72; character theory, 148, 150 Aggression, l 54 ff Alexander, Franz, 59, 128, 129 Allers, Rudolf, 92 Antisemitism, 244 Anxiety, anxiety neurosis, 88, 93, 133 ff, 378; and · sexuality, 263 ff, 338; and muscular tension, 270; and pleasure, 287 ff, 368 ff Authoritarian dictatorship, l l Authoritarian family, and structuring of rnasses, 8, 241; and the neurotic plague, 197; and fascism, 243 Bachofen, J ]., 232 Barasch, 200 Beethoven, Ludwig van, 28 Bergson, Henri, 23, 262 Bioenergy, biological energy, ix, 379, 383; transmission of, 376; see a/so Orgone Bions, bion research, 9, 257, 383; and Brownian rnovement, 92 Bleuler, E., 62 Bloch, J wan, 22 Bohr, 40 Bucura, 34 Cancer, 5, 9; and sexual gr atification, 96; tissue asphyxiation in, 365 Cardiovascular hypertension, 362 Castration, 31 Catatonie stupor, 64 Character analysis, character analytic, theory of structure, 36; development of, 61, 117; concept of "afiect block," 86; task of, 154; technique, 171, 299 fi; crisis in, 258 Character armor, characterological armoring, 7, 186, 260; theory of, 138; stratification of, 144; function of, 145; dissolu- 396 INDEX tion of, 170; in moralistic structu re, 182; in sex-economically regula ted structu re, 182; and muscular hypertonia, 270; see also Muscular armor Character, character structu re, of modem man, 7, 360; theory of, 34; in Psychoanalytic Association, 72; impulsive, 80; definition of, 145; and socia! structure, 187; and education, 224; s ee also Human structure Chrobak, 95 Compulsive character, compulsion neurotic, therapeutic difficulties in, 82, 137; in the genital embrace, 104; geni tal distu rbance in, 164; and incest desires, 316 Constipation, 365 Fascism, fascistic irrationalism, 227, 233 ff Ferenczi, Sandor, on "free association," 49; and genital sexuality, 81 ; theory of genitality, 131; and character, 149; "active technique," 152, 173 Fliess, Wilhelm, 29 Forel, August, 22 Freud, Sigrnund, 19; first reading of, 22; and sexuality, 29, 283; and "libido," 29, 215, 262, 377; interpretation of symbols, 32; analytic technique, 32, 48 ; on cure, 33; personality of, 34, 47; on madness, 41; as a speaker, 45; on "drives," 53; "The Ego and the Id," 59, 123; and the dea th instinct, 59, 126, 128, 217, 251, 259; and "character," 72; on instincts, 81, 126, 187; Darwin, Charles, theory of natural selection, 28 Death instinct, early hints of, 59; and sexual instinct, 124; in psychoanalytic theory, 126, 154; and orgasm, 155; as destructive impulse, 157 Deutsch, Helene, 131 de Vries, 28 Driesch, Hans, 23 Du Teil, Roger, 99 fn History of an Infantile Neuroses, 86; and causai psychotherapy, 87; on actual neuroses, 88, 166; on neu rasthenia, Economo, 62, 66 Einstein, Albert, 40 Emotional plague, vii Engels, Friedrich, 232 Epilepsy, epileptic seizu res, 345 Exhibitionism, 81 88, 166; on psychoneurosis, 89; and philosophic discussions, 91; and Charcot, 95; on organotherapy, 114; on libido development, 132; theory of anxiety, 134; Hemmunỗ, Sym ptom und Angst, 136; contradiction in, 139, 213, 217, 250; and the "unconscious," 140, 263, 265, 315; "primary masochism," 149, 252; and liberated natural sexuality, 152; and Die Funètion des Orgasmus, 166; on interpretation, 167; and prophylaxis of neu roses, 191 ; sublimation 397 INDEX theories, 205; Cioilixation' and its Discontents, 207, 224; on religion, IO; and politics, IO, 214; pessimism and resignation, 211; and Russian Revolution, 211, 214; tragedy of, 216; on narcotics, 220; rheory of civilizarion, 223; discovery of child sexuality, 228; and sexual larency, 231 Galileo, 19 Galvani, 280 Genital character, 169 ff; attitude of, I76; characterized by, 183 Genitality, theory of, 82 Grìmm, George, 26 Groddeck, 65 Gurwitsch, 284 Hartmann, Heinz, 282, 286 Heisenberg, 40 Hemorrhoids, 365 Herold, Cari M., 172 fn Hertwig, O., 25 Hitler, Adolf, 19, 169 Hitschmann, Eduard, 60, 74 H urnan structure, 250, 260; see a/so Character structure Hysrerical character, hysteric, hysteria, childhood of, 79; therapeutic difficulties in, 82; sexual etiology of, 95; genital disturbance in, 164; "are de cere/e," 344, 350; muscular spasms in, 349 lbsen, Henrik, and Peer Gynt, 38, 69; and Brand,45 Impulsive character, Der triebhafte Charakter, 76; 79 Internarional Psychoanalytic Association, 58, 59, 61, 72, 124, I29, 132, 169, I77; Congress in Lucerne, 1934, 297 J aspers, K., 91 Jesus, 244 Johnson, V., 99 fn J ones, Ernest, 229 Jung, C G., 151 Kammerer, Paul, 26, 28, 34 Kant, 38 Kipling, Rudyard, 44 Kraepelin, 28 Kraus, Fr., 261, 273, 287, 289, 376 Lange, F A., 24 Lenin, N., 210 Libido concept, theory ro preFreudian writers, 29, 36; and biogenesis, 36; destruction of, 124; 215 Linné, 385 Lowenfeld, 89 Lumbago, 363 Malinowski, Bronislaw, and the Oedipus cornplex, 229; The Sexual Life of Saflages, 230 Marriage problem, 202 Masochism, masochìstìc, 252 ff; beating fantasy, 81; and reli- 398 INDEX gion, 256; in mass psychology, 259 Masters, W., 99 fn Masturbation, 55, 84, 97, 174; in neurasthenia, 89; prohibition of, 199, 203; and diaphragmatic tic, 345 Meisenheimer, 385 Mendel, 28 Mental hygiene, 190 ff, 204, pivotal question of, 231 Moll, Albert, 22; and sexuality, 27 Morgan, Lewis H., 232 Miiller, L R., 269, 365 Miiller-Lyer, 30 Muscular armor, 271, 299 ff; and orgasm reflex, 330; and rheumatism, 362; se e a/so Character arrnor Muscular rheumatisrn, 362 N apoleon, 19 N arcotics, 220 "Negative therapeutic reaction," 59, 128, 149 Nero, 19 N eurasthenia, 28, according to Freud, 88; geni tal disturbance in, 164 N eurotic character, 169 ff Nietzsche, Friedrich, 202 Numberg, Hermann, 61 Nymphomania, 79, 107 Oedipus complex, according to Adler, 35; and energy stasis, 113 ; pa tients' use of, 120; among the Trobrianders, 229 Orgasm anxiety, definition of, 161; forms of, 162; in masochists, 254; and sympatheticotonia, 296, 361 ; see pleasure anxiety Orgasm formula, 9, 272 ff Orgasm reflex, 4, 70, 299 ff, 309 ff, 348; and natural movement, 330; and breathing, 333 Orgasm theory, development of, 84, 101; in sex-economy, 115; and character-analytic techniques, 122; and pregenitality, 132; and health, 198; and sexual energy, 250; point of departure of, 268 Orgastic impotence, 6, 272; role in sex-economy, 101; and psychic illness, 110; in the masochist, 257; and chronic sympatheticotonia, 361 Orgastic potency, natural-scientific substantiation of, 4; in relation to psychic health, 6, 268; differentiation from orgastic impotence, 52; 95 ff; definition of, 102; as goal of therapy, 112, 123, 151 ; and negative therapeu tic reaction, 128; establishment of, 129; and sadism, 158; and sociality, 185 Orgone, orgone energy, 381 ff; discovery of, ix; radiation, 4, 9; see a/so Bioenergy Orgone biophysics, introduction to, ix Pasteur, 19 Patriarchy, emergence of, 399 INDEX Peptic ulcer, 364 Phallic, narcissistic char acter, genital disturbance in, 164 Pilcz, 28 Planck, Max, 40 Pleasure anxiety, 7, 161, 279, 356; in the masochist, 253; see als o Orgasm anxiety 212, 221, 356 Potel, 63 Prophylaxis of neuroses, 189, 204; and Freud, 191; centrai point in, 200 Psychic structure, layering of, 233 Psychoanalytic theory, and female sexuality, 21 Puberty problem, 199 Pulmonary emphyserna, 364 Pleasure principle, Rank, Otto, Trauma der Geburt, 131; 152 Reik, Theodor, 59, 126, 129; and the death instinct, 127 Resistance analysis, 48, 121 Roheim, Géza, on potency, 98 Sadism, 81, 154 ff Schizophrenia, schizophrenic, Freud's theory of, 41; Tausk's theory of, 46; sexual etiology of, 68; and organ sensations, 70; sornatic manifestations of, 347 Schilder, Paul, 62; and the Freudian unconscious, 63 Schjelderup, H., 368 Self-regulation, principle of, 169, 180; in contrast with mora! regulation, 181 Semon, Richard, 22, 262 Sex-econorny, sexual economy, sex-economie and sexuality, 3; development of, 4, 83, 88, 115; theory of, 6, 80; and political organizations, IO; and the Freudian "unconscious," 63; cancer research, 64; theory of character, 138; and destructiveness, 155; self-regulation, 181; and psychic economy, 196; threat to, 201; and mythology, 223 ; and human striving, 225 ; ordered, 269; and innervations, 296; criteria for health or pathology, 355; meaning of, 378 Sex-politics, sex-political, 191 Stasis, definition of, 348 Stasis neurosis, 88, 93, 112; see also Actual neurosis Steinach, E., 26, 28, 34 Steiner, Rudolf, 26 Stekel, Wilhelm, 34, 90, 151 Streicher, Julius, 245 Swoboda, Hermann, 28 Tandler, Julius, 30, 363 Tarchanoff, 369 Tauslc, Vilctor, 46, on schizophrenia, 97 Transference, 118, 172 Trobriander society, 230 ff V aginismus, 365 Van de Velde, 239 "Vegetative currents," 271 400 INDEX Vegetotherapy, character-analytic vegetotherapy, 5, 60, 330; basic principle of, 8; and "Yogisrn," 308; and memory, 314 Veraguth, 369 Vienna Psychoanalytic Clinic, 73 Vienna Psychoanalytic Society, 20, 45, 53, 57,97 Vienna seminar on sexology, 2021, 30 Vienna seminar on technique, origin of, 60, 117; and the death instinct, 129, 168, 177 W agner- J au regg, 62; and sexual syrnbolism, 64, 66 Warburg, Otto, 365 Work dernocracy, 12, 15 Wulffen, 28 Wundt, Wilhelm Yoga, 358 Zondek, 287, 289 One of the most important books of the century in our understanding of human sexuality Over twenty years Wilhelm Reich, a psychologist and doctor of medicine, studied the relationship between the emotional, physiological and physical functions of biologica! energy He saw the orgasm as the key to the body's energy metabolism, discovering that the biologica! emotions governing the psychic processes are themselves the immediate expression of strictly physical energy-which he named the cosmic orgone Initially derided, Reich's theories are now seen as crucial to our understanding of ourselves and our feilow men In appreciating why the orgasm brings a feeling of physical and emotional well-being, we can also gain insight into the physical and emotional ills that result from a thwarting of this bioenergetic function Many researchers into psychic energy believe that the aura recorded by Kirlian photography is nothing less than the manifestation of Reich's orgone energy Wilhelm Reich, working in the 1930s and '40s, was far in advance of his time Today we can benefit from his pioneering research, and this revolutionary book, which summarises ali he discovered about the orgone and its importance, is his crowning achievement ISBN 0-285-64970-1 !8.99 UJ~Jt~ ... hostile THE FUNCTION OF THE ORGASM groups One group will claim that the sexual function is subordinate to the generai functions of life, and hence of no real account The other group of sex-economists... as by the socialist and bourgeois liberals On the other hand, they have met with recognition and respect in all strata and circles of the population The elucidation of the function of the orgasm,. .. instrument of this logie The functional method of research acts like a compass in an unfamiliar region I not know of any finer proof of the validity of the sex-economie theory than the circumstance