The true story of a courtordered book burning in america. Written in 1946 in answer to the gossip and defamation that plagued his remarkable career, it tells how reich watched, at first naively, then with amazement, and finally with horror, at what the little man does to himself. It can be done dvd, short drama, on reich, fda bookburning new sign in to check out check out as guest adding to your cart the item youve selected was not added to your cart. All reich s books were banned, and those that were found were burned by the fda. Reichs trial, book burning and imprisonment despite constant attacks by the fda, reich pursued his experiments undaunted. Aug 27, 2012 the fda forbid all distribution of the orgone accumulator and any connected literature. The fdas official narrativethen and todayof wilhelm reich as a. Oct 22, 2019 wilhelm reichs work with cancer patients and the orgone accumulators received two very negative press articles. Although wilhelm reich is remembered primarily for his legal battle with the united states food and drug administration over their outlawing of his orgone energy accumulator, his earlier works were influential in the development of psychoanalysis.
For these lines of inquiry, the fda demanded reich appear in court to. The burning of books represents an element of censorship and usually proceeds from a cultural, religious, or political opposition to the materials in question. Physical scientists, however, were unable to find the slightest evidence in reich s data or elsewhere that such a thing. Some minor corrections in europe, reich was expelled from the psychoanalytical association not the. Before dismissing what you are about to read, consider that the fda did everything in its power to eliminate the knowledge of orgone energy from the world becau. A skeptical scrutiny of the works and theories of wilhelm reich.
Reich s multilayered story is complex, but wilson focusses on certain aspects while neglecting others in a somewhat skewed view. He excelled in his studies because of his intelligence and also, in part, out of fear of his fathers horrible temper that would erupt over something as. The fda factually burned reichs books and journals on several occasions most recently in 1962, while reich was given a 2year jail sentence for a misdemeanor technicality, dying in prison in 1957. Its inventor, wilhelm reich, claimed that better orgasms could cure societys ills. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Publications of research physicianscientist wilhelm reich, m. Wilhelm reich infant trust the true story of a court. On wilhelm reich and orgonomy pulse of the planet no. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to nazism.
As described in my article on the fda injunction against reich. Wilhelm reich imperfect master the challenging ideas of this visionary psychiatrist led to the burning of his books, in america, in 1956. His later work into the properties of the orgone energy suggested new methods for detoxifying radioactive waste, in what he called the oranur experiment. Pdf new information on wilhelm reichs persecution and death. Idyllic grounds belie tussle over founders research the. This led to a modernday book burning in which the agency had more than 20,000 of reichs books and pamphlets perish in flames. Kessler has intensified efforts by the fda to control what is said, published, used or sold in all aspects of health care in the usa. The destruction of some copies of some of reichs publications by burning them wasnt that kind of a book burning at all. His work was nearly forgotten except by a small group of supporters. When, for various reasons, reich failed to appear before the court, the judge granted every one of the fdas injunction requests against reich, including a few the fda had thrown. Reichs books were withdrawn from circulation and his magazine and orgone energy accumulators seized and burnt in the presence of fda representatives. Food and drug administration and other federal agencies by james demeo, ph. For two decades i had studied the work of scientists linking bacteria to cancer, but never once did i come across reichs important experiments with the deadly tbacilli that he discovered in cancer. Around 1970, during my studies at the university, i became intrigued with the writings of the late dr.
A month later, in new york, fda agents would supervise the burning of several tons of reich s publications including hardcover books from his private press. Brought before the court on civil and criminal contempt in may 1956, he was. New information on wilhelm reichs persecution and death. All ten of these hardcover book titles burned in america in 1956 and. They would also conduct a very public and supervised burning of his papers and writings. I just encountered your very interesting website and the informative and fairminded article on wilhelm reich. Wilhelm reich discusses his work and his relationship with sigmund freud first published in 1967 in the united states the core of this book is a transcript of a taperecorded interview of wilhelm reich, m. Through studying sexually sick patients and with great dedication coming to new conclusion about the sex problem. Despite constant attacks by the fda, reich pursued his experiments undaunted.
The nazi book burnings were a campaign conducted by the german student union the dst to ceremonially burn books in nazi germany and austria in the 1930s. His books were burned in germany along with those of magnus. Perhaps more devastating to reich at the time though, was the fda s decision to destroy his equipment. His early work on psychoanalytic technique was overshadowed by his involvement in the sexual politics movement and by.
If you are unfamiliar with austrian physician and psychiatrist dr reichs fascinating and very extensive work which includes his book devoted to the cancer biopathy, you may wish to watch this brief introduction to wilhelm reich and the orgone energy which provides authentic information on subjects which frequently have been grossly. The reich legal case surpassed the scopes monkey trial in legal and historical significance, as it clearly marked the willingness of the us courts to condone the censoring of speech, the burning of books, the unreasonable seizure of property, and the willful ignoring of written documents presented to judges. The fda officials who presided over the burning of wilhelm reich s works no doubt were secure in the belief that their acts were in the furtherance of the public interest. Pdf wilhelm reich unfortunately became one of the crusheddown victims of a deadly mid20th century. The director of fda, under both the bush and clinton administrations, is dr. As described in my article on the fda injunction against reich, in march of 1954 reich was scheduled to appear in court to defend himself against a complaint for injunction issued by the fda. Information and translations of book burning in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. On january 28, 1954, wilhelm reich happened accidentally to observe two bright yelloworange lights moving in front of a mountain range toward a lake.
The american civil liberties union issued a press release criticizing the book burning, although coverage of the release was poor, and reich ended up asking them not to help because he was annoyed that they had failed to criticize the destruction of the accumulators. The fda obtained a court injunction which ordered the banning and burning of reich s books any book containing the forbidden word orgone was ordered destroyed, even his classics on human sexuality which only mentioned orgone energy in the preface. Kevin hinchey is raising funds for wilhelm reich documentary film project on kickstarter. The american civil liberties union issued a press release criticizing the book burning. Labeling for an unapproved medical device in the u.
Wilhelm reich, the father of the sexual revolution, started out as a star pupil of sigmund freud, the father of modern psychology. Wilhelm reich was born in austria in 1897 as the son of a rather wealthy farmer and, as was common at that time, he was home schooled, first by his mother and later by a number of tutors. Any printed matter that contained the word orgone was subject to the ban and burning by the fda per the injunction. The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer. Wilhelm reich on the controversial subjects of biological energy and his thesis that blocked emotions and sexual repression led to mental illness, neurosis and social violence. In march 1957 reich began a twoyear sentence in federal prison for violating a courtordered injunction. Heres what america thought of book burning in 1943. Wilhelm reich march 24, 1897 november 3, 1957 was an austrianamerican psychiatrist and psychoanalyst reich was a respected analyst for much of his life, focusing on character structure, rather than on individual neurotic symptoms. Edited by james demeo, phd, director of the orgone biophysical research lab in ashland, oregon, on wilhelm reich and orgonomy contains the following major articles. In my medical research into the infectious cause and origin of cancer, i never imagined i would become enmeshed in the strange world of wilhelm reich. The orgasm reflex reichs conviction and imprisonment. Wilhelm reich documentary film project by kevin hinchey.
Wilhelm reich and the orgone accumulator thoughtco. David kessler, a powerful bureaucrat who epitomizes what wilhelm reich meant by the term hig hooligan in government. Anticonstitutional activities and abuse of police power by the u. Wilhelm reich and why has history tried so hard to erase him. By james demeo, phd director, orgone biophysical research lab. The fda officials who presided over the burning of wilhelm reichs works no doubt were secure in the belief that their acts were. Reich in denmark, atomic accidents, bomb tests and weather, cloudbusting in israel and namibia, summerhill school slandered, and eyewitness report on fda burning of reichs books. Wilhelm reich, an austrian psychoanalyst has written this detailed work on how he has with immense sincerity understood the function of the orgasm. Reich, an continue reading wilhelm reich an appreciation. James demeo examines reich s evidence and reports on his own observations and laboratory experiments, which have repeatedly. On the book burning, reich had the unenviable distinction of having his books burned by the governments of the ussr, germany, and u. The jury found him guilty on 7 may 1956, and he was sentenced to two years imprisonment. Fdas demands for the banning and burning of his scientific books and research journals, and finally dying alone in prison who was this man, wilhelm reich.
Wilhelm reichs lifeenergy science and healing tools for the 21st century, with construction plans book december 2010 with 23,373 reads how we measure reads. Mar 20, 2020 wilhelm reich, viennese psychiatrist who developed a system of psychoanalysis that concentrated on overall character structure rather than on individual neurotic symptoms. Opposing the 80years war of mainstream defamatory slander against one of the 20th centurys most brilliant physicians and natural scientists. Book burning is the ritual destruction by fire of books or other written materials, usually carried out in a public context. A presentation by the wilhelm reich infant trust on the occasion of the american library associations banned books week 2011 september 24, 2011 monroe township public library, new jersey. Wilhelm reich and orgone energy more suppressed wisdom. So the fda had the laws changed so that any printed material e. He built a cloud buster in order to affect the orgone energy in the atmosphere. Journalist mildred brandy wrote both the new cult of sex and anarchy and the strange case of wilhelm reich. Which is definitely as disturbing today as it was at reich s time.
Soon after their publication, the federal drug administration fda sent agent charles wood to investigate wilhelm reich. Wilhelm reich an appreciation gerald grows home page. Apr 05, 2018 this would ultimately lead to his arrest and short imprisonment of two years in 1956. Critiques the merits of the burning of wilhelm reichs books and pamphlets. Reich was admitted to the vienna psychoanalytic association in. Wilhelm reich infant trust bookstore recommendations. Eyewitness report on the fda burning of wilhelm reichs books, by victor sobey. What makes the fda s attack and the unethical judicial malpractice which led to the bookburning all the more outrageous is the equally breakthrough nature of reichs last years of research. The encounter was the opening salvo of a war with ufos that would occupy the final phases of reich s troubled medical and scientific career.
1304 703 1075 1319 477 1580 72 1594 114 659 1290 1221 1026 559 36 50 118 1155 1488 809 786 373 626 953 63 458 1479 330 268