21 : The Discovery of Orgone Energy: 1940It is difficult to pinpoint the exact date for Reich’s formulation of orgone energy, a
term that he was first to use in publications after his arrival in America. However, a gradual
flow of observations and new concepts was emerging from his research during the last six
months in Norway and during the first year in the United States. In a letter written from
Norway to Gertrud Gaasland on June 12, 1939, Reich referred to “orgone radiation.” This,
to my knowledge, is his first mention of the term “orgone.” * In order to clarify the process
of Reich’s discovery, it is necessary to review briefly his experiences with the SAPA-bions in
his last months in Norway^1.
As noted in Chapter 17, bions developed from heating ocean sand (what Reich
termed SAPA-bions) were much more effective in killing bacteria and at a greater distance
than other bion forms. In addition, Reich had noted certain visual phenomena observable
in the dark basement room where the SAPA-bions were kept, for example, bluish light ema-
nating from the walls and from various objects. However, he was unable to exclude clearly
subjective impressions with regard to the light phenomena.
Soon after he was established in Forest Hills, Reich addressed himself to further
investigation of the hypothesized SAPA radiation. For our analytic purposes, his research on
this energy—which, with increasing conviction, he would assert was orgone energy—will be
divided into three sections: visual observations, thermal measurements, and the electroscop-
ic effect. The medical studies of orgone energy will be discussed in the next chapter.
Visual Observations of Orgone EnergyReich’s next step in the study of energy radiation from the SAPA-bions was to
attempt to build an apparatus that would contain the radiation.
To accomplish this,a closed space had to be constructed for the radiation to pre-
vent its rapid diffusion into the surrounding air. According to Reich’s observations, metal
reflected the energy whereas organic material absorbed it. However, metal alone would
deflect the energy on all sides. In order to avoid or minimize this external loss of radiation,
Reich designed a boxlike apparatus that had metal walls on the inside backed with organic
material on the outside. He reasoned that the radiation from the cultures would be reflect-
ed back by the inner metal walls; the outer deflection would be reduced by the external layer
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*The neologism is derived from the words “orgasm” and “organism.”