ly to occur more vigorously on a dry, clear day than on a humid one. For Reich, static elec-
tricity was one manifestation of orgone energy.
Metallic material also attracts orgone energy but repels it again rapidly. The metal
radiates energy to the outside into the organic material and to the inside into the space of
the accumulator. The movement of energy inward is free, while toward the outside it is
being stopped. Thus, it can oscillate freely on the inside, but not to the outside. In addition,
part of the energy radiated outward is absorbed by the organic material and given back to
the metal.
Reich cited an unexplained aspect about the accumulator: “In which manner the
energy penetrates the metal we do not know. All we know is that it doespenetrate it, for the
subjective and objective phenomena are far more intensive within the apparatus than on the
outside.”^6
Here Reich was stating a genuine puzzle. But the admission was seized upon by his
critics to ridicule him. Reich said he didn’t know how the energy penetrates the metal, but
somehow it did; the critics acted as if the admission itself removed his work from serious
consideration. Whatever his uncertainties, Reich then proceeded toward more objective cri-
teria. He designed a small accumulator so that the scale of a decimal thermometer, once
inserted,could be read through a glass-covered aperture. An identical thermometer was sus-
pended at the same height outside to measure the room temperature. Reich found a constant
temperature difference between the two thermometers, ranging between o.2°C and 1.8°C
with a mean of 0.5°C. The accumulator was constantly warmer than the surrounding air. As
a control, Reich repeated the experiment, but this time using a box of the same size built of
wood or cardboard only. The temperature in both the room and in the wooden box equal-
ized quickly. A temperature difference appeared only when the box was lined with metal on
the inside.
During 1940 and 1941, Reich made observations of the temperature difference in
the accumulator and outside it—a difference that he labeled “To-T.” The “To” stood for the
temperature inside the accumulator,with “T” representing the temperature in the control
box.On many days he measured the temperatures every two hours. In addition to indoor
measurements he also measured To-T outdoors, both above ground and with boxes buried
in the soil.The differences were more marked outdoors than indoors, and stronger in good,
clear weather. During rainy weather, the temperature differences were minimal or altogeth-
er absent.Reich also noted that visual observations of orgone energy were stronger in good
weather than in humid or rainy weather^7.
I shall postpone a more detailed critique ofthese temperature findings until later.
But Reich believed he had taken an enormous step forward. He had gone beyond the trou-
blesome issue of “subjective light” phenomena that had complicated the visual observa-
tions. Moreover, he had found an experimental setup that did not depend on the “vegeta-
tive liveliness” of the experimenter, for the recordings were entirely objective. Indeed, with
modern equipment,the measurements could be made without a human observer. The
hypothesis of a higher temperature in the accumulator could be readily replicated all over
264 Myron SharafFury On Earth