killer of the organism which it governs.” Then he postulated a third phase in which orgone
energy, if available in sufficient fresh supply, overcame nuclear radiation and the triggering
of an Oranur chain reaction. Reich based his assumption of OR energy triumphant on his
observations of periods of very good health enjoyed by some Oranur workers. It was also
based on the fact that some small samples of nuclear radiation which Reich had had for
years seemed to be rendered innocuous by prolonged exposure to orgone energy; they had,
for example, lost their ionizing capacity to conduct electricity. However, during the Oranur
experiment itself, Reich was far more impressed by the reality of the first and second phas-
es than by any real hope for the third.
These positive results paled in comparison to his surprise at finding a deadly qual-
ity in orgone energy, hitherto seen as entirely benign. However, Reich recalled other phe-
nomena where healthy organisms turned malignant. For example, in fighting sick T-bacilli,
healthy PA bions can themselves be transformed into destructive T-bacilli. Most striking of
all for Reich was the fact that a healthy person, when fighting evil, might himself change and
develop the same characteristics he was fighting against.
Indeed, as I shall discuss in the next chapter, under the twin pressures of Oranur
and the worsening FDA situation, Reich himself became more destructive than ever in his
personal relationships.During the Oranur experiment, I had the opportunity to observe
how badgering he could be when embarking on new terrain. (In my view, this tendency was
heightened by the effect of Oranur upon him.) He wanted everybody to respond strongly
to his newest, beloved child—now Oranur. In the face of the avalanche of new observa-
tions, Reich was undoubtedly not as secure in his convictions as he appeared. His need for
a confirmatory response from others was akin to Oliver Cromwell’s plea: “Believe and help
me in my unbelief!” After a research advance had been consolidated, he could be more
relaxed (within limits!) toward skepticism and criticism.
As always, Reich’s natural-scientific work interacted strongly with his social con-
cepts.He began to see the “emotional plague chain reaction” as analogous to Oranur. The
emotional plague reaction was comparable to nuclear radiation. It infected others, and the
weaker the energy system,the more easily it was paralyzed by the noxious poison. Even
healthy persons were often first paralyzed by the shock of their encounter with the plague
before they fought back.
Finally, in retrospect one is struck by how prescient Reich was. Today, atomic tests,
nuclear wastes, and harmful X-rays can produce public outrage. But such was not the case
in 1951.Within weeks of the Oranur experiment, Reich was concerned about the effects of
all kinds of toxic influences (chemical offal, electromagnetic pollution) on atmospheric and
organismic orgone energy. I recall thinking, back in 1951, that his concern with minute
traces of radium on watch dials and TV emissions was excessive, if not insane. Today, the
use of radium in watches is rapidly declining^9 , effects of fluorescent lights have been
noted^10 , and people are advised not to sit too close to TV sets^11.
With the surge ofecological interest in the late 1960s and 1970s, we are more aware
that there is a limit to the “insults” our planet—this “fragile blue biosphere”—can survive
350 Myron SharafFury On Earth