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Definition:
Psychologist Wilhelm Reich (1892 - 1957) believed that a mysterious substance
which is produced by all organic bodies and is a key factor in maintaining good health.
Calling it "orgone," he argued that it became concentrated in the genital region during
an orgasm and then redistributed afterwards - thus, a failure to have proper orgasms
would lead to a general imbalance in the body's orgone levels.
Around the year 1940, Reich started to sell something he called a "Orgone Accumulator." This device was supposed to soak natural orgone out of the air and then send it to a person, who sat inside. In 1954 the FDA discovered this and other, related items he was selling and ordered him to stop. Because he refused, he was prosecuted and sentenced to jail in 1956, where he died one year later. Even to this day he has fervent followers are who convinced that he was a medical pioneer who was persecuted.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
What is Alternative Medicine?
There's an awful lot in the news and in society about "alternative medicines" these days. By some estimates, it's an industry doing between $15 and $20 billion annually - and growing! But what is alternative medicine - how does it differ from scientific medicine and why do people use it?Skepticism & Critical Thinking
This is the main index for issues dealing with skepticism, critical thinking, logic and arguments. The first section is Critical Thinking itself - how to think about claims and arguments you hear, how to critique arguments, and how to formulate your own arguments such that they are more likely to be sound and valid. The second section is about Skeptical Investigations - the practical application of the critical thinking skills covered in the first section. Here you will find critiques of things like astrology, alternative medicine, parapsychology, the New Age and more.
