Also by Wilhelm Reich

AMERICAN ODYSSEY: Letters and Journals 1940 – 1947

BEYOND PSYCHOLOGY: Letters and Journals 1934 – 1939
THE BIOELECTRICAL INVESTIGATION OF SEXUALITY AND ANXIETY
THE BION EXPERIMENTS: On the Origin of Life
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
CHILDREN OF THE FUTURE: On the Prevention of Sexual Pathology
THE DISCOVERY OF THE ORGONE:
Volume I: THE FUNCTION OF THE ORGASM
Volume II: THE CANCER BIOPATHY
EARLY WRITINGS, VOLUME I
ETHER, GOD, AND DEVIL / COSMIC SUPERIMPOSITION
GENITALITY: In the Theory and Therapy of Neurosis
THE INVASION OF COMPULSORY SEX MORALITY
LISTEN, LITTLE MAN!
THE MASS PSYCHOLOGY OF FASCISM
THE MURDER OF CHRIST
PASSION OF YOUTH: An Autobiography 1897 - 1922
PEOPLE IN TROUBLE
RECORD OF A FRIENDSHIP: The Correspondence of Wilhelm Reich and A.S. Neill
REICH SPEAKS OF FREUD
SELECTED WRITINGS: An Introduction to Orgonomy
THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION
WHERE’S THE TRUTH? Letters and Journals 1948 – 1957
FARRAR, STRAUS, & GIROUX
19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003 USA.

CONTACT WITH SPACE: Oranur Second Report 1951 – 1956

HAVERHILL HOUSE
643 E. Broadway, Haverhill, MA 01830 USA.
 Editors: C. Grier Sellers, Ph.D. and James E. Strick, Ph.D.
Jacket Design by Cynthia Krupat

Translators: Patricia Estrada, M.A., Manfred Fuckert, M.D., Diane Schnellhammer, M.Ed.,
Myron R. Sharaf, Ph.D., James E. Strick, Ph.D., and Abril Vazquez de los Reyes, M.S.

Orgonomic Functionalism is published

by the Wilhelm Reich Infant Trust, Orgonon,
Box 687, Rangeley, Maine 04970, USA.

Copyright ã 2019 by The Wilhelm Reich Infant Trust.

All rights reserved.

ISSN 1054-075X
Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of our life.
They should also govern it.

Wilhelm Reich
Wilhelm Reich and Elsa Lindenberg
 Contents

A Conversation with a Barber’s Assistant 1

Reproduction as a Function of Sexuality 6

A Report on the Biological Experimental Work at the Institute for

Sex-Economic Life Research in Oslo, 7 August 1937 12

Reporte sobre el Trabajo Experimental en Biología llevado a cabo en el Instituto

para la Investigación Económico-Sexual de la Vida en Oslo,
7 Agosto 1937 16

Dialectical Materialism in Biological Research 20

Materialismo Dialéctico en la Investigación de la Vida 29

Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem 38

On the Natural Organization of Work in Work Democracy, Part 1 63

La Organización Natural del Trabajo en el Trabajo Democracia, Parte 1 72

Observations on the Radiation Phenomena of SAPA Bions 81

Observaciones de los Fenómenos de Radiación de Biones SAPA 89

Three Experiments with Rubber at the Electroscope 97

The Effects of Humidity on Orgone Trials 99

Interferencia de la Humedad en los Experimentos con Orgón 101

 A Conversation with a
Barber’s Assistant1
Despite all attempts to address and respond to valid concerns, to reject preconceived
notions that they had never even considered yet had been falsely attributed to them, and
to authentically depict their viewpoints through different discussion formats, Sexpol
members had to face the conclusion that, despite all efforts to the contrary, their so-called
supporters, “friends” and propagators of “constructive criticism,” had no interest in
understanding the true mission of the organization, but rather, through their disapprovals,
sought only to confirm that it was, in principle, Marxist in nature. In this publication and
in Sexpol’s founding documents it is stressed time and again that Sexpol only views itself
as part of the worker’s movement and its sexual politics as a beacon in the battle for
social liberation. But one hears incessantly that we are attempting to replace economic
policies with sexual policies.
Sexpol clearly emphasizes that a social politics attempting to objectively understand
and manage social processes specifically needs to be supplemented by implementing
appropriate mass-psychological methods focusing on crucial political operations in the
mundane everyday lives of the masses. It supports developing social policies based
directly on the needs of the masses and framing them as demands of the people that must
be addressed—instead of as policies conceived through high-politics then filtered down
to the masses, something which people neither want nor understand. In spite of this, we
hear the accusation again and again that we are ignoring economic factors. Until now,
we committed a huge mistake by allowing ourselves to be dragged into a theoretical
debate concerning terminology: “the basis,” “the political superstructure,” “the
retroactive economic bases,” “the structural reproduction of social systems,” “corporate
interest in the profitability of the weapons industry,” etc. instead of holding on to our
basic principles. We intended from the beginning to discuss topics in a revolutionary
manner, simply and understandably. Using an example, we will demonstrate how the
exact same factually correct material can be presented both accurately and inaccurately
through the use of political propaganda.

A Conversation with a Barber’s Assistant about Surplus Value:

Assistant: Styled or a simple haircut?

Customer: A haircut please, but square not round.

1
Originally published in German under the pseudonym Ernst Parell as “Ein Gespräach mit einem
Frisörghilfen,” in Zeitschrift für Politische Psychologie und Sexualökonomie, Vol. 2, No. 1, 1935, pages 46
– 48.

1
 WILHELM REICH

(Pause)

Assistant: What do you think of present times?

Customer: Terrible. Where will it lead to?

Assistant: The hooligans are going to cut each other’s throats and we’ll get the worst of it
whoever wins, whether the Communists or the Nazis. They're as bad as each other.

Customer: Perhaps you're right. I can’t understand politics.

Assistant: I'm glad I’ve got a job and am making ends meet. As for the rest, all I want is
to live in peace.

Customer: May I ask how much you in fact earn?

Assistant: 100 marks a month.

Customer: Can you live on that?

Assistant: Just about. I’d like to get married but it’ll take a long time until my fiancée and
me have saved up enough to be able to rent a flat. I’ve been working ten years in this
place and I’ve not saved up enough yet.

Customer: What's your boss like?

Assistant: He’s a very nice person. Sometimes he’s a bit moody, but I get on fairly well
with him.

Customer: How many customers do you deal with a day?

Assistant: 10 to 15. On Saturdays it’s more.

Customer: So that means that 15 customers pay 15 marks into the business. OK, but you
only get 3.50 marks a day. What happens to the rest?

Assistant: You've not taken into account the expenses of our business. Lighting,
telephone, insurance, instruments, rent, they eat up quite a bit.

Customer: I'd be interested how much.

Assistant: (thinks awhile) Well I suppose at least 8 marks.

2

A Conversation with a Barber’s Assistant

Customer: OK, but that still leaves about 9-10 marks.

Assistant: Yes, but the business must make a surplus since the boss takes a great risk. For
example, on some days there are fewer customers, or in bad times.

Customer: Does that mean that you get more when business is booming?

Assistant: No, why should I? I'm on a regular income.

Customer: I don't understand. When you work more you don’t get paid more? And of the
amount you earn on average for the boss, he keeps a fund for bad times?

Assistant: You're quite right.

Customer: If I understand you correctly, you produce after subtracting all costs about 10
to 12 marks for him per day and of this you receive 3 to 3.50 marks. And if times become
permanently bad for the business, he'll sack you, in which case the reserve fund is of no
use to you. So, what in fact does he use this money for?

Assistant: Well, for example the boss has to acquire modern machines. At present we're
replacing the hand clippers by electric ones.

Customer: What does that mean?

Assistant: (surprised) What, you don't understand that? It's quite simple. Now I can deal
with 10 customers a day, afterwards I'll be able to deal with 20 because the cutting will
be much faster.

Customer: And each one of these 20 will be paying 1 mark as before. And you, how
much will you get then?

Assistant: (even more surprised) Naturally, I'll continue to get my 100 marks.

Customer: Excuse my being so inquisitive, I’m getting a bit lost and am rather amazed.
With the new improved machines, you'll be earning 20 marks for him, but you yourself
will continue to receive only 3.50. That means the surplus has grown from 8 to about 13?
Where does the money go?

Assistant: (scratches his head) Actually, you're right. That’s a good question - but, you
know, I get so tired from working that I don't have much energy to think. I'm happy if I
can rest and keep my job. You know next week 2 out of my 5 workmates are being made
redundant and I have to ensure that I'm not sacked too.

3
 WILHELM REICH

Customer: It must be pretty bad to stand 10 hours a day in the shop – what about
holidays?

Assistant: Oh yes. I get a fortnight every year, but the others also go on holiday and when
they do, I have to do more work. And now the boss is going away for 2 months.

Customer: Where does he get the money to stay away for so long?

Assistant: He has a villa in Dahlem.

Customer: Oh. How come?

Assistant: Well he’s owned this business for 30 years now.

Customer: I see. Does he work?

Assistant: Oh no, only sometimes he helps out. But it’s a successful business.

Customer: Listen. I don't understand anything about such things but it seems to me that
his villa and his summer holidays are paid by the 8 or 13 marks, which you earn for his
“business surplus.”

Assistant: Oh, I don't think so. But perhaps you’re right, it is odd. I’d like to talk to you
sometime about this. You talk a lot of common sense.

____________________

In this conversation no political word has been mentioned, but this barber’s assistant
has developed the theory of surplus value, rationalization and unemployment from the
experiences of his own life. And over and above this he has developed a confidence in
the “customer.” You don't need to teach him about what rationalization or exploitation is,
he has described these himself. What he lacks is the understanding of the link between his
knowledge about his work and surplus labor with the villa of the entrepreneur. Nor is he
at all conscious of the fact that he identifies with his boss. And he is completely unable to
see the connection between politics, which he is against and afraid of, and his everyday
life. At this point it will be easy to make him conscious of this because it is contained in
what he himself has said and experienced; all that has to be done is to develop it.

So, let us turn now to a factually correct but psychologically wrong presentation of
the value theory:

“The entire socially abstract work is now confronted with the entire quantum of utility value produced with
this work. We can thus express this ‘total product’ in the abstract total work. We want to call this

4

A Conversation with a Barber’s Assistant

expression the - value. To sum up: The ‘value’ of a single commodity should also be understood as nothing
other than a quantity (determined by the respective state of the productive forces) which constitutes a part
of the total work (determined in its size again by the state of the productive forces).”

Were these sentences taken from a “Philosophy of Economics” textbook written for
Ph.D. candidates? No, they are from the December 1931, issue of Der Marxist1 published
by the Marxist Worker’s School in Berlin and distributed for propaganda purposes. Let’s
consider a barber’s assistant who gets this magazine given to him by some eager
customer: “Read this. You will also be learning something that will help you understand
your own situation from it.” However, after such a reading sample, he will probably
shake his head and put down the publication. The communists who, based on what he
has heard, want to use some strange theory imported from Moscow to destroy everything,
now appear to be even weirder and more incomprehensible to him.

1
See Günther, Hans “Die Marxsche Wertetheorie, Part 3,” Der Marxist, No. 3, December, 1931, pp. 23-29,
(the quoted passage is on pp. 23-24). Günther, an economist and writer, died of typhus in 1938 at the age of
39 in Vladivostok while in transit to a Soviet labor camp. [Eds.]

5
 Reproduction as a Function of Sexuality1
1. A dispute on the concept of sexuality:

If we review the broad physiological, sexological, and also philosophical literature,

we find several common themes regarding the subject of sexuality:

1) The opinion that sexuality is said to be naturally separated from so-called

mental eroticism.
2) It is said that “sexual” and “genital” are identical.
3) The assumption that sexuality is in the service of reproduction would mean
that the function of sexuality (intended in the narrow sense of genital function)
would be a function of a biological tendency to reproduce.

The first opinion pays homage to absolute psychological dualism: bodily and psychic
eroticism at odds with one another. The second opinion has been proven totally wrong in
a most careful way by Freud, because outside the genital sphere there are plenty of
eroticisms that have nothing to do with reproduction, for instance, oral, urinary and anal
eroticism, etc. Even in psychoanalysis, however, the assumption that the genital function
is in the service of reproduction dominates. The third statement: “Sexuality is a function
of reproduction,” has to be reversed: “Reproduction is a function of sexuality.” The
philosophical and moralistic scientific disciplines will necessarily have to deal with this,
because their fundamental ideas stand or fall with the thesis that sexuality is a function of
reproduction.

2. A theory of “relative sexuality” by Max Hartmann:

If our thesis is valid, that sexuality is not a function of reproduction, but the reverse,
then the fundamental functions of sexuality: electrical charge and discharge, as well as
mechanical tension (increase of the surface tension) and mechanical relaxation by means
of decreased surface tension, must be shown to be contained within the process of
reproduction.
The biologist distinguishes several types of reproduction: first, reproduction by
division, in which a cell grows, constricts in the middle, undergoes a division of the
nucleus, and finally separates into two functionally and morphologically identical cells.
Secondly, budding, in which, from the original stock, a completely new organism buds,
which either remains attached to the parent or separates. Third, fertilization, i.e., the
uniting of two sexually different cells, which is understood to be the actual sexual

1
First published in German as “Fortpflanzung eine Funktion der Sexualität, Teil 1,” in the Zeitschrift für
Politische Psychologie und Sexualökonomie, Vol. 3, No. 1/2 (8/9), 1936, pages 24-31.

6
 Reproduction as a Function of Sexuality

reproduction, as contrasted with other, asexual types of reproduction. With this

distinction between sexual and asexual reproduction, the assumption is anticipated that
sexuality involving the merger of two organisms resulting in the production of a third
one, is said to be just a type of reproduction and nothing more than that.
First, let’s deal with the third type of reproduction, the fertilization of two gametes,
from which arises a “fruit.” The biological process involved here; we will deal with later.
Until recently, biological theory was ruled by the opinion that the distinction between
the sexes of the gametes was based on morphological differences. This assumption
proves wrong because of numerous fertilization experiments. The Bütschli-Schaudinn
hypothesis of sexuality claims that every protist and sexual cell is hermaphroditic or
bisexual by nature, i.e., that it contains the complete biological equipment necessary for
both male and female. By dominance of the development of one and suppression of the
other potential, male or female sexual cells are formed (“gametes”). With the origin of
sexually differentiated gametes, according to this assumption, simultaneously a tension is
produced that causes the extremely differentiated sexual cells to merge: this union leads
to a resolution of the tension. The production of the male sex can also take place due to
external conditions, such as by certain genetic information. In the higher animals, the
gametes are differentiated into male sperm cells and female egg cells. It can be
demonstrated experimentally, however, that a sexual difference between the merging
gametes even exists when no differences can be found between them, either externally or
in the fine structure. Thus, physiological differences, not morphological structural
differences, cause the mutual tension, the union, and the resolving of the tension in the
merger. One refers to “isogametes,” i.e., those that are externally similar but “internally
sexual opposites,” not as male and female but as positive and negative, because one
cannot usually identify the positive ones with either male or female; likewise, not the
negative ones. Fertilization only takes places between + and – types of gametes, but
never between two of the same, positives or negatives. With protists, algae and fungi that
have isogametic fertilization, there are consequently two strictly separate types of
gametes, though they lack any external sign of being sexually different. If one brings
together such outwardly completely identical, but functionally different-sexed types of
gametes in one Petri dish, they group together in pairs: the gametes that previously swam
evenly distributed gather themselves in smaller or larger groups; then the uniting of each
pair of negative and positive gametes takes place.
Here we first come up against the question “what does the polarity between the two
types of gametes consist of?” After we see the same polarity, the same attraction,
merger, and relaxation even in morphologically identical gametes, it becomes self-
evident that the structural and external difference in the gametes of higher animals cannot
explain the polarity. The polarity is also not explained, however, by merely naming it
positive or negative.
The Hartmann concept of “relative sexuality” can pave the way toward an
understanding. Bütschli and Schaudinn already assumed in their hypothesis on sexuality
that every protist cell is bisexual, and that by the prevailing of the one or of the other
could become male or female relative to another cell in which the opposite prevails.
Hartmann found himself compelled by certain cases of autogametic fertilization, to

7
 WILHELM REICH

assume that the hypothesis of fertilization and sexuality can only be correct if the sexual
distinction of the gametes is not absolute but relative; if it could be proven that a usually
female gamete, A, would behave as female with respect to a male gamete, B, but against
a stronger female gamete A would behave as a male. The first thought of Hartmann of
the possibility of a relative sexuality was proven correct in 1925.1 Even earlier,
biological experiments had shown that the general sexual differentiation (also in
isogamy) and the general bisexual potential are also valid for the differentiated sexes and
gametes in general.
The gametes of the brown alga Ectocarpus siliculosus (from Naples) are
morphologically completely identical (isogametes), though this alga is strictly sexually
differentiated. Here, gametes can only fertilize one another if they come from different
plants. The observation of the fertilization (the forming of groups) results in different
sexes; in this way one can distinguish between male and female, despite the isogamy.
The female gametes settle down, each with a group of male gametes swarming around it.
Depending on the speed and the intensity of group formation, one can distinguish strong,
medium and weak male and female gametes. In this organism, in addition to the usual
fertilization, successful fertilizations between gametes of the same sex could be seen,
revealing the difference between strong and weak male and female gametes. Hartmann
concluded from this that the weaker gametes that are fertilized by the same-sexed
stronger ones “change their sexual behavior” and thus in this case are “sexually relative.”
Each cell has the ability to develop either in the female or the male sexual direction, and
according to Hartmann it depends “solely on the environmental conditions in the broadest
sense, whether the cell will have a female or male tendency.”
Hartmann considers the “double-sexed potential” of sexually differentiated but
morphologically identical gametes to be proven, on account of his experiments and those
of others. To summarize:

1) Even morphologically (due to shape) and cytologically (due to fine structure)

undifferentiated gamete show opposite sexual differentiation.
2) These sexually differentiated gametes contain, however, the potential for both
the positive and the negative sex.
3) The gametes are sexually relative, the weaker taking on the opposite sexual
function with respect to the stronger, same-sexed gamete.
4) The positive or negative nature of the gametes cannot be called male or
female. These terms only mean “sexual opposites.”

3. Is Fertilization of isogametes an electrical process?

We would not have brought up these findings of Hartmann in connection with our
research on the orgasm function, except that they offer the key for the solution of what
lies at the roots of sexuality. That the experiments of Hartmann unveil to us the dialectics

1
Hartmann, M. “Über relative Sexualität bei Ectocarpus siliculosus, Die Naturwissenschaften Vol. 13,
Nos. 49-50, 1925, pages 975-980.

8
 Reproduction as a Function of Sexuality

of sexual differentiation is just one incidental benefit for the theory of dialectical
materialism. “Relative sexuality” gains actual meaning only in connection of the nature
of fertilization of gametes, whose powers seem not to be basically different from those
powers that are seen in the sexual attraction of two opposite-sexed multicellular
organisms. If we could discover a functional identity between the fertilization of gametes
and the copulation of two animals (a question the uniform solution of which already
hangs in the air of biological, physiological and psychological research), then a further
part of the life process, and moreover an essential one, would be revealed.
If we intend to see1 in the tension and relaxation and the related electrical charging
and discharging, not only the essence of the orgastic function but moreover the basic
principle of living substance, then this function must also be confirmed at the roots of
life, i.e., the fertilization of two single-celled individuals. If this proof is successful, then
another must also be accomplished: that the so-called asexual reproduction, by division
and budding, in principle manifests the same orgastic function.
We begin from the experimentally established fact that a weaker gamete behaves as
the opposite sex toward a stronger same-sexed one. That also, a weak female behaves as
male toward a stronger female, no matter what the nature of this “being stronger” is; and
that a weak male behaves as female toward a stronger male. This relative sexual
behavior only reveals potential bisexuality but says nothing about the nature of the
“sexuality”, i.e., the urge or drive for merger by fertilization with other gametes; it is only
by the nature of this urge, however, that the sexual behavior could be explained.
Let us first suppose that the two gametes, of no matter what sex, behave as two
electrical systems; that they are self-evidently subject to the general laws of living
substance. Let’s further suppose that the differentiation of sexes would exist in the
preparation of each + or – charge of the suspension of gametes. Let’s compare
furthermore, two organ systems with two electromagnets. If magnet A was charged
strongly, and another one, B, was charged weakly, then magnet A would induce in
magnet B, at the side facing A, a charge opposite to the charge of A.
Thus, A being +, magnet B must become – at the adjacent pole and “attract itself” to
A. The same would be the case if A was strongly negative; then B would become +.
This is only an analogy for the time being, which must first be confirmed in order for this
hypothesis to be valid.
To clarify the problem, it would be best to quote from Hartmann’s summary:

“Thus, all presuppositions and requirements of a sexual theory of fertilization are secured. Today this
is the sole theory that not only deals with all aspects and moreover deals with manifold aspects of
fertilizations, but can pave the way physiologically to an explanation of basic phenomena of fertilization as
well. That the phenomena agree with and have been proven by the facts of the distribution of sexes and of
heredity. By the (phenotypically-and genotypically-caused) difference of the sexual tendency of the
gametes, the urge for fertilization can to some extent be explained, because one can assume that with the
development of sexually differentiated cells or nuclei, at the same time the tension is established that brings
the extremely differentiated cells (gametes) to merger and brings about the resolution of the tension. Of
course, such an account cannot and does not explain every stage of the phenomena of fertilization. It can
and should mean only that the first triggering step of the whole chain of events that takes place in

1
i.e. via Reich’s orgasm formula. [Eds.]

9
 WILHELM REICH

fertilization is always the establishing of sexual tension, and that this first link sooner or later, often
causally connected with other factors of development, triggers the next steps (karyokinesis, reduction),
which, as everyone knows, always follow each other in a certain sequence.”1

Thus, the general bisexual potential appears at the present to be the basic
phenomenon to which the mechanism of distribution and determination of the sexes, as
well as the problem of fertilization, can be reduced. However, as is so often the case with
the solution of natural scientific problems, here the solution of old problems raises a new,
greater and deeper problem, and that is the question of the puzzling abilities of each
organism and of each cell to develop in double-opposite directions, i.e. male or female,
strong or weak; the alternative bisexual ability of reaction. We don’t know what this
ability is based on, whether it is caused by genes or complexes of genes, like other
characteristics of organisms. Much seems to weigh against such an opinion, and one
could assume here that the basic function of the living cell, and thus of life, exists as
assimilation and dissimilation. In any case, the ability is completely unknown and
mysterious, and there’s also at first no path to be seen which might lead to the solution of
this enigma. Research need not be scared away from this, however. Even a few decades
ago it looked this way with the problems of fertilization and identification of sexes. It is
necessary for the further clarification of this question to formulate some hypothetical
ideas from comparative considerations of the phenomena, hypothetical ideas from which
conclusions can be drawn which can be experimentally tested.2
Thus, positive and negative gametes form groups as soon as they are brought together
in a culture medium. Students of Hartmann, Moewus, and Jollos now try to explain how
this group formation comes about, and they come to the assumption that the gametes
secrete “substances” of a specific kind into the fluid, substances which are absorbed by
the gamete’s partner. Thus, if one prepares by centrifugation a pellet of the + kind of
gametes (the cells have been smashed) which contains no more gametes, and if one adds
this pellet to the negative gametes, no grouping occurs. The negative gametes still swarm
around. If, however, one adds to the pellet, instead of gametes, certain pure-cultured
bacteria from common cultures, then group formation takes place exactly as if one had
brought together the two opposite kinds of gametes; of course, no fertilization takes
place. Also, in reverse, adding a pellet of smashed negative gametes to a culture of
positive ones causes group and pair formation when pure-cultured bacteria are added. No
group formation occurs; however, if one adds bacteria-containing positive supernatant to
the + gametes, or bacteria-containing negative supernatant to the – gametes. Thus,
Hartmann concludes that two “sexually specific substances” are secreted by the two kinds
of gametes. Let’s first raise one fundamental objection to this. If such a sex-specific
“substance” exists, then the fact of group formation, i.e. the mutual attraction, would still
remain unexplained; because the substance could be just a specific vehicle of the
attraction but not explain the attraction itself. Here the same objection is valid which the

1
Hartmann, M. “Relative Sexualität und ihre Bedeutung für eine allgemeine Sexualitäts und
Befruchtungstheorie,” Die Naturwissenschaften, Vol. 19: 8–16 (2 January 1931); Part 2 in Die
Naturwissenschaften, Vol. 19: 31–37 (9 January 1931). The quotation is from p. 36, emphasis is Reich’s.
2
Loc. cit., pp. 36-37.

10
 Reproduction as a Function of Sexuality

dynamic observation of nature raises to the explanation of hereditary phenomena by a

given, fixed substance, and Hartmann himself doubts those explanations. They do not
differ in principle from the brain-mythological assumption, according to which thought is
said to be in the form of certain imaginations and sensations localized in certain brain
cells.
Hartmann, because of special experiments, comes to the conclusion that isogametes
differentiate into + or – entities, so that hereditary opposite sexuality exists. According to
this assumption, only gametes of two different kinds can fertilize; their nature would be
the difference of the sex-specific “substances.” I’ve already said why it seems to me that
such an assumption is not only not a help, but actually a hindrance to a further solution of
the problem. In this way Hartmann definitely disproves the stimulus-physiological
assumption of Mainx and Pascher, according to which there exists only one kind of
gamete which is said to differ as a result of different conditions of maturity, though the
bipolar, two-sexed nature of gametes still remains to be explained. In experiments with
bacteria, it’s striking at first that grouping in pairs also takes place in bacteria, though
only under the condition that the medium is not a pellet of the kind of gametes used in the
experiment, but of the omitted kind of gametes. The fact that bacteria are sufficient to
cause the pairing can be explained as a phenomenon of electrolytes.
The A type of gametes + the B type of gametes + bacteria produces an electrolyte
system with two terminals (borders) and one electrolyte: at first the gamete A’/ pellet of
gamete B border, then the bacteria pellet border. Two borders are established at a time
between two different organic substances. The charge at the borders can ensue in both
directions, therefore, so can the group formation. When the bacteria are absent, then no
formation of the second potential surface occurs, and the group formation fails to occur,
because according to all known presuppositions, gametes of the same kind, i.e. of
identical tension and probably also of the same designation (+ or –), cannot form
potential surfaces. The absence of group formation, in spite of the existence of bacteria in
the pellet of the same kind, can be explained by the absence of potential surface gamete /
electrolyte (pellet); thus, the pellet must necessarily be of the same sort, which does not
allow the establishing of a surface of a different tension, thus no group formation either.
As in the first case, where the potential surface bacteria / electrolyte is missing, so in the
second case: gamete / electrolyte. This hypothesis must naturally be experimentally
confirmed when it would become practically useful.
Yet, the assumption of sexuality as an electrical function is confirmed additionally by
the application of the orgasm formula to the process of cell division, and by the
experiments performed by me on the electrical function of sexuality (c.f. next
communication).1

1
This is probably a reference to Reich’s monograph Experimentelle Ergebnisse über die elektrische
Funktion von Sexualität und Angst, Sex-Pol Verlag, Copenhagen, 1937; available in English in his
Bioelectrical Investigation of Sexuality and Anxiety, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1982. [Eds.]

11


A Report on the Biological Experimental

Work at the Institute for Sex-Economic
Life Research in Oslo, 7 August 1937 1
The biological experiments at the Institute for Sex-economic Life Research in Oslo
were confronted with very different mindsets in the scientific community long before they
were published in their totality.
Two very unscientific types of reception of the first reports concerning biological tasks
will be mentioned because they took on a certain practical effect. Specifically, strange
rumors concerning the type of experiments were circulated in different venues, for
example, it was told that the experiments were totally insane, were implemented fully
indiscriminately, that, while the work of the institution in the field of psychotherapy might
be good, its work in the area of biology was total nonsense, etc. These rumors originated
in part from scientific assistants that viewed the experiments in a highly superficial manner.
One cannot usually counteract rumors with rationality, but one can establish facts that are
well-suited for eliminating their credibility.
The first assistant in the electrical experiments on the human body was Dr. Löwenbach,
who, after being fired by the Department of Physiology at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in
Berlin, accepted a position with Dr. Reich as an assistant in the experiments with
electricity. Wilhelm Reich eliminated this assistant position in September, 1935. The
final episode, which was preceded by many other episodes, was as follows:
On that occasion, it involved the deciding question whether the potential fluctuations
that Reich had observed on human skin during different experimental trials were specific
biological phenomenon or whether they could be produced in non-living material. After a
period of great initial enthusiasm for this task, Dr. Löwenbach hindered the experiments
by denying the existence of indisputable phenomenon that he had observed and verified
himself.
The oscillograph, all of the equipment belonging with it, were at that time in the
Dikemark Insane Asylum (Head Director, Dr. Jessing). A catatonic patient was hooked up
to the apparatus, and tickling the palm of his hand with dry, insolated cotton showed the
familiar potential fluctuations already known to us (“tickle phenomena”). Drs. Löwenbach
and Hoffmann, who witnessed the experiment, could not decide whether or not to
acknowledge the organic nature of this phenomena and attempted to prove that the sheet
upon which the patient was resting was also “alive.” The electrode, previously resting on
the palm of the hand, was put on the sheet and next to it “tickled” with the cotton wad. To
Reich’s great horror, this experiment showed exactly the same potential fluctuations as
touching the palms of the hands. Dr. Löwenbach and Dr. Hoffmann were triumphant, and

1 Translated from the German manuscript: “Der Besuch Professor Roger Du Teil’s von der Universitat Nizza

in Oslo vom 26.7 bis 7.8. 1937,” Archives of the Orgone Institute, Correspondence, Box 10.

12


Report of the Biological Experimental Work at the Institute for Sex-Economic Life Research

Dr. Reich was very surprised because he could not explain the anomaly. It contradicted
not only his assumptions but also his previous experiments on inorganic matter. After 24
hours, it occurred to Reich what error was committed by the experimenters and how it had
resulted in the anomaly.

1. The neutral electrode that led to the amplifier's cathode was not removed from the
patient's leg. His body was, thus, still part of the circuitry.

2. The patient's hand rested on the bed sheet, which was moistened with potassium
chloride. It was no wonder that one had seen reactions on the bed sheet. With this, a
new problem arose: By which biological means could the body's electrical charge be
transmitted through the bed sheet?

These are the true facts of the case that were the grounds for Dr. Reichs' termination of
the team work with Dr. Löwenbach and Dr. Hoffmann. Later Drs. Löwenbach and
Hoffmann witnessed the experiment which measured the arousal curve during
masturbation.1 Neither Dr. Hoffmann nor Dr. Löwenbach saw an increase in the potential
and the uniform intervals of the curves, which proved to be typical formations in later
experiments. In a discussion (in which Professor Schjelderup, Dr. Hoffmann, and Dr. Nic
Hoel and also Dr. Wilhelm Reich were present), Dr. Löwenbach literally declared that the
experiments were incorrect because even sexual pleasure must result in negative charge.
Only two months prior, Dr. Löwenbach had enthusiastically reported to Dr. Reich that he
had measured a strong positive charge on his own person during sexual arousal. These
statements are indispensable with respect to the rumors buzzing around at present.
In October, 1936, after a satisfactory number of successful experiments to create bions
were completed, Wilhelm Reich wanted to seek guidance from Albert Fischer, the Director
of the Rockefeller Institute for Biology in Copenhagen, concerning the continuation of his
research. On the occasion of a trip to Copenhagen, Reich demonstrated the bion
experiment for Albert Fischer and his assistant. During the trial, Fischer asked Reich if he
was mixing toothpaste. Reich then asked whether they wished for him to end the
demonstration. Fischer apologized, and the demonstration continued. Reich requested a
magnification adjustment between 2500 - 3000x. Albert Fischer’s institute, however, only
had microscopes without inclined binocular lens tubes and only magnifying from 1500 -
1700x respectively. Because of this, the demonstration was more complicated; however,
the formations, at least to the practiced eye, were clearly observable. One of Albert
Fischer’s assistants immediately carried out a Giemsa staining, which had positive results.
The same assistant made suggestions regarding the measures necessary for performing the
demonstration for the scientific community. Also attending this demonstration were Dr.
Leunbach and Dr. Philipson from Copenhagen. After a while, Reich received a letter from
Leunbach reporting that Fischer had made very derogatory and rude comments. He
indicated that it was only his common courtesy that prevented him from immediately

1
See Plate VI, Figure XXI in Reich, W. Experimentelle Ergebnisse uber die elektrische Funktion von
Sexualitat und Angst, Sexpol Verlag, Kopenhagen-Prag-Zurich, 1937. [Reprinted on page 152 in Reich, W.
The Bioelectrical Investigation of Sexuality and Anxiety, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York, 1982].

13
 WILHELM REICH

throwing Reich out. He had never before encountered such outrageousness. The
formations seen in the demonstration were nothing more than simple lecithin formations,
and, besides that, it was preposterous to demand such magnifications from him. Reich
responded with a letter to Albert Fischer in which he very objectively stated his opinion of
this type of control observation.1
After the first autoclaved and highly sterile bion mixtures succeeded, Professor Thjötta
from the Institute for Bacteriology in Oslo was sent some samples to evaluate. Professor
Thjötta deemed these as highly irrelevant, dealing merely with simple subtili.2 Wilhelm
Reich then submitted a request to expand the experiments to also include animal trials. It
was a matter of fact that the cultures he obtained must be tested for virulence. The request
went to Oslo’s Medical Director, Heitmann.3 Professor Thjötta was supposed to provide
the expert opinion. Thjötta told Professor H. Schjelderup, through whom the request was
processed, that the experimenters would be better off stopping their work because
everything had already been researched in that area. Permission to conduct animal trials
was later rejected by the medical director. These encounters, just a few examples from
many similar ones, should not only show how “scientifically” one approached an, after all,
not unfamiliar work, but also point out that there is another way, a correct way of
approaching the issue scientifically. Professor Roger Du Teil from the University of Nice
was the first representative of this approach.
When Professor Du Teil received the first report about the sterilized bion mixture, he
thoroughly examined the preparation together with a bacteriologist, verified the
experimental design, and immediately sent a report to the French Academy. He wrote the
following to Wilhelm Reich: The experiments were correct and interesting, however, such
experiments had already been carried out earlier, though not in this manner, and, most
importantly, this time produced cultures from sterilized structures. At this time, the first
cultures had already succeeded. Consequently, he immediately called together a
commission following his presentation at the Natural Philosophical Society in Nice on
March 7, 1937, composed of pharmacologists, bacteriologists, and hygienists under his
leadership. This commission was tasked to perform control experiments parallel to those
at the Sex-economic Institute in Oslo and, after their completion, to report back to the
French Academy. The first statements made by local bacteriologists are contained in Roger
Du Teil’s presentation in Nice. Further inoculations using the forwarded cultures showed
positive results, likewise the verification that the cultures were pure. The experimental
design was also deemed correct. However, the work of creating bions and cultivating them,
a job that was already difficult due to their nature, bogged down. In the summer of 1937,
Du Teil made the decision to travel to Oslo in order to spend 14 days directly on the spot

1
This letter was published on pages 91-93 in Reich, W. Beyond Psychology: Letters and Journals, 1934 –
1939, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York, 1994. For more on this episode see Strick, J.: Wilhelm Reich,
Biologist, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2015, pages 99-102. [Eds.]
2
i.e., Bacillus subtilis, a common air infection bacterium. [Eds.]
3 Nils Heitman was the State Director General of Health, beginning in 1931. See, e.g., his publication

“Tuberkulosedødelighetens nedgang i siste 5-årsperiode 1926–30,” Tidsskrift for Den norske lægeforening,
1933, 53: 78–81. [Eds.]

14


Report of the Biological Experimental Work at the Institute for Sex-Economic Life Research

where he could verify for himself the working procedures, their results, and the possibility
of completing control experiments in France. He spared neither money nor time in order
to achieve the possibility of complete control. For ten days, Du Teil worked in the
laboratory at the Oslo Institute together with all scientific personnel completing a trial test,
which was completely successful including the cultures from sterilized bions. In the
meantime, a commission of French scientific specialists, among them a leading professor
of surgery,1 were waiting for Du Teil in Paris, who was supposed to bring with him the
bions and the cultures produced in his presence in addition to a film showing the work
process. Du Teil left on August 7, 1937, following very prolific work, with about 600
meters of film and a collection of preparations, which had been produced in his presence.
This is the productive, correct yet discerning and friendly sort of control work. We do
not doubt for one second that we have found an objective, critical, yet at the same time
productive, helping friend in Roger Du Teil.

1
Raoul-Charles Monod, (1887-1969). [Eds.]

15
Reporte sobre el Trabajo Experimental en
Biología llevado a cabo en el Instituto para
la Investigación Económico-Sexual de la
Vida en Oslo, 7 Agosto 1937 1
El trabajo experimental en biología llevado a cabo en Oslo, en el Instituto para la
Investigación Económico-Sexual de la Vida, se enfrentó a varias reacciones por parte de
la comunidad científica antes de haber sido terminado y publicado en su totalidad.
Aunque anticientíficas, dos tipos de reacciones, adquirieron cierta relevancia y por ello
las trataremos aquí. Los rumores más extraños circulan por diferentes lugares: por
ejemplo, se dice que quienes trabajan en estos experimentos están completamente locos;
que han perdido el camino; que el trabajo psicoterapéutico del Instituto era bueno, pero
que las investigaciones biológicas, carecen de sentido. Si bien estos rumores provinieron
de personal científico, se trataba de gente que presenció los experimentos parcial y
superficialmente. Aunque los rumores no pueden combatirse racionalmente, uno puede
oponer a ellos hechos que derrumben los fundamentos sobre los que se erigen.
El primer asistente en los experimentos con electricidad en el cuerpo humano, fue el
Dr. Löwenbach, quien le solicitó el trabajo al Dr. Reich y fue contratado para el puesto
tras ser cesado del Departamento de Fisiología del Instituto Kaiser Wilhelm de la
Universidad de Berlín. En septiembre de 1935, Reich también decidió despedirlo. La
motivación final para hacerlo y que se sumó a otros antecedentes, vino de los hechos
siguientes:
El asunto central en cuestión era si las fluctuaciones de potencial - que Reich había
observado en el transcurso de numerosos experimentos en la piel humana- eran un
fenómeno específicamente biológico o si también podía reproducirse en materia no viva.
Después de un periodo inicial en el que Löwenbach mostró gran entusiasmo por las
investigaciones de Reich, comenzó a interferir en todos los resultados experimentales
negando que ciertos fenómenos tenían lugar, aunque él mismo los había observado y
verificado. El oscilógrafo, junto con todos sus accesorios se colocó en el asilo para
pacientes mentales Dikemark (cuyo primer director fue el Dr. Jessing). El equipo fue
conectado a un paciente catatónico y al hacerle cosquillas en la palma de la mano con una
bola de algodón seca, se observaron fluctuaciones en el potencial (fenómeno de las
cosquillas), fenómeno con el cual ya estábamos bastante familiarizados. El Dr.
Löwenbach y el Dr. Hoffman, ambos presentes durante este experimento, no podían
decidir si reconocer la naturaleza orgánica de este fenómeno o no y trataron de probar que

1
Traducción al español de la traducción al inglés del manuscrito alemán: «Der Besuch Professor Roger Du
Teil’s von der Universitat Nizza in Oslo vom 26.7 bis 7.8. 1937», Archivos del Instituto Orgone,
Correspondencia, Recuadro 10.

16
 Reporte sobre Trabajo Experimental en Biología llevado a cabo en el Instituto

la sábana de la cama en la que el paciente yacía, también estaba viva. El electrodo, que
previamente había sido colocado en la palma de la mano, fue puesto en la sábana y se le
«hicieron cosquillas» con la bola de algodón. Reich estaba completamente desconcertado
al ver que este experimento mostraba las mismas fluctuaciones de potencial que cuando
la mano era estimulada.
Löwenbach y Hoffman, estaban triunfantes y Reich muy sorprendido pues no podía
explicarse el fenómeno. Esto ponía en duda no solamente sus hallazgos fundamentales,
sino sus experimentos previos con materia inerte. Veinticuatro horas después Reich
consiguió entender cuál había sido el error cometido por los experimentadores y cómo
este error había causado el fenómeno:

1. El electrodo neutro que estaba conectado al cátodo del amplificador no había sido
removido de la pierna del paciente, por lo que su cuerpo seguía conectado al circuito.

2. La mano del paciente catatónico estaba puesta sobre la sábana que había sido
humedecida con KCl. Siendo así, no era de extrañar haber registrado fluctuaciones de
potencial de la sábana. Con esto surgió un nuevo problema que consistía en explicar
cómo es que la carga eléctrica del cuerpo era conducida a través de la sábana.

Esas son las verdaderas razones por las cuales Reich terminó su relación laboral con
Löwenbach y Hoffman. Más adelante Löwenbach y Hoffman presenciaron un
experimento que medía la curva de estimulación durante la masturbación.1
Ninguno de los dos notó el incremento de potencial ni el intervalo simétrico de las
curvas, que, en experimentos posteriores, probaron ser formaciones típicas. El Dr.
Löwenbach, en una discusión en la que formaron parte el profesor Schjeldrup, el
Dr.Hoffman, Nic Hoel y Reich, literalmente dijo que los experimentos habían sido
falsificados porque incluso la excitación sexual debía resultar en carga negativa. Tan sólo
dos meses antes de esta reunión, el propio Löwenbach había reportado con entusiasmo a
Reich una fuerte carga positiva durante su excitación sexual. Estas declaraciones son
vitales para contrarrestar los rumores que circulan y han circulado.
En octubre de 1936, después de haber concluido satisfactoriamente una serie de
experimentos para crear biones, Wilhelm Reich, para continuar con el desarrollo de sus
investigaciones, quiso buscar la orientación de Albert Fischer, el Director del Instituto
Rockefeller para Biología en Copenhagen. Con ocasión de un viaje a Copenhagen, Reich
mostró los experimentos del bion a Fischer y a su asistente. Durante el procedimiento,
Fischer le preguntó a Reich si estaba mezclando pasta de dientes. Reich le preguntó si
quería que terminara con la demostración. Fischer se disculpó y la demostración
continuó. Reich solicitó un ajuste en la magnificación del microscopio, entre 2500 y
3000x. Sin embargo, los microscopios de Fischer no tenían binoculares inclinados y sólo
alcanzaban magnificaciones de entre 1500 y 1700x. Aunque esta limitación técnica le

1
Reich, W. The Bioelectrical Investigation of Sexuality and Anxiety, figura XXI, página 152, Farrar Straus
and Giroux, 1982.

17
 WILHELM REICH

añadía complejidad a la demostración, para el ojo entrenado, las formaciones eran

claramente observables. Uno de los asistentes de Fischer llevó a cabo de inmediato una
tinción Giemsa, que dio resultados positivos. El mismo asistente hizo sugerencias sobre
las pautas a seguir para hacer demostraciones a la comunidad científica. El Dr. Leunbach
y el Dr. Philipson, de Copenhagen, también presenciaron esta demostración. Después de
algún tiempo, Reich recibió una carta de Leunbach. En ella le reportaba que Fischer había
hecho comentarios muy despectivos y groseros y que era sólo su sentido de cortesía lo
que lo previno de echar a la calle a Reich. En la opinión de Fischer, las formaciones
vistas en el microscopio no eran más que formaciones de lecitina y, además, las
magnificaciones que Reich había solicitado, eran absurdas. Reich le contestó a Fischer en
una carta en la cual, con mucha objetividad le expuso su opinión sobre ese tipo de
observaciones de control.1
Después de obtener las primeras mezclas estériles de biones autoclavadas, se le
mandaron algunas muestras al Profesor Thjötta del Instituto de Bacteriología en Oslo.
Thjötta las consideró irrelevantes y creyó que se trataba simplemente de Bacillus
subtilis2. Reich le pidió entonces que extendiera los experimentos para incluir
experimentos con animales. La virulencia de las estructuras obtenidas debía ser
comprobada. La petición iba dirigida al Director Médico de Oslo, Heitmann3. Thjötta
había de brindar su opinión experta. Pero Thjötta le dijo al Profesor H. Schjeldrup, a
través de quien la solicitud fue procesada, que mejor sería que esos experimentos dejaran
de quitarle tiempo, pues las investigaciones al respecto ya habían sido agotadas. Así, el
permiso para llevar a cabo experimentación con animales, fue denegado por el director
médico. Estos encuentros, apenas unos cuantos de entre varios muy similares, muestran
que tan «científicamente» se trataron estas investigaciones. Hay otra forma de investigar
la cuestión científicamente. El Profesor Roger Du Teil, de la Universidad de Niza, es un
digno representante de este enfoque. Cuando Du Teil recibió el primer reporte sobre la
mezcla esterilizada de biones, examinó exhaustivamente la preparación de la mano de un
bacteriólogo, verificó el diseño experimental e inmediatamente mandó un reporte a la
academia francesa. Le escribió a Reich: Este tipo de experimentos son correctos e
interesantes, sin embargo, ya habían sido llevados a cabo anteriormente, aunque no de
esta forma, y más importante aún, en esta ocasión produjeron cultivos a partir de
estructuras estériles. A estas alturas, los primeros cultivos habían prosperado y Du Teil
tras su presentación en la Sociedad Filosófica Natural, el 7 de marzo de 1937, convocó a
una comisión constituida por farmacólogos, bacteriólogos e higienistas que, bajo su
liderazgo, llevarían a cabo una serie de experimentos de control paralelos a los del
Instituto de Economía Sexual en Oslo, que al ser completados, mandarían su reporte a la
Academia Francesa. Las primeras declaraciones hechas por bacteriólogos, están
contenidas en la presentación de Du Teil en Niza. Inoculaciones posteriores, usando los
1
Esta carta está publicada en Reich, W.: Beyond Psychology: Letters and Journals, 1934 – 1939, Farrar,
Straus & Giroux, New York, 1994, pp. 91-93. Para una explicación más detallada al respecto, ver Strick, J.:
Wilhelm Reich, Biologist, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2015, pp. 99-102. [Eds.]
2
Una bacteria aerobia ubicua formadora de esporas [Eds.]
3
Nils Heitmann fue el Director General de Salud en Oslo a partir de 1931. [Eds.]

18
 Reporte sobre Trabajo Experimental en Biología llevado a cabo en el Instituto

cultivos subsecuentes, mostraron resultados positivos y la verificación mostró que se

trataba de cultivos puros. El diseño experimental también fue considerado correcto. Sin
embargo, el trabajo de crear y cultivar biones, de por sí difícil debido a su naturaleza, se
estancó. Así que, en el verano de 1937, Du Teil tomó la decisión de manejar a Oslo para
pasar 14 días con Reich, dónde podría verificar los procedimientos de trabajo, los
resultados y de esto se desprendería la posibilidad de continuar con experimentos de
control él mismo en Francia. No escatimó en dinero ni en tiempo con tal de conseguir la
posibilidad de un control completo. Por diez días, Du Teil trabajó en el laboratorio de
Oslo junto todo el personal científico ensayando un experimento que fue completamente
exitoso, incluyendo los cultivos de biones estériles. Mientras tanto, una comisión de
científicos franceses especialistas, entre ellos un profesor de cirugía, aguardaban a Du
Teil en París, que habría de traerles los biones y los cultivos producidos en su presencia
junto con una película mostrando el proceso de trabajo. Du Teil partió el 7 de agosto de
1937, después de un prolífico trabajo, con aproximadamente 600 m de película y una
colección de preparaciones que habían sido hechas en su presencia. Esta es la forma de
control productiva, correcta, amigable, capaz de discernir. No albergamos duda alguna de
que en Du Teil, hemos encontrado un amigo objetivo, crítico y productivo.

19
 Dialectical Materialism in
Biological Research:
A Report on the Bion Experiments1
(Given on May 1, 1937, in conjunction with the opening of the laboratory in Oslo)

Dear Friends and Colleagues!

It is no coincidence that we arranged for a May 1st opening of the Institute’s
laboratory.2 May 1st is celebrated internationally as the holiday of work and the worker.
That doesn’t mean that the expression “May 1st” is not misused by reactionary parties.
Joined in the production process are all areas, whether manufacturing, scientific research,
or agriculture, and it is not right to exclude scientific work from the general category of
work as it is so often done from the side of academia. Another important reason to select
this date is the fact that our work in experimental science is based on the principles of
dialectical materialist research methods. May 1st as Worker’s Day and dialectical
materialism as the method of acquiring scientific knowledge go directly together. One of
its principles is the so-called “unity of theory and practice.” I am tasked with the job of
explaining the difficult, theoretical questions of scientific research methods to you, most
of whom are not specially trained biologists, in such a manner that the advantages of the
dialectical materialist method compared to other research methods become crystal clear.
Should I fail at this, then I will only prove that I poorly apply dialectical materialism.
What is dialectical materialism? Concepts are subjected to a lot of nonsense. I
remember that before the time when Hitler took power over Germany, some attempted to
employ dialectical materialism by discussing the “dialectic unity of coincidence and
necessity.” However, it was not meant this way. Dialectical materialism is a very simple,
I would almost like to say, the simple, humane way of viewing things and events. This
does not indicate superficiality. It merely means that man is part of nature, the object of
processes and also the subject of social activity. He forms a unit with everything that he
observes, works with, or creates. It was Hegel’s brilliant idea to rip the philosophical
reasoning of his time out of its static rigidity by delineating the law of change, the flow in
all that exists. However, with Hegel, the world, the thing, the process was nothing more
than the reflection of human “ideals”. Marx succeeded in, as he put it, getting the
dialectic method “up and running.” According to him, human concepts are reversed,
reflections of scientifically understandable processes and events. And a concept is then
correct when it immediately reflects the objective process. Using the difficulties

1
First published in German as “Der dialektische Materialismus in der Lebensforschung – Bericht über die
Bion-Versuche” in the Zeitschrift für Politische Psychologie und Sexualökonomie, Vol. 4, No. 3(14), 1937,
pages 137 – 148.
2
Biological laboratory of the Institut für Sexualökonomische Lebensforschung, Oslo, Norway.

20
 Dialectical Materialism in Biological Research: A Report on the Bion Experiments

associated with our work in biology, I will now attempt to describe the unusual and
natural innovative application of dialectical materialism, especially in biology.
In biological science, one encounters very unusual and apparently insoluble
contradictions. For example, one advocates the decree: “living things come only from
living things.” Organic nature and inorganic nature are understood to be two strictly
separate, independent areas. However, in contrast to this, biological research everywhere
is occupied with the question of “life in non-living matter,” with the old problem of the
creation of life from the non-living. During this, non-living matter often becomes
mystically alive. Artificially producing living protein by combining and complicating
protein molecules has also been attempted. I remember the first successful experiment by
Wohler to synthetically produce urea. Between individual organic materials and a live,
functioning clump of plasma; however, lie more than quantitative differences. A
difference in the functionality is present. The contradiction is that, on the one side, one
strictly separates the living and non-living, but on the other side attempts to construct it
mechanically from the non-living using “synthesis.”
Another contradiction is between mechanism and vitalism. Mechanists claim, and
rightly so, that all living things are similarly governed by physical, chemical, and
electrical processes as are non-living things, that it is “the same thing.” On the other hand,
the vitalist, who is also a metaphysician, claims, and rightly so, that life in all of its forms
is so completely different from the non-living that a similarity is totally out of the
question. One might be able to reconstruct a sea urchin from a cluster of sea urchin
pieces; however, it is completely impossible to create a complete machine from one of its
screws, (Driesch), and that is without doubt correct. So is the juxtaposition of the two
viewpoints of mechanism and vitalism. Very often the mechanistic viewpoint mixes with
that of religion. The drive to understand the so-called “irrational” is always present and
expresses itself in the metaphysical theory of life. I will now attempt to delineate the way
in which dialectical materialism is able to solve the contradiction between mechanism
and vitalism.
About a year ago, I succeeded in creating a solution out of non-living materials that,
when intensely sterilized, i.e. autoclaved at 120º C, contained life forms. I called these
forms bions. Some months ago, the first cultivation of these structures succeeded.
Reproduction, metabolism, and biological staining have already been established. I will
now explain how I, whose original area of expertise is psychology, automatically came to
work in the field of biological research.
In the course of the development of the natural sciences, life was split up into
different fields, which are specifically separated from one another, and are so dealt with.
Observing life as one unit in spite of all of its complicated fragmentation suffered
because of this. Fragmenting life into branches is equivalent to splitting up sciences into
mechanical specialized disciplines, one separated from the other. The unity of the living
apparatus revealed itself to me during my work in the following manner:
Freud had postulated a duality in psychological functions that placed the “sex drive”
opposite the “death wish”. He thought of both of these basic urges as two pillars sunken
deeply into a foundation, with no connection to one another “below” and first forming
complicated connections with one another “above” in a highly developed psychological

21
 WILHELM REICH

apparatus. While I could verify the “sex drive” as Freud described it with a few
important corrections, the death wish could not be verified. A “will to die”, a “yearning
for death,” from a biological standpoint, contradicted every clinical experience. It
gradually dawned on me that what Freud attempted to grasp with the term “death wish”
was the same phenomena that I had captured clinically in the theory of orgasm during the
past one and a half decades: The desire of orgasm for the release of tension, for
“dissolution,” “deliverance,” “melting with the world.” While Freud contributed
tension to the urge to live and release to the urge to die, that is, he separated the two
functions by their mechanics, it appeared to me that the processes of tension and release
formed a union while simultaneously being a dichotomy. The impulse function consists
primarily in the interplay between tension and release. The higher the first, the more
intense the desire for the second, just as the tension of a coil spring becomes higher the
tighter that it is wound. Here we find a typical dialectical state of affairs. The
dialectical-materialist criticism of the Freudian drive theory led unexpectedly but directly
into the field of biology. Very early on, I saw that it is not possible to have a neurosis
without a disturbance in the sexual release function, the orgasm function, beginning in
puberty. Because the release of sexual energy is quantitatively less than the existing
tension, an over-supply of sexual (I later said “vegetative”) energy builds up which
manifests with the neurotic symptom mechanisms as described by Freud. The
breakdown of the orgastic release function was, thus, recognized as the dynamical core
mechanism of the neurotic process. Consequently, healing a mental illness depended on
eliminating the energy source of the neurosis, that is: eliminating orgastic dysfunction
and enabling full genital satisfaction.
The question concerning the source of neurotic energy was, thus, no longer a
psychological question, for the orgasm is a basic biological function, which requires that
the higher psychological function be extinguished during the pleasure experience. The
human or animal organism in question is basically nothing more than a convulsing heap
of plasma during the climax of sexual release. It made sense to research the mechanics of
orgasm. About four years ago, a formula was found by which the orgasm mechanism
functions. First a mechanical filling of the genitals takes place during sexual genital
stimulation. Electro-physiological experiments have shown that sexual arousal depends
on electrical charge on the surface of the erogenous zones. An electrical surface charge
kicks in with the mechanical fluid tension in the tissue. Thus, the conditions for
electrical discharge are fulfilled. The muscle spasms that occur during an orgasm are
nothing more than a discharge of the high electric potential built up due to sexual friction.
The fourth stage is mechanical release: The sex organs lose their excess of blood. The
formula: mechanical tensionàelectrical chargeàelectrical dischargeàmechanical
release that was discovered clinically and experimentally turned out to be a typical
dialectical-materialist formula without striving to be one.
For every correct interpretation of objective facts must necessarily be dialectical-
materialist. Soon two things became very clear to me:
First, that this formula could not be applied to inorganic procedures. There are no
processes in non-living nature by which a mechanical charge suddenly changes into an

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 Dialectical Materialism in Biological Research: A Report on the Bion Experiments

electrical charge. In non-living nature there is either only the mechanical tension-release-
mechanism or solely the electrical charge-release-process.
Second: All of the organs innervated by the parasympathetic nervous system, such as
the heart, colon, bladder, etc. function according to the tension-release-principle.
If one combines these two truths into one, then this results in the following solution to
the battle between mechanism and vitalism: Life contains the same mechanisms as does
the non-living: mechanism, electricity, chemistry. Life is, thus, the same as the non-
living. But, at the same time, in living organisms, the function of inorganic matter is
combined in a specific manner characteristic only of life forms. Life is, also,
simultaneously something completely different from non-living matter. The orgasm
formula is, thus, identical to the formula for life.
It fell within the logical sequence of my work to begin swelling different materials,
for example soil and charcoal, after completing the electro-physiological experiments that
verified the tension-charge-sequence. I sped up the swelling process by letting the
substances in the swelling solution boil for a long time. Through this, the following
previously unexpected particulars resulted:
1) All of the materials I could obtain (charcoal, soil, moss, lecithin, cholesterol, milk,
muscle tissue, etc.) dissolved into vesicles and completely lost their original structure
when swollen, whether slowly or quickly by boiling. The vesicles are best detected using
a microscope in dark field. One can first clearly observe their appearance at a
magnification of 300x in dark field.
2) The material, which previously displayed neutral charge during the electrical flow
experiments, showed an electrical charge in the vesicles following its degeneration into
loose vesicular parts. The charge was positive in soil and charcoal; it was negative in
lecithin, moss, muscle tissue, etc.
The discovery of the vesicular decomposition of swollen matter and the appearance of
previously absent electrical charge shows the correctness of the vegetative formula. The
vesicles are liquid-filled, mechanically stretched structures. The electrical charge, which
was not added through external means, can only be explained due to dissolution in the
cohesion of individual parts of the material which then released the bound electrical
energy, setting it free. Parallel experiments using different types of bacteria like
staphylococci, streptococci, cancer cells, etc. gave the same positive result: vesicular
nature and electrical charge.
It was only to be expected that I would then perform experiments by collecting all the
different types of substances contained in living matter, mixing them together, and
cooking them. The experiment was successful after several failures. Already when
mixing the highly sterilized or autoclaved individual substances, structures appeared all at
once: cocci, rods, amoeboid structures, all displaying the characteristics of Life:
movement, contraction, expansion, and biological staining reaction. These structures
even survive heating in a sterilizer at 180º C, at least immediately after the mixture is
created. They are likewise just as numerous and as mobile as before. The question
whether this is merely an example of living matter or an authentic form of life can only
be decided through culture trials. In December, 1936, following extensive, exhaustive
experiments, the first bion mixture culture on bouillon (Preparation 6b) succeeded. Since

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then whole series of culture experiments have been performed, and up to now these show
that, while the individual materials produce no cultures, their mixture predominantly
produces them. This is not a model of life, rather it is life itself.
It seemed logical to perform culture experiments using swollen soil and charcoal.
These established that, when swollen by boiling, soil and charcoal, too, and yes, even
moss and different tissues produced cultures on bouillon—only not with the same
frequency as the bion mixture—and on agar-culture medium they produced creamy, in
each case varicolored growth. After charcoal and soil are dry sterilized at 180º C for an
hour to ensure there are definitely no more living microorganisms present, that same
charcoal and soil, after cooking in a solution that stimulates swelling, produce cultures.
Growths from unsterilized charcoal and unsterilized soil are completely different from
growths after sterilization. Apparently, sterilization kills any life present in the charcoal
and soil particles; however, while the one is killed off during this procedure, new and
different forms of Life are created. You can see on hand from the cultures that growths
from unsterilized charcoal and soil differ in color, form, and consistency from those of
the same charcoal and soil that was highly-sterilized. This fact might surprise the
supporters of mechanism or vitalism; however, following the completed experiments up
to now, it is clearly evident that two different life forms are produced in relationship to
cooking: one that is destroyed through boiling, and another that forms due to boiling.
Correctly expressed: We must differentiate between life that was already present through
swelling or reproduction and destroyed by heat and the same or different life forms
produced above an otherwise fatal temperature limit. After it has successfully organized,
the same life that was created through heat can later be destroyed by this same heat. This
is also materialistic dialectic.
I will now cite the following experiment as rigorous proof of the opinion that there
are two distinct forms of life, and that the germs or spores themselves are produced from
non-organized matter through swelling and charge. I undertook it in order to fully
eradicate any objections that the observed moving structures were from any previously
existing microorganisms:
One heats charcoal to incandescence for about one minute over a Bunsen burner. If
one immediately places the thus-heated charcoal dust in a solution consisting of equal
parts meat bouillon and 0.1 Normal potassium chloride, then immediately after mixing in
the incandescent charcoal, one can observe an intense colloidal turbidity in the solution
that can never be obtained through boiling or swelling alone. Non-incandescent charcoal
mixed with potassium chloride yields no moving charcoal particles when viewed
microscopically. In contrast, one observes intense movement in the incandescent
charcoal immediately after making the preparation. One is completely surprised when
one examines the preparation after 24, 48, 72 hours etc. The turbid solution becomes
cloudier and cloudier. One can observe vigorously moving, differently shaped, and
various sized round vesicles, long rods, and contractile amoeboid structures under the
microscope, especially well at a magnification of 3000x in immersion. The entire
character of the structures, the manner in which they move, and the observed detachment
leave no doubt that one is dealing with a genuine life form. [Reich’s films of these
observations can be viewed at the Wilhelm Reich Museum in Rangeley, ME, Eds.] With

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 Dialectical Materialism in Biological Research: A Report on the Bion Experiments

the exception of two positive results, a dependable cultivation of these structures has yet
to be obtained, most likely due to lack of enough compounding nutritive substances.1
The incandescent charcoal experiment appears only absurd or improbable when one
proceeds from a preconceived notion that the later discovered life forms had to have been
present from the beginning in the form of spores. The experiment assumes a fully logical
place in our overall work and viewpoint when we assume that by heating the charcoal
dust to incandescence the charcoal particles were shattered, by the intense heat of 1000 –
1500º C, disintegrating into the finest of small particles, which greedily sucked up the
swelling and nutritional liquids when mixed with them. One can directly observe the
absorption of liquids in the smallest particles microscopically by at first putting dry
incandescent charcoal on a specimen slide and adding the solution during observation.
Further proof for the validity of the experiment is that the charcoal structures one obtains
show a very strong positive electrical charge, which occurs only individually, sparsely
expressed, or not at all with non-incandescent charcoal particles.
This does not even remotely impact upon Pasteur’s sterilization theory. It endures,
and rightly so, but the supporters of the spontaneous generation hypothesis are also
validated on the basis of the experiments. It was not possible to prove the validity of the
spontaneous generation principle during the last century due to the poor quality of
technology, for the phenomena verifying it needed a binocular magnification of 3000x,
best of all in a dark field, to make correct observations and reveal the processes.
From now on, I ask you to refrain from spreading the tale that I have created “life
artificially.” This would never be true. “Creation of life artificially” requires that life is
something other-worldly, mystical, fully isolated from non-living matter. To express it
correctly, one must say that it was now possible to reconstruct the life formation
processes through experimental means. We create no life, rather we reveal the processes
of its formation through our experiments.
So much for my report on experiments. I am going to neglect many very interesting
observations that we have made here in the laboratory, and would like to close this part
with a hypothesis that begs to be stated: Up to now, one believed hypothetically that life
in the form of “spores” arrived on Earth from outer space; primitive beliefs speak of
“flakes of protein.” I believe that life developed on-the-spot. We know that our planet
was incandescent; therefore, matter must have been completely dispersed. As it cooled,
solid rock masses formed deep inside Earth’s crust. However, there, where water found
its way to matter and where sources of electrical charge could assert their influence, the
vesicular decomposition of matter and tension-release processes began. I do not wish to
place too much significance on taking these opinions all that seriously. It can be that they
are correct, but certainty can only be obtained through the most exact examinations that
take the tension-charge-process into account from a geological point of view.
Pasteur’s germ theory does not exist in opposition to the theory of spontaneous
generation any more than before because a piece of inorganic material is likewise a germ
of life as soon as it fulfills the swelling requirement, since it is “inorganic” if it does not

1
I note in August, 1937 that in the meantime, the cultivation of incandescent soot succeeded.

25
 WILHELM REICH

swell and charge. A dust particle in the air does not “in principle” have a seed that begins
to develop; rather it is during the fulfillment of specific conditions itself the seed of cocci
or rods. The development of life from non-organized matter is naturally by no means
contrary to the development of new life through fission, the “procreation.”
Let’s now consider the general question affiliated with our experiments. Every
project in the area of the natural sciences is sooner or later of social consequence. Talk of
revolutionary, always forward marching science is very common. One is less clear
concerning the meaning of the term “revolutionary.” It means to be ground-breaking,
and ground-breaking is only a concept that “gets to the root of things”, meaning it is
“radical” in a positive and authentic sense. Biological research and its theories when
compared to the radical, social movement have been strongly discredited. This is due to
the fact that “sociological” theories are compared to “biological” concepts. Marxist
sociology explains that mankind’s nature and reasoning come from social, existential
conditions. The fascist theory of mankind, that now rules all of Germany, denies any
social subordination of human behavior and reasoning at all. This is based on race
theory, merely an extreme, absurd form of a vulgar, biological theory and its dominant
tendency. When one says that something has a “biological cause,” then one
automatically thinks of its “non-changeability.” According to this way of thinking, there
are “higher” races and “lesser” races; “members of a master race” and “subhuman
beings”; people “born to rule,” and people “born to be ruled.” The ideology of fascism
presents itself as biologically based. Racial theorists are specifically scientists of
heredity. The science of heredity, though, despite the great respect that it is unjustifiably
given in the thinking of mankind, similar to a tenpin that stands on its apex, has overbuilt
a few extremely isolated heredity discoveries with a tangled mass of hypotheses and
theories that have since been integrated – unfortunately so we must add – into peoples’
everyday beliefs, even in the thinking of scientists who call themselves socialists. One
must imagine that the characteristics of higher organisms as well as those of lesser ones
are congenital, inherent in germ plasma in the form of material thought of as “genes.”
The characteristics are, thus, eternal and never changing. This biology is very
conservative in its essential feature, even if its representatives should independently
produce the most prolific individual results. It divides the unity of life’s flow artificially
into compartments where the individual branches of unified life are ordered nice and
neatly, encapsulated, and labeled. In general, one seeks not for processes, functions,
changes, but rather for materials and chemical reactions, which, in principle, would not
be wrong if they were encompassed in the development of general functional
connections. Due to their good instincts, both the radical social movement and
progressive natural science struggle against this conservative character of biology, which
is at once both mechanical and metaphysical.
For when everything is biologically “determined,” then there is nothing new, nothing
uncertain, and there is also no conflict with any existing authorities. Behind this way of
thinking stands fear of the new, fear of the uncertain, and fear of attack on the
components of a biological natural science locked away from societal life by the
primitive, uncivilized-thinking, so-called “inferior” social classes. That is a type of
biological thinking that is simultaneously non-dialectic, mechanistic, and metaphysical.

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 Dialectical Materialism in Biological Research: A Report on the Bion Experiments

In contrast to this stands the dialectical-materialist thinking of all natural scientists,

who often without knowing it search for, comprehend, and formulate the functions of
life’s flowing, moving, changing processes through their live experiments and life
experiences. It is worth contemplating that the greatest successes in microorganism
research were brought in from outside the field of biology. I refer to Leeuwenhoek,
Spallanzani, Robert Koch, Louis Pasteur, and many others. Life’s process with all of its
forms and areas cannot be forced into a framework, other than holding onto a cross-
section for one fleeting moment. Everything begins and ends again. Unities split up;
what was but a short time ago one unit and then divided now stands in opposition to
another. There are new creations in nature. Based on the knowledge of the tension-
charge-sequence, we can say today: Life cannot have come from somewhere at some
time. It also could not have developed hundreds of thousands of years ago one time on a
single location on Earth and then spread out. Each dehydration and new swelling
experiment with protozoa as well as daily observations of natural occurrences show: life
sprouts anew each spring under the influence of moisture and electricity. If it is correct
that the development of primitive life begins in unorganized matter, out of the simplest
material of all material and energy conditions available everywhere, then the power of
life to form anew cannot be suppressed. The biological principle, that of a never-ending
splitting of life’s processes, which captures what Bergson attempted to describe in a most
impressive manner in his book Creative Evolution, cannot be conservative. Enormous
possibilities open up to gain an overview of present events and of those reaching into the
future by applying the laws of earlier life development. Such a basic biological principle,
actually dialectical-materialistic, does not contradict the sociological principle of the
development of civilization and culture. Just the opposite: from the standpoint of the
dialectical-materialist concept of nature the interplay of all things biological and societal
in mankind and his institutions have brought man’s ways of thinking about nature’s
processes to their most mature level yet. It is clear that a way of thinking that has to do
with flowing processes, which sees and researches the creation and dissolution of living
things, which encompasses the fragmentation of life and the formation of its
contradictions, disagrees with any conservative approach.
With these arguments, I am unintentionally entering into a field that apparently lies
far away from exacting, experimental laboratory research. We are faced with the
question whether there is or can ever be apolitical functioning biological research
independent of life’s social processes. If life, in spite of its endless fragmentation,
essentially is one unit; if a unified biological law rules all life, then science itself must
necessarily be only one piece of the overall life process. Science, after all, developed
from nothing other than the necessities of life that had to be satisfied. It loses all meaning
as soon as it loses contact with mankind’s general life processes. It can only exist as
natural science when it draws from life and researches and works for life. There is no
such thing as a science that is apolitical, operating outside the realm of social processes.
No one would dare to claim that the science of heredity, specifically eugenics, is not fully
and completely permeated with political opinions. It doesn’t matter at all whether
science is political or not, rather what matters is only which kind of social attitude lies in
the scientific research. One approach tries very hard to discover as little of the truth as

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possible and to bend any truths discovered as quickly as possible. The other tries to find
the truth regardless of the consequences. However, truth in the knowledge of nature and
society is the political power in a positive sense. Either God created the world and all life
forms, or the world and all its life forms developed according to the laws of nature.
We are neither godly nor from God and, hence, do not believe in divine creation and
purpose. However, we are beginning to understand how people today feel when they
speak of God and His will under the burden of great hardship and poverty. We already
understand that the concept of God, where it is a genuine feeling and not a desire to
profit, correctly grasps the unity of man and nature instinctively, albeit through highly
irrational means. Here one sees the dual character of religion. It is the enemy of all
natural sciences, yet at the same time it nurtures the love of nature in mankind in
mysterious ways, and through this achieves a feeling of unity in natural events. However,
it cannot practically achieve this and must in its powerlessness against exuberant life
relegate everything to the chance of an afterlife. We mean, though: life is from this
world. Otherwise trees and flowers would not blossom in the spring together with
mankind’s intoxication with life and love.
As dialectical materialists, our viewpoint is that philosophizing about the meaning of
life serves the function of masking life’s true meaning. Work is its basis. That which we
call love in all of its forms is its substance. The so-called meaning of life can be nothing
more than the fulfillment of life’s processes itself, the fulfillment of mankind’s desires for
meaningful work and the need for love. But how should a natural science perspective
help life along when it behaves apolitically, places itself outside of social proceedings,
and abstains from examining the most central field of activity of all life forms, namely
sexuality? It is a triumph for sexual science that the formula for sexual function proved
to be identical to the formula for vegetative life altogether. It would now be extremely
inappropriate to “look down upon” mechanism and vitalism with disdain. The
mechanical techniques of experimentation as well as the vitalist theory-building
regarding life’s processes have brought such a wealth of discrete facts and insights that
one cannot think of dialectical-materialistic life research without including these
contrasts. However, the differences in the basic principles of biological reasoning about
nature that I tried to describe earlier remain. One can incorporate the “struggle for
survival” as a basic principle in biology and from this explain the “natural necessity” of
the massacre of a city’s entire population like in Guernica by pilots doing it for sport. As
opposed to this, one can make the creative process of life the basic principle of one’s own
outlook by doing everything to create life, help the living progress forward, and preserve
life. However, attitude alone means nothing when faced with machine guns and people
who have taken complete leave of their senses, who consider themselves superior beings.
Life must be organized; its safety must be fought for. Conservatism has an interest in the
mechanical perpetuity of everything now existing; however, those who work and produce
assets, disperse knowledge, and drive life’s processes forwards are interested in the
opposing sort of approach.

For or against life! This is the point of separation for friend and foe of scientific
philosophy and its mission.

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 Materialismo Dialéctico en la
Investigación de la Vida:
Presentación de los Experimentos del Bion1
(llevada a cabo el 1° de mayo de 1937 en ocasión de la inauguración del laboratorio en
Oslo)

Queridos amigos y colegas,

No es casualidad que hayamos programado la inauguración del Laboratorio de
nuestro Instituto para el Primero de Mayo2. El Primero de Mayo es el Día Internacional
del Trabajo y los Trabajadores, lo cual no quiere decir que la expresión «Primero de
Mayo» esté libre de ser mal utilizada por facciones reaccionarias. Todas las áreas del
trabajo están conectadas en el proceso de producción, ya se trate de trabajo en la fábrica,
investigación científica o agricultura y no es correcto disociar el trabajo científico del
trabajo en general, como a menudo se pretende desde la academia. Otro motivo
importante para celebrar esta inauguración el día de hoy, es el hecho de que nuestro
trabajo experimental se funda en la metodología de investigación del materialismo
dialéctico. El 1 de mayo como Día de los Trabajadores y el materialismo dialéctico,
como método para el conocimiento científico, van de la mano. Uno de sus principios es la
llamada «unidad de la teoría y la práctica». Me daré aquí a la tarea de explicar a ustedes,
en su mayoría sin formación especializada en biología, aspectos teóricos sobre diferentes
métodos de investigación científica para que queden claras las ventajas de la metodología
dialéctico-materialista respecto a otras metodologías. De fracasar en este afán, mostraría
que aplico pobremente el materialismo dialéctico. Comencemos ¿qué es el materialismo
dialéctico? A menudo, los conceptos están sujetos al sinsentido. Recuerdo que antes que
Hitler tomara el poder en Alemania, se intentaba aplicar el materialismo dialéctico
discutiendo la «unidad dialéctica entre azar y necesidad». Pero en realidad no se había
captado su sentido. El materialismo dialéctico es una manera muy simple, casi me
gustaría decir la manera simplemente humana de ver las cosas y los eventos. Pero simple
no quiere decir superficial. Quiere decir que el hombre es parte de la naturaleza, objeto de
procesos y sujeto de la actividad social. Forma una unidad con todo aquello que observa,
trabaja o crea. Fue de Hegel la genial idea de arrancar a la filosofía de su tiempo de su
rigidez estática, al delinear la ley del cambio, el flujo en todo lo que existe. No obstante,
para Hegel, el mundo, la cosa, el proceso, no eran más que el reflejo de las ideas
humanas. Marx consiguió, en sus propias palabras «poner a la dialéctica sobre sus pies».
En concordancia con Marx, los conceptos humanos son reflejos de procesos y eventos
científicamente entendibles. Así, un concepto es correcto cuando refleja inmediatamente
1
Traducción al español de la traducción al inglés del «Der dialektische Materialismus in der
Lebenforschung-Bericht über die Bion-Versuche», Zeitschrift für Politische Psychologie und
Sexualökonomie, Band 4, Heft 3 (14) 1937, pp. 137 – 148.
2
Laboratorio biológico del Institut für Sexualökonomische Lebensforschung, Oslo, Noruega.

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 WILHELM REICH

el proceso objetivo. Usando las dificultades asociadas a nuestro trabajo en biología,

intentaré a continuación describir la inusual e innovadora aplicación del materialismo
dialéctico, particularmente en las ciencias de la vida.
En la ciencia biológica, uno encuentra contradicciones muy inusuales y
aparentemente irresolvibles. Por ejemplo, se enarbola el principio: «La materia viviente
proviene sólo de materia viviente». La naturaleza orgánica y la inorgánica se entienden
como dos áreas independientes y estrictamente separadas. Sin embargo, en contraste con
esto, la investigación biológica por todas partes se topa con la cuestión «la vida en la
materia no viviente», con el viejo problema de la creación de la vida a partir de la materia
no viva. Y así, la materia inerte deviene místicamente viva. También se ha intentado
producir proteína viviente combinando y complejizando moléculas proteicas. Recuerdo el
primer experimento exitoso de Wohler para producir urea sintéticamente. Sin embargo,
entre materia inorgánica individual y un cúmulo de plasma pulsante, yacen más que
diferencias cuantitativas. Hay una diferencia en funcionalidad. La contradicción estaría
en que, de un lado, uno separa estrictamente lo vivo de lo no vivo, y de otro, trata de
construirlo mecánicamente a partir de la materia inerte mediante «síntesis». Otra
contradicción es entre el mecanicismo y el vitalismo. Los mecanicistas sostienen,
correctamente, que todas las cosas vivas están gobernadas por los mismos procesos
físicos, químicos y eléctricos que las no vivas, que son «la misma cosa». Por su parte, el
vitalista, que es también un metafísico, sostiene, correctamente, que la vida en todas sus
formas es completamente diferente a lo no vivo y cualquier semejanza está fuera de toda
consideración. Es posible reconstruir un erizo de mar a partir de sus partes; sin embargo,
no es posible crear una máquina completa a partir de uno de sus tornillos (Driesch), y eso
es sin duda, correcto. He aquí la contradicción entre mecanicismo y vitalismo. Con
frecuencia, la perspectiva del mecanicismo se mezcla con la perspectiva de la religión. El
impulso por captar lo «irracional» está siempre presente y se expresa en la teoría
metafísica sobre la vida. A continuación, intentaré mostrar la forma en que el
materialismo dialéctico contribuye a superar la antinomia mecanicismo-vitalismo. Hace
apróximadamente un año logré crear una solución a partir de materia no viva en la que,
después de ser sometida a una intensa esterilización (i.e. autoclave a 120º C), se
desarrollaron formas de vida. Llamé a estas estructuras biones y hace algunos años logré
cultivarlas por primera vez. Su reproducción, metabolismo y tinción biológica ya han
sido determinados. Ahora explicaré como es que yo, cuyo campo de trabajo
originalmente era la psicología, entré automáticamente en el campo de la investigación
biológica. En el transcurso del desarrollo de las ciencias naturales, la vida se dividió en
distintos campos, campos que se tratan como materias desconectadas. Así, esta
fragmentación artificial, ha ido en detrimento de la posibilidad de observar la vida como
unidad. Fragmentar la vida en ramas, es equivalente a separar las ciencias en disciplinas
mecánicas especializadas.
La unidad del aparato vivo, se me reveló durante mi trabajo de la siguiente manera:
Freud había postulado una dualidad en las funciones psicológicas que colocaban el
«impulso sexual» en oposición al «impulso de muerte». Él concebía estos impulsos como
dos pilares que se hunden profundamente en un fundamento sin estar conectados el uno
con el otro «por debajo», sí conectados entre sí, de manera compleja, pero «por arriba» en

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 Materialismo Dialéctico en la Investigación de la Vida

un aparato psíquico altamente desarrollado. Si bien me fue posible verificar el «impulso

sexual» como lo describió Freud, con algunas correcciones, no pude verificar el instinto
de muerte. Una «voluntad de morir», un «anhelo por la muerte», desde el punto de vista
biológico, contradecía toda experiencia clínica. Poco a poco me dí cuenta de que lo que
Freud intentaba elucidar y había teorizado como instinto de muerte, era el mismo
fenómeno captado en la teoría del orgasmo: el deseo del orgasmo por liberar la tensión,
por «la disolución», «la entrega», «por fundirse con el mundo». Mientras Freud relacionó
las ganas de vivir con la tensión y la relajación con el impulso de muerte, es decir, separó
las dos funciones por su mecánica, a mí me parecía que el proceso de tensión y distensión
formaban una unidad con oposición simultánea. La función del impulso consiste
esencialmente en la alternancia entre tensión y relajación. Mientras más intensa la
primera, mayor el deseo por la segunda, de manera análoga a como aumenta la tensión en
un resorte conforme éste se estira. Nos encontramos aquí frente a un estado de cosas
típicamente dialéctico. La crítica dialéctico-materialista de la teoría freudiana de los
impulsos, condujo, inesperada pero directamente al campo de la biología. Muy pronto
observé que no es posible tener una neurosis sin una perturbación en la función sexual de
descarga, la función orgástica que comienza en la pubertad. El hecho de que la relajación
de la energía sexual sea menor que la tensión existente, genera un excedente de energía
sexual (que más tarde denominé vegetativa) que se expresa en los mecanismos y
síntomas neuróticos descritos por Freud. Así, la alteración de la función de relajación
orgásmica fue reconocida como el mecanismo central dinámico del proceso neurótico. En
consecuencia, la curación de la enfermedad dependería de eliminar la fuente de energía
de la neurosis, esto es: eliminar la disfunción orgástica y dar paso a la satisfacción genital
plena. El origen de la energía de la neurosis, dejaba entonces de ser un asunto meramente
psicológico, pues el orgasmo es una función biológica básica que presupone la extinción
de la función psíquica superior durante la experiencia del placer. En el acmé de la
excitación sexual, el organismo humano o animal, no es más que un cúmulo pulsante de
plasma. La continuación lógica de estas observaciones clínicas era investigar
experimentalmente el mecanismo del orgasmo. Hace unos cuatro años, se encontró una
fórmula de acuerdo a la cual funciona el mecanismo del orgasmo. Primero, durante la
estimulación sexual de los genitales, tiene lugar un llenado mecánico. Experimentos
electrofisiológicos han mostrado que la excitación sexual depende de la carga eléctrica en
la superficie de las zonas erógenas. Con la tensión mecánica del tejido producida por la
irrigación de sangre tiene lugar una carga eléctrica de la superficie. Con esto, se reúnen
las condiciones para que haya una descarga eléctrica. Los espasmos musculares que
tienen lugar durante el orgasmo, no son más que la descarga del alto potencial eléctrico
acumulado a través de la fricción sexual. La cuarta etapa es la descarga mecánica: Los
organos sexuales expulsan su exceso de sangre. La fórmula: tensión mecánicaàcarga
eléctricaàdescarga eléctricaàdistensión mecánica, que fue descubierta clínica y
experimentalmente, resultó ser una fórmula típicamente dialéctico-materialista sin haber
buscado serlo. Toda interpretación correcta de hechos objetivos debe necesariamente ser
dialéctico-materialista. Muy pronto me di cuenta de dos cosas: Primero, que esta fórmula
no aplica a procesos inorgánicos. No hay procesos en la naturaleza no viva en los cuales
una carga mecánica se torne repentinamente en carga eléctrica. En la naturaleza no viva,

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 WILHELM REICH

encontramos solamente el mecanismo tensión mecánica-relajación mecánica ó carga

eléctrica-descarga eléctrica. Segundo, todos los órganos inervados por el sistema nervioso
parasimpático, como el corazón, el cólon, la vejiga, etcétera, funcionan de acuerdo al
principio tensión-carga. Si uno combina estas dos verdades en una, lo que se obtiene es la
solución al debate mecanicismo-vitalismo. La vida contiene los mismos mecanismos que
la materia no viva: mecánica, electricidad, química. Así la vida es igual a la materia no
viva pero a la vez, en los organismos vivos la función de la materia orgánica se combina
de una forma específica, característica de la materia viva. La vida es de manera
simultánea completamente distinta a la materia no viva. La fórmula del orgasmo es por
tanto idéntica a la fórmula de la vida. La continuación lógica de los experimentos
electrofisiológicos que confirmaron la secuencia tensión-carga, consistía en experimentar
remojando distintos materiales como por ejemplo tierra y carbón. Aceleré el proceso de
remojo e hinchazón, hirviendo las sustancias en la solución de remojo por largos
periodos. De estos experimentos, obtuve los siguientes- e inesperados- resultados:
1) Todos los tipos de material que usé (carbón, tierra, musgo, lecitina, colesterol,
leche, tejido muscular, etcétera), se desintegraron en vesículas y perdieron
completamente su estructura original al ser remojados, ya fuese lentamente o al ser
hervidos. Las vesículas se pueden detectar usando un microscopio de campo obscuro;
2) El material que durante los experimentos de flujo eléctrico presentó una carga
neutra, después de su desintegración vesicular, presentó una carga eléctrica. La carga fue
positiva en tierra y carbón, y negativa en la lecitina, el musgo, el colesterol, el tejido
muscular, etcétera.
El descubrimiento de la desintegración vesicular de la materia remojada y la ausencia
aparente de carga eléctrica previa, muestra la correción de la fórmula vegetativa. Las
vesículas son estructuras turgentes, estiradas mecánicamente, llenas de líquido. La carga
eléctrica, que no fue añadida por medios externos, sólo puede explicarse a partir de la
disolución de la cohesión de partes individuales de materia que, al quedar libres, la
energía que las unía, queda «disponible». Experimentos paralelos utilizando diferentes
tipos de bacterias como estafilococos, estreptococos, células cancerosas, etcétera, dieron
los mismos reultados positivos: naturaleza vesicular y carga eléctrica. Era lógico que a
continuación llevara a cabo experimentos usando los distintos tipos de sustancias
presentes en la materia viviente, las mezclara e hirviera. El experimento funcionó tras
varios fallos. Al mezclar las sustancias individuales intensamente esterilizadas o
autoclavadas, todas las estructuras aparecieron a la vez: cocos, bacilos, estructuras
ameboides…, todas desplegando las características de la vida: movimiento, contracción,
expansión y reacción de tinción biológica. Estas estructuras sobreviven incluso a la
esterilización a los 180º C. Al menos inmediatamente después de que la mezcla es creada,
son tan numerosas y móviles como antes. La respuesta a la pregunta sobre si se trata de
materia viviente o una auténtica forma de vida, sólo puede ser determinada mediante
cultivos de prueba. Tras una serie de extensos y exhaustivos experimentos, en diciembre
de 1936 obtuve el primer cultivo de mezcla de biones (preparación 6b). Esta serie de
experimentos mostró que los materiales individuales no producen cultivos, si no que es la
mezcla de éstos lo que los produce. Esto no es un modelo de la vida, es la vida misma.
Parecía lógico llevar a cabo experimentos de cultivos usando tierra y carbón remojados.

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 Materialismo Dialéctico en la Investigación de la Vida

Estos, permitieron establecer que, al hincharse por medio de ebullición, la tierra, el

carbón e incluso el musgo y otros diferentes tejidos, producían cultivos en caldo, aunque
no con la misma frecuencia que la mezcla de biones, y en medio de cultivo agar,
producían un crecimiento cremoso, de un color que variaba en cada caso. Si después de
esterilizar el carbón y la tierra a 180º C por al menos una hora para asegurar que no
queden microorganismos presentes, estos mismos materiales son hervidos en una
solución que promueve su hinchazón, producen cultivos. Los crecimientos a partir de
tierra y carbón que no son esterilizados, producen formaciones totalmente distintas a las
producidas por los materiales esterilizados. Parecería ser que la esterilización mata toda
la vida existente en el carbón o en la tierra. Pero mientras una forma de vida muere, una
nueva y diferente está surgiendo. Se puede observar que los cultivos no estériles de
carbón y de tierra, difieren en color, forma y consistencia de los esterilizados. Este hecho
puede sorprender a los mecanicistas o a los vitalistas. Sin embargo, siguiendo los
experimentos completados hasta ahora, es evidente que la cocción produce dos formas de
vida distintas: una que es destruida por la cocción y otra que es promovida por la
cocción. Expresado correctamente: debemos diferenciar entre la vida que estaba presente
por hinchazón o reproducción y es destruida por el calor y las formas de vida producidas
a temperaturas por encima de límites que son por lo general letales. Después de
organizarse, esta misma vida producida por el calor, puede ser destruida por el calor.
También esto es materialista y dialéctico. Como prueba rigurosa de la opinión de que hay
dos formas de vida distintas y que los gérmenes o las esporas mismos, se producen a
partir de materia no organizada, por «hinchazón» y carga, me referiré ahora a un
experimento. Lo llevé a cabo para refutar la objeción de que las estructuras móviles
observadas provienen de microorganismos previamente existentes. Se calienta carbón
hasta la incandescencia por alrededor de un minuto en un mechero de Bunsen. Si
inmediatamente después se vierte el polvo de carbón incandescente en una solución
constituida a partes iguales de caldo de carne y 0.1 N de cloruro de potasio, se puede
observar inmediatamente después de mezclar, una intensa turbidez coloidal en la solución
que no se obtiene nunca sólo mediante el remojo o la ebullición. El carbón no
incandescente mezclado con cloruro de potasio, no da como resultado partículas de
carbón móviles observables bajo el microscopio. En contraste uno observa un
movimiento intenso en la solución con carbón incandescente justo después de hacer la
preparación. Los resultados después de 24, 48, 72 hrs, etcétera, son completamente
sorprendentes. La solución se enturbia cada vez más y bajo el microscopio, a una
magnificación de 3000x en inmersión, se pueden observar vesículas de diferentes formas
y tamaños, bacilos, formas ameboides, todos moviéndose vigorosamente. El carácter de
las estructuras, su movimiento y las divisiones observadas, no dejan lugar a dudas de que
se trata de genuinas formas de vida. Con la excepción de dos resultados positivos, el
cultivo garantizado de estas estructuras no se ha conseguido, probablemente por la falta
de sustancias nutritivas.1 El experimento con carbón incandescente sólo parece absurdo o
improbable si se procede desde la noción preconcebida de que las formas de vida
descubiertas estaban presentes desde el principio en forma de esporas. El experimento

1
En agosto de 1937, se obtuvo el primer cultivo de carbón incandescente.

33
 WILHELM REICH

adquiere un lugar lógico en la totalidad de nuestro trabajo y perspectiva, cuando

asumimos que el polvo de carbón, al calentarse a 1000-1500º C, se desintegra en finas
partículas que absorben los líquidos al mezclarse con ellos. Esta absorción puede
observarse bajo el microscopio poniendo carbón seco incandescente en un portaobjetos y
añadiendo la solución durante la observación. Mayor prueba de la validez del
experimento es que las estructuras de carbón obtenidas muestran una fuerte carga
positiva, lo cual, con partículas de carbón no calentadas, ocurre muy raramente. Esto no
tiene nigún impacto en la teoría sobre la esterilización de Pasteur. Ésta persiste,
correctamente, sólo que ahora, la hipotesis de la generación espontánea es también
correcta sobre una base experimental. Durante el siglo pasado, no fue posible probar la
validez de la generación espontánea por limitaciones tecnológicas, pues los fenómenos a
verificar necesitan una magnificación de 3000x, preferiblemente en campo oscuro, para
poder hacer observaciones correctas y revelar procesos.
De ahora en adelante les pido se abstengan de divulgar el cuento de que he creado
«vida artificialmente». Esto no será nunca verdad. La «creación artificial de la vida»
requeriría que la vida fuera algo de otro mundo, místico, completamente aislado de la
materia no viva. Para expresarlo correctamente, uno podría decir que es ahora posible
reconstruir el proceso de formación de la vida por medios experimentales. No creamos
vida, más bien revelamos los procesos de su formación a través de nuestros
experimentos. Hasta aquí mi reporte sobre dichos experimentos. Omitiré muchas y muy
interesantes observaciones hechas en el laboratorio y me gustaría cerrar esta parte con
una hipótesis que pide a gritos ser enunciada: hasta ahora se creía en la hipotética llegada
de la vida a la tierra en esporas provenientes del espacio exterior; creencias primitivas
hablan de copos de proteína. Yo creo que la vida en la tierra se originó localmente.
Sabemos que nuestro planeta era incandescente. Por lo tanto, la materia debe haber
estado completamente dispersa. Conforme se enfrió, masas de roca sólida se formaron en
la profundidad de la corteza terrestre. Ahí donde el agua encontró acceso a la materia y
donde las fuentes de cargas eléctricas podían ejercer su influencia, el proceso de
desintegración vesicular y el proceso de tensión-carga, continuó. No quiero dar por hecho
que esto ocurrió así. Puede ser que esta hipótesis sea correcta, pero sólo podemos obtener
certeza a través de un riguroso examen que tome en cuenta el proceso tensión-carga
desde un punto de vista geológico. La teoría de los gérmenes de Pasteur, no está en
contradicción con la teoría de la generación espontánea, pues una partícula de material
inorgánico es también germen de vida siempre que cumpla el requisito de poder
«hincharse», ya que es «inorgánico» si no se hincha y carga. Una partícula de polvo en el
aire no tiene, «en principio», una semilla que comienza a desarrollarse. Deviene esa
semilla de coco o bacilo bajo condiciones específicas. El origen de la vida a partir de
materia no organizada de ninguna manera contradice la generación de la vida a través de
la división, la «reproducción». Pasemos ahora a la pregunta general asociada a nuestros
experimentos. Todo proyecto en el área de las ciencias naturales, tiene tarde o temprano
una implicación social. En el discurso revolucionario la ciencia que se mueve hacia
adelante es un lugar común. Pero el contenido del concepto «revolucionario» es menos
claro. Ser revolucionario, quiere decir ser subversivo y subversivo sólo puede ser un
conocimiento que capta la raíz de las cosas, es decir, que es radical en el sentido

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etimológico del término, y por lo tanto, en el sentido genuino del término. Las teorías
biológicas, al ser comparadas a los movimientos sociales radicales, han sido fuertemente
desacreditadas. Esto se debe al hecho de que las teorías «sociológicas» fueron
contrastadas con conceptos «biológicos». Para la sociología marxista, por ejemplo, el ser
y el pensamiento de las personas, es producido por sus condiciones sociales de existencia.
La concepción fascista del hombre que hoy domina toda Alemania niega completamente
la subordinación del comportmiento y del pensamiento humano a la sociedad. Esto se
sostiene en la teoría de la raza, que no es más que el extremo absurdo de una tendencia
que ha dominado el pensamiento biológico vulgar. Cuando se dice que algo tiene una
causa biológica, inmediatamente se piensa en su «inmutabilidad». De acuerdo con esa
manera de pensar hay razas «superiores» e «inferiores», «hombres superiores» y
«hombres inferiores»; hombres «nacidos para mandar» y otros «nacidos para obedecer».
Así, la ideología del fascismo pretende presentarse como biológicamente fundada. Los
teóricos de la raza son específicamente científicos de la herencia. La ciencia de la
herencia, a pesar del gran respeto que injustificadamente recibe en el pensamiento
humano, ha fabricado apenas unos cuantos hechos aislados con una masa de hipótesis y
teorías que han sido – desafortunadamente, debemos añadir - integradas en el sentido
común, incluso por los científicos sedicentemente socialistas. Uno debe imaginar que las
características de los organismos superiores y los inferiores, son congénitas, inherentes al
plasma germinal en forma de pensamiento material, como genes. Estas características
son, por tanto, eternas e inmutables. Esta biología es muy conservadora en su rasgo
esencial, incluso si sus exponentes de manera individual son altamente productivos.
Divide artificialmente la unidad del flujo de la vida en compartimentos donde las ramas
individuales de la unidad de la vida, son ordenadas limpiamente, encapsuladas y
etiquetadas. En general, no se buscan los procesos, las funciones, los cambios si no los
materiales y las reacciones químicas, lo cual, en principio, no sería erróneo si se incluyera
en el desarrollo general de las conexiones funcionales. Por sus buenos instintos, tanto el
movimiento social radical como la ciencia natural progresista, luchan contra este carácter
conservador de la biología que es a la vez mecanicista y metafísico. Pues cuando todo
está biológicamente «determinado», no hay nada nuevo, nada incierto y no hay conflicto
con las autoridades existentes. Detrás de esta forma de pensar yace un miedo a lo nuevo,
a lo incierto, un miedo a la confrontación por parte las llamadas clases sociales
«inferiores» a los componentes de una ciencia natural biológica alejada de la vida social.
Este tipo de pensamiento biológico, es simultáneamente no dialéctico, mecanicista y
metafísico. En contraste a esto, tenemos el pensamiento dialéctico-materialista de los
científicos naturales que, a menudo sin saberlo, buscan comprender y formular las
funciones de los procesos de la vida, cambiantes, en flujo, en movimiento, a través de sus
experimentos vivos y sus experiencias de vida. Vale la pena notar que los mayores logros
en la investigación sobre microorganismos, fueron realizados fuera del campo de la
biología. Me refiero a Leeuwenhoek, Spallanzani, Robert Koch, Louis Pasteur y muchos
otros. Los procesos vitales, en toda su diversidad, no pueden constreñirse a un marco más
allá del pasajero marco de una sección transversal. Todo empieza y acaba de nuevo. Las
unidades se rompen. Lo que estaba unido hace algún tiempo, se dividió y forma ahora
una oposición. Hay nuevas creaciones en la naturaleza. Basándonos en el conocimiento

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 WILHELM REICH

de la secuencia tensión-carga, podemos decir: la vida no pudo provenir de alguna parte en

algún momento. Tampoco pudo haberse originado hace cientos de miles de años en un
tiempo, en un solo lugar en la tierra y haberse esparcido desde allí. Cada nuevo
experimento de deshidratación y rehidratación con protozooarios, así como observaciones
cotidianas muestran: la vida germina otra vez cada primavera bajo la influencia de la
humedad y la electricidad. Si es correcto que el desarrollo de la vida primitiva comienza
con materia no organizada a partir de la materia más simple de toda la materia y de
condiciones energéticas disponibles por doquier, entonces el poder de la vida para
regenerarse, no puede ser suprimido. El principio biológico de un proceso de
multiplicación sin fin de la vida, que capta lo que Bergson intentó describir en La
evolución creadora, no puede ser conservador. Se nos abren posibilidades sin
precedentes para comprender los eventos presentes y futuros, aplicando las leyes del
desarrollo temprano de la vida. Este principio biológico básico, que es en realidad
dialéctico-materialista, no contradice la concepción sociológica del desarrollo de la
civilización y la cultura. Al contrario, desde el punto de vista de la concepción dialéctico-
materialista de la naturaleza, la interacción entre lo biológico y lo social, ha alcanzado su
etapa más madura en el ser humano y su organización, en su pensamiento sobre el
proceso natural mismo. Está claro que un pensamiento que tiene que ver con procesos en
flujo, que observa e investiga la generación y la disolución de la vida, la formación de sus
contradicciones, está en desacuerdo con cualquier actitud conservadora. Con estos
argumentos, estoy entrando involuntariamente a un campo aparentemente muy apartado
del exigente trabajo de laboratorio. Nos enfrentamos a la cuestión de si puede haber o no,
una investigación apolítica en biología, independiente de los procesos sociales. Si la vida,
a pesar de su inacabable división, es esencialmente una unidad, si una ley biológica rige
toda la vida, entonces la ciencia misma debe ser una sola pieza del proceso total de la
vida. Después de todo, la ciencia se desarrolló a partir de las necesidades de la vida que
habían de ser satisfechas. Pierde entonces todo su sentido cuando pierde contacto con los
procesos generales de vida humana. Sólo puede ser una ciencia natural cuando parte de la
vida y cuando trabaja para la vida. No existe tal cosa como una ciencia apolítica
operando al margen de los procesos sociales. Nadie se atrevería a sostener que la ciencia
de la herencia, especialmente la eugenesia, no está totalmente impregnada de opiniones
políticas.
La cuestión, más allá de si la ciencia es política o apolítica, es qué tipo de actitud
subyace al trabajo científico. Una aproximación se esmera en aprehender lo menos
posible de la verdad y en manipular las verdades experimentales lo más pronto posible.
El otro, procura encontrar la verdad sin importar sus consecuencias. Pero la verdad en el
conocimiento de la naturaleza y la sociedad es la fuerza política en sentido positivo.
Puede ser que Dios haya creado el mundo y los seres vivos o bien, que los seres vivos y
el mundo se hayan desarrollado de acuerdo a las leyes de la naturaleza. No somos divinos
ni de Dios y por lo tanto no creemos en la creación ni en el propósito divino. Sin
embargo, estamos comenzando a entender cómo se siente la gente hoy al hablar de Dios y
su voluntad cuando enfrentan privación y pobreza. Entendemos que el concepto de Dios,
allí donde es un sentimiento genuino y no un deseo de lucro, capta correctamente,
intuitivamente, la unidad del ser humano y la naturaleza, a pesar de que lo hace

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 Materialismo Dialéctico en la Investigación de la Vida

irracionalmente. Aquí se observa el carácter dual de la religión. Es enemiga de todas las

ciencias naturales y al mismo tiempo nutre el amor por la naturaleza en la humanidad de
maneras místicas y a través de esto alcanza un sentimiento de unidad con los eventos
naturales. Sin embargo, no puede alcanzar esto prácticamente y debe, en su impotencia
ante la exuberante vida relegar todo a la posibilidad de una vida después de la muerte.
Pero, lo que queremos decir es: la vida es de este mundo. De otra forma, los árboles y las
flores no florecerían en la primavera junto con la embriaguez humana de vida y amor.
Como materialistas dialécticos, nuestro punto de vista es que filosofar sobre el
significado de la vida, sirve a la función de enmascarar el verdadero significado de la
vida. El trabajo es su base. Lo que llamamos amor en todas sus formas es su sustancia. El
sentido de la vida no puede ser más que la satisfacción plena del proceso de la vida
misma, la satisfacción de los deseos de la humanidad de un trabajo significativo y la
necesidad de amor. Pero ¿cómo puede la perspectiva de las ciencias naturales ayudar a la
vida cuando se comporta apolíticamente, se coloca por fuera de los debates sociales y se
abstiene de examinar el campo más central de actividad de todas las formas de vida, la
sexualidad? Es un triunfo de la ciencia sexual que la fórmula de la función sexual haya
probado ser idéntica a la fórmula de la vida vegetativa en su conjunto. Sería muy
inapropiado ahora mirar con desdén al mecanicismo y al vitalismo. Las técnicas
mecanicistas de experimentación, así como el cuerpo teórico vitalista han enriquecido
aportando hechos discretos y perspectivas y uno no puede pensar en la investigación
dialéctico-materialista de la vida sin tener en cuenta estos contrastes. Sin embargo, las
diferencias en sus principios básicos, diferencias que describí anteriormente, persisten.
Uno puede incorporar «la lucha por la sobrevivencia» como un principio básico en
biología y a partir de aquí explicar la «necesidad natural» de masacrar a la población
entera de una ciudad como Guernica. En oposición a esto, uno puede hacer del proceso
creativo de la vida, el principio creativo de la propia vida haciendo todo para crear vida,
empujar el proceso vital hacia delante y preservar la vida. Sin embargo, la sola actitud no
significa nada cuando nos enfrentamos a pistolas y a personas que han abandonado todo
contacto con sus sentidos y se consideran seres superiores. La vida debe organizarse,
debe pelearse por su seguridad. El conservadurismo tiene un interés en la perpetuidad
mecánica de todo lo ahora existente. Sin embargo, aquellos trabajando y produciendo
valores de uso benéficos, que propagan el conocimiento y conducen los procesos vitales
hacia delante, están interesados en la aproximación opuesta.

¡Para o contra la vida! Este es el punto de disidencia entre los amigos y enemigos de la
filosofía científica y su misión.

37


Bion Experiments on the

Cancer Problem1,2
I. The Vesicular Disintegration of Soaked and Swollen Material:

1. Inorganic material, such as crystals, coke, soot, and charred blood if soaked, boiled,
and autoclaved in equal parts of bouillon and 0.1 N KCl, disintegrates into electrically
charged vesicles. These are bions. White - hot heating furthers vesicular disintegration
and cultivability. It is found that material that has been submitted to a white – hot
temperature, material such as lava and cast-iron filings, shows vesicular structure.

2. Organic material such as tissues, muscle, moss, etc. after being autoclaved in
bouillon and 0.1 N KCl, disintegrates into vesicles, and moving masses of vesicles. Moss
growing on lava or stone shows vesicles arranged in rows (Darkfield, 400x - 3000x).

3. Infusions of dried moss or grass collected in autumn show, if observed continually

with a magnification of from 400x to 4000x, the following sequence of events: vesicular
disintegration, after soaking and swelling separation of the vesicles in. the form of cocci,
concentration and organization (via formation of a membranous margin) into unicellular
protists of vesicular structure. For a description as well as photomicrographs and the
results of time – lapse cinephotomicrography see the publication Die Bione, Oslo, 1938.3

4. Exactly as protists develop out of swelled disintegrated moss, the cancer cells
organize themselves in vesicular disintegrated animal and human tissues. The most
important steps of this development are according to observations until now: Swelling of
the tissue, vesicular structuring, formation of spindle - shaped organisms, strongly light –
refracting and biologically stainable heaps of vesicles, and finally further development
into mobile, amoeboid, creeping “mature” cancer cells. The maturing process in the
mouse in experimental cancer was observed between 8 und 14 months.

1
Abstracts of a lecture given to the Norwegian Society of Medical Students in Oslo, June 1938. [The
information on SAPA bions, e.g., photos 14 -17, was added in Spring 1939, Eds.]
2
Editors’ comment: First published in English in the series Klinische und Experimentelle Berichte, No. 7,
1939, issued by the Institut für Sexualökonomische Lebensforschung, Sexpol – Verlag, Oslo, Norway.
Reich himself appears to be the translator of this article. Since he’s still learning English in 1939, the text
occasionally contains some awkward phrasing. Therefore, in this edition, such passages have been revised
to a more natural-sounding English. For example, “bubble,” “bubble-shaped,” “bubble-heaps” used in the
original are rendered here as “vesicle,” “vesicular,” “heaps of vesicles” in accord with Reich’s later usage.
3
Translated into English as Reich, W. The Bion Experiments: On the Origin of Life, Farrar, Straus &
Giroux, New York, 1979. [Eds.]

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Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem

1. 2.

Photo 1: Crystals from common earth passed through the autoclave at 120° C
for 1/2 hour. Vesicular disintegration. Bions, cultivable on egg medium IV,
ca. 500x.

Photo 2: Potassium cyanide, dry, vesicular structure, dark field, ca. 500x.

3. 4.

Photo 3: Cast iron filing, dry, 300x.

Photo 4: Cast iron filing after about 15 minutes in a solution of 50% bouillon +
50% 0.1 N KCl. The iron bions, originally non-motile, separate
themselves in lines which correspond to a magnetic field. After ca. 8
days they are cultivable on egg medium IV, ca. 500x.

39
 WILHELM REICH

Changes in the structure of iron filings and sand crystals in the course of swelling in
bouillon + 0.1 N KCl:

Sharp - edged form in dark-field, vesicular Development of stripes in typical forms,

structure in striped order to be seen. rhomboid or quadratic.

The margins becoming soft and curved. Progressive state of the change into heaps of
bions. The content between the stripes
shows a bluish glimmer. This heap of
vesicles becomes mobile.

Iron filing bions of the packet - amoeboid type, bluish, cultivable upon egg
medium IV or e.

40

Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem

5. 6.

Photo 5: Moss showing vesicular disintegration in water after a few days swelling,
2000x.

Photo 6: Protozoa, organizing themselves from disintegrated moss, 3000x.

An amoeba, drawn from nature, showing vesicular structure and the direction of
stream of the plasma.

41
 WILHELM REICH

7.

Photo 7: Healthy muscle, striated structure, no vesicles, ca. 1000x.

8.

Photo 8: Cancer of the uterus. The muscle tissue shows vesicular structure
and different stages of formation of cells, 1000x.

42

Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem

9.

Photo 9: Cancer of the skin: On the left, the margins of epithelium cells undergoing
cancerous changes. In the middle and to the right, a stripe of vesicular
disintegration of epithelium cells, 1000x.

10.

Photo 10: Cancer cells organizing themselves in tissue of fibula, not yet separated,
ca. 1000x.

43
 WILHELM REICH

11.

Photo 11: Three cancer cells showing the typical tailed shape of the
ripe state, but not yet amoeboid, ca. 8000x.

12.

Photo 12: PA bion culture, Type (PA, BOPA, HAPA) amoeboid, Gram +,
ca. 3000x.

44

Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem

13.

Photo 13: Blood bions (10 c), bluish glimmering, obtained from autoclaved
human blood, immediately after preparation, amoeboid, 2000x.

The experimental production of bions from sterilized or white – hot material took
place with two problems in view:

(a) Which combination gives the best chance for the organization and
cultivation of superheated carbon?
(b) What influence do bions exert on proteins, blood, and animal tissues?

The second question was based on the known fact that soot and tar substances
(distilled, i.e. at a temperature above 600° C) stimulate cancer formation (tar cancer in
mice, chimney-sweep cancer etc.)

II. Bion Culture Experiment 6 (KOH experiment):

Egg Medium e: 10 cc Ringer’s solution, 10 cc 0.1 N KCl solution, and 10 drops red
gelatin are dissolved in 0.1 N KCl.
A little blood – dust first charred on the spatula is boiled in KCI. A ½ g lecithin is
dissolved in KCl solution. The mixture of these two substances is boiled for half an hour.
To it is added a whole egg (sterile); the whole is then stirred and put into sterilized test -

45
 WILHELM REICH

tubes, adjusted to a pH of 7.4, and left in the hot air sterilizer for two hours at 90° C. The
next day it is again sterilized for two hours and then left in the incubator at 37° C for 24
hours. On this medium are poured KOH crystals liquefied in a flame.
The medium then becomes liquid and shows, in the liquid portions, cocci and bacilli.
This is diluted with 10 cc equal parts of bouillon and 0.1 N KCl, and put in the autoclave
for half an hour. Microorganisms are visible at 3000x immediately after the preparation
has passed through the autoclave. After 4 to 8 days inoculation on egg medium IV (see
recipe below) can be made. This is laid on a slant in the incubator. Cultures are positive
in about 50 % of the cases. This egg medium e lends itself well to the making of cultures
from solutions of bions of soot, earth crystals, and iron filings.

Forms found in the KOH preparation:

Egg Medium IV:

38 g potatoes thickly peeled and finely hashed. 75 cc bouillon; 3 g potato flour; 5 g
peptone (Whitte). This is boiled for half an hour, being stirred for the first five minutes
until forming a pulp. It is then cooled off to about 50° C. Then to it is added: 10 cc 0.1 N
KCl, ½ g lecithin, 10 cc Ringer's solution, 6 cc glycerin, 2 – 3 eggs (sterile, washed in
alcohol). The mixture is filtered through gauze and filled into sterile tubes. It is left in the
hot air sterilizer for two hours until it gets hard. The next day it is again left in the hot air
sterilizer for 2 hours at 90° C, then for 24 hours in the incubator for control. The pH of
these media is 7.4.

III. Bion Cultures Obtained from Experiments 10, 12 and 13:

1. Type PA, Packet-Amoeboid, Bion Cultures from autoclaved human blood.

Two to three drops of blood from a human arm vein, if shaken in 10 cc equal parts of
bouillon and 0.1 N KCl and autoclaved for half an hour at 120° - 130° C immediately
produce blood-bions which are contractile in an amoeboid fashion. Cultivation takes
place on egg medium, IV or e. Positive result in about 60 - 70 %. So far 25 experiments
have been carried out.
BOPA and HAPA were obtained from the blood of a woman of 40 and of a man of
36, and for half an hour treated in the autoclave. As a rule, the cultures are blue after
autoclave treatment. The microbes are of unequal size, about 2 - 6 µm long, and less than

46

Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem

14. 15.

Photo 14: SAPA bion culture, living, packet amoeboids, obtained from
Norwegian sea sand heated to incandescence, ca. 4000x.

Photo 15: Another SAPA bion culture. This SAPA bion type sends out rays, which are
still undergoing thorough investigation.

16. 17.

Photo 16: One single spindle-shaped cancer cell, found in vaginal secretion,
together with one SAPA bion.

Photo 17: Two sphere-shaped cancer cells having been killed by SAPA-bions at a
distance. Before the picture was taken, the cancer cells crept around in an
amoeboid way and had been filmed. They originated in the glands of a
mouse.

47
 WILHELM REICH

18.

Photo 18: Heaps of human cancer cells penetrated and partially destroyed by
BOPA-bions under the microscope. The cancer cells were stained with
methylene blue.

19. 20.

Photo 19: SEKO I bion culture, living, obtained from preparation 12/1, ca. 3600x.

Photo 20: SEKO bion cells, Gram stained, ca. 3600x. Note the different shape and
structure when dead!

48

Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem

21. 22.

Photo 21: BLUKO bion cells, culture, obtained from prep. 13, Gram stained, 3600 x.

Photo 22: One single Bluko cell, living, ca. 4500 x.

23. 24.

Photo 23: Bions from charred coal (10 e) immediately after preparation.

Photo 24: Egg-medium is being penetrated by charcoal bions. (Cancer Model

Experiment 14, ca. 300x.

49
 WILHELM REICH

that wide. The PA-bions grow at 37° C. They degenerate, if kept inadequately, into cocci
similar to pus - staphylococci of only 1.5 - 2 µm, of blackish instead of bluish color. They
can be regenerated by rhythmical electrical charges and quick inoculation on egg medium
IV. They are Gram positive, about 3 to 4 times as big as ordinary staphylococci,
electrically positive, contractile, vibrating, with diffuse borderlines between the
individual vesicles (as seen at 4000x); they paralyze ordinary Bacillus subtilis and short
Gram-negative rods of the Bacillus fluorescens group. No pathology has been observed
in mice so far. Bions of the PA type penetrate into cancer tissue, destroy cancer cells in a
microscopically observable way, break up conglomerations of Bacillus kochii, and can be
recultivated from the blood of mice. The reaction produced by them in the human
organism has not yet been tested. At the present time BOPA, PA and SAPA are under
continuous cultivation.

2. Type BLUKO (Blut and Kohle): small cells with nuclei and protoplasmatic structure,
derived from Preparation 13.

Charred blood preparation (10 e) is added to the autoclaved blood bion preparation.
About 2 g each of soot or charred blood (which, finely powdered, has been in the hot air
sterilizer for 4 hours at 180° C), are heated white hot and immediately put into 24 hours
old blood bion preparation and shaken. Or the charred blood is put into 10 cc of equal
parts bouillon and 0.1 N KCl and added later. Further activation of the BLUKO
preparation takes place through the addition of 1 cc blood serum or sterile egg white. The
preparation is put in the incubator for 24 hours, and then kept at room temperature for 6
to 8 days.
Daily microscopic observation (at 3000x) reveals a mutual penetration of carbon and
blood bions, the formation of vesicular microbes, round cells with nuclei (at 3000 -
4000x), and bluish glimmer (seen when using apochromatic objectives) (See Photos).
Inoculation on egg medium IV is strong from the 8th day on. The media are then laid at a
slant in the incubator at 37° C. Thus far there have been 35 experiments with 80 %
positive results. As a rule, blood agar, after passage over the egg medium showed a blue -
grey growth; microscopically this proved to consist of contractile heaps of large vesicles,
which in some cases flowed together and showed cell formation. Strains I, V, VIII, X.,
XIII, and XIV of the BLUKO bion cultures showed BLUKO cells after weeks in
unopened test tubes. These grow quickly at room temperature by way of division, and
they show a creamy appearance with gray - white, salmon - red or yellow - brown color.
They react to Gram and Hematoxylin-Eosin stains.
The animal experiments are not yet concluded: so far, subcutaneous injection resulted
after 4 - 12 months in cell-masses in subcutaneous tissue with metastasis-like deposits in
peritoneum, liver, lung, etc. Animal experiments as well as diagnostic determinations are
being continued. In some experiments with mice, subcutaneous injection of bions from
white - heated coal alone resulted in the formation of similar microstructures at the site of
injection as in the preparation, and so far in some cases in infiltrating cellular growth in
kidneys, glands, liver etc.

50

Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem

25.

Photo 25: Bion cells in organization on egg medium IV. Model experiment regarding
the soot cancer, ca. 2000x.

26.

Photo 26: Cancer model experiment. Bion cells have caused a tumor in a mouse
on the left side of the throat originating in the glands of the throat.

51
 WILHELM REICH

27.

Photo 27: Heaps of bion cells in the omentum of a mouse injected with SEKO I
cells. (See Photo 19).

IV. The T – Bacilli:

These organisms result from degeneration of certain types of bion cultures, and from
experimental degeneration of certain proteins. They are called T, i.e. “Tod” (Death)
bacilli because of their origin and their deadly effect on mice. They are short flitting rods
of about 0.25 - 0.6 µm. Seen under a magnification of about 4000x they show a slightly
oval shape, or else two of them form an elongated double club. On light agar they grow
turflike quickly at 37° C, show a blue glimmer against light, and after some weeks they
color bouillon bluish. They have a sharp acid and ammonia - like smell. In large doses
they kill mice within 24 hours. In small doses they produce in the course of from 8 to 15
months infiltrating and destructive growths in the form of tumors, or only cellular
growths without a circumscribed primary tumor in kidneys, lungs, liver, glands etc. They
can he recultivated in pure culture from the cardiac blood of mice which died or were
killed, and if again inoculated, they produce the same pathological changes as before.

Blood + Coal experiment (Experiment. 11):

Blood, 1-2 cc, gets spread flat in a Petri dish and dried out in the incubator, sterile for
about 24 hours. Then blood charcoal that has been heated to incandescence is
disseminated upon it dry and sterile. After the next 24 hours about 5 - 10 cc of a bouillon
+ KCI solution is added, so that the surface is covered completely. Daily investigation
under the microscope shows development of bions of the PA and T type, and continuous

52

Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem

28. 29.

Photo 28: T- Bacilli. (10eT) Blood-coal immediately after having been heated to
incandescence and put in solution of bouillon + KCl shows, when Gram
stained, very small elongated bacilli with a reddish color. At the pointer are
three T-bacilli. Apparent size at about 5000x. Real size is 0.25-0.6 µm. The
photo is taken with 150x apochromatic objective lens, an 8x ocular. + 50 %
magnification factor in the inclined binocular tube = 1800x. Three times
enlarged in this photo, 5400x. The bigger particles are small coal bions
with a bluish glimmer, and coal particles which have not developed into
bions.

Photo 29: T- Bacilli, (TI) obtained from sarcoma tissue in bouillon through degeneration
of the tissue. Enlargement of the photo ca. 5400 x Optics the same as
employed in photo 28. Gram stained, reddish color.

30.

Photo 30: For comparison: Bacilli, cultivated from the air of the laboratory, with the
same magnification as photos 28 and 29, Gram stained, blue color.

53
 WILHELM REICH

Different typical forms of blue bions.

They have in common the bluish glimmer of the vesicles.

Typical forms of dark bacteria, to be obtained through degeneration of the bluish

bions. The content of the vesicles shines dark or slightly green instead of blue.

T-protuberance….

In the center,
a blue bion.

Typical forms of degenerated red blood corpuscles, to be found regularly in the blood of
cancer patients and of cancer mice.

Blue shimmering bion vesicles appearing in the center, and the margin showing black and sharp
protuberances, are characteristic. The protuberances can be seen freeing themselves. The blue bions .in the
center also free themselves and move about as forms like the PA-type of bions in the fluid. They are
cultivable, with growth of blue - grey or intense yellow color upon agar. The more the cancer disease has
advanced, the more destroyed red blood corpuscles can be seen. The same form of destruction can he
experimentally produced by letting blood-corpuscles degenerate in KCI.

54

Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem

31.

Photo 31: Inflammation tissue, mostly leucocytes, from a T-bacilli mouse, which died
a week after the injection.

32.

Photo 32: Mouse 87 / 1, Tumor glutaei, 10 months after injection of 10 G e T,

T- bacilli obtained from the blood of' a 25 year old woman through
degeneration.

55
 WILHELM REICH

penetration of the blood - substance and the charcoal. Cultures can he made in the course
of the following 8 days upon egg-medium IV and afterwards upon agar or bouillon.
The T-bacilli, contrary to many other kinds of bacteria, are not killed by KCN, but
actually strengthened. (Cyanide – T Experiment). Gram staining shows the T – bacilli
immediately after preparing a white - heated coal or a KOH - preparation 6. Untreated
charcoal does not react to Gram staining. The suggestion may he made, that further
investigation of the T - bacilli could clear up the important question of a specific
carcinoma virus.
T-bacilli are found in cancerous and sarcomatous tissues obtained by operation under
sterile conditions, and in the blood of apparently healthy individuals. They are always
Gram negative. So far, they have been cultivated in identical form from 15 different
sources, always through a process of degeneration. So far 5 of the 15 kinds of T-bacilli
of determined origin have resulted in cancerous growths in mice.
Surprisingly enough, tumors produced by BLUKO cells also always resulted in T -
bacilli in the cardiac blood. Microscopic examination reveals the fact that the T - bacilli
are killed by rhythmic electric charges AND BY BIONS OF THE PA TYPE.
Mice previously treated with PA bions do not get sick after the administration of' T-
bacilli, or only after the administration of large doses.
Until the end of January 1939, 178 mice were observed in T-bacilli research. Out of
84 mice, which were only injected with T – bacilli, 30 died within the first 8 days,
another 30 mice were dead within 15 months, the rest were ill. Of the 30 mice, who died
within 15 months, 25 were investigated for carcinoma. 13 showed cancerous cell
formations and infiltrations in various organs, especially in the stomach, intestines, throat
glands, genitals etc. 7 mice contained amoeboid cancer cells of the mature state in their
organs. The amoeboid cancer cells have been filmed as well as the different stages of the
organization of cancer cells.
Out of 45 mice who were first injected with the PA type of bion cultures and
afterwards with T - bacilli, 36 remained healthy, and 9 died within 15 months.
39 mice who were injected only with PA bions showed no illness in the same period.
Out of 10 mice who were first injected with T-bacilli and afterwards with PA bions 8
died within 15 months, 2 were killed because of abscesses.
The longer the chronic T-bacilli sickness continued, so much more the carcinoma
matured, and so much more the cells, infiltrating the tissues, were of an amoeboid nature.
I wish to state that this is only a preliminary report. The investigation work continues,
with possible correction of details. A detailed publication is being prepared. This
communication was in its main parts sent to the French Academy in November 1938.

56

Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem

33.

Photo 33: The same tumor glutaei after section.

34.

Photo 34: Hematoxylin-eosin section of the tumor glutaei. The piles

showing big elongated cells differing from small round
cells (leucocytes) in the inflamed parts of the muscle tissue.

57
 WILHELM REICH

35. 36.

Photo 35: The same tumor glutaei, Hematoxylin-eosin section, showing formation of
adenocarcinoma. 300x.
Photo 36: Hematoxylin-eosin section. Heaps of cancer cells in the subcutis of another
mouse having been injected with T-bacilli that were obtained from human
cancer tissue. A single cancer cell showing the typical shape is at the
pointer. Enlargement, 1680x.

37. 38.

Photo 37: Heaps of cancer cells in the lung of a mouse injected with T- bacilli.
Photo 38: The submaxillary gland of the same mouse, showing change in
the gland cells, solution from the membrane,1 strong coloring.

1
The meaning of the phrase “…solution from the membrane,…” is not clear. [Eds.]

58

Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem

Different stages in the maturing of the cancer cell in the mouse injected with T - bacilli.
(Drawn from nature).

1. Epithelium cell in the process of disintegration. Vesicular structuring and, on

the right, a spindle form in organization.

2. Separated single spindle - cells with nuclei, hut not mobile yet.

3. An amoeboid cancer cell, curved and tailed (caudate). No vesicular structure.

4. Dead, round - shaped cancer cells, partially degenerated, nuclei dissolved.

5. Straight, amoeboid and tailed cancer cell, moving forward with a rhythmical curving movement. (See
direction of the arrows).

6. Small amoeboid cancer cell, swinging itself forward in a rhythmical way (arrows!)

59
 WILHELM REICH

Bacteriological forms to be found regularly in sterile cancer tissues and in the blood of
cancer patients as well as in cancer mice.

1. T - bacilli;
2. Packet forms, like the PA - type;
3. Black, round – shaped, non-contractile cocci;
4. Double elliptical forms, apparently cocci in division;
5. Heaps of mobile vesicles;
6. Small cells; with blue - green shimmer and nuclei, like the BLUKO - type;
7. Big forms, producing small cells with nuclei on the edges;
8., 9., & 10. Large immobile vesicle - heaps with and without margins.

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Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem

Concerning the Argument for Possible Air Infection:

1. The bions appear immediately after preparation and sterilization. Their organization
can be observed microscopically.

2. The bion experiments succeed in the closed system (Roger Du Teil, Nice).1

3. Media exposed to the air of the laboratory showed staphylococci and forms of
B. subtilis, but in no case structures or: the PA or Bluko type. (See Photo 30).

4. The vesicular disintegration of glowed material demonstrates the possibility that the
spores in the air may originate from the suspended carbon crystals and organic
particles.

5. The different kinds of material employed, if individually inoculated on agar in a dry

state, do not produce any growth.

Synopsis:

1. Sterilized carbon in the form of soot or charred blood is, in conjunction with protein
substances, capable of cultivation.

2. The formation of small cells with nuclei and protoplasmatic structure in the
BLUKO preparation, which resulted in cancerous growths in mice, discloses the
process of bion formation and penetration, if soot and tar substances lead to growth
in animal tissues.

3. T - bacilli derived from processes of degeneration produce cancerous growths in

mice.

4. On microscopic examination as well as in vitro, the PA type of bions have been

shown to be a biological antibody against T-bacilli and cancer cells. With T-bacilli
this has also been shown in the animal experiment.

5. The animal experiments require statistical confirmation.

6. Vesicular structure of soaked and swollen or charred material seems to be of a

universal nature. High temperatures facilitate the organization of inorganic
material while causing the death of living organisms.

1 See: Reich, W. The Bion Experiments on the Origin of Life, pp. 181-192. [Eds.]

61
 WILHELM REICH

7. The bion experiment does not claim to “create” new organisms: it only claims to
disclose a process of organization inherent in nature.

8. The natural organization of protozoa in disintegrated moss is the key to

understanding of the origin of the cancer cells. They organize themselves
spontaneously out of the vesicles in disintegrated tissue. The entire relationship
between this disintegration and the action of the T - bacilli requires further experi-
mental investigation.

Oslo, in July 1939.

62
 The Natural Organization of Work
in Work Democracy 1, 2

New Year’s Wishes:

“Mankind is so evil.” - That is the problem which would not exist if we experienced
our fate amongst those with whom we are in contact. The man of today pays for the illusion
of peace, and for the evasion of responsibility, with his personal freedom. He pays those
who deliver him the beloved commodity. That he does so merits contempt. Instead of
feeling contempt that he must do so, we must fight for a new order of our life.

Science must be “objective.” Which means that under no circumstances must it be

allowed to overlook the social limits of truth-research. It has also thus far to be “political,”
as long as a contradiction exists between actual social and principal scientific interests. If
this contradiction passes away — then and only then—dare science become “unpolitical.”
The research for truth (for instance the unveiling of the life process) is attacked by the
contemporary social authorities, because the widespread social execution of its
consequences is not yet possible, for reasons that may be found in man’s psychic structure,
or for political, social, or economic reasons. This argument is justified as long as there are
parasites who prevent the removal of these difficulties. These hindrances may be
“objective” and “justified.” Genuine research for truth always hurries on in advance of its
time. In sharp distinction to this is the yelping of old maid-like enviers, who ally
themselves with the incapacity and professional ignorance of leading politicians, who
commit dangerous injustices on genuine research for truth. This means these well-known
tacticians, those cunning and oily parliamentarians and dictators existing by the help of
mutual stupidity and vulgarity, thus ruining the world. Just at this point science becomes
combative, reckless, brutal and ready to sacrifice. Not because science has “noble-minded”
ideas, but because it fights for its existence; fights for the right to breathe. Combative
science represents knowledge of the apparently unrecognizable—against convenience of
thought: the source of nourishment of the dictators. Regard for existence is in conflict with
the search for truth—for the shortsighted. Truth first asserts itself when its bearers cannot
psychically exist without representing it. When a return to convenience is no longer

1
Editors’ comment: This text is transcribed from an English translation of this work in the Archives of the
Orgone Institute, P/T Box 11. Reich himself appears to be the translator; his handwritten notes and
corrections in the margins have been incorporated. Since he’s still learning English in early 1939 the text
frequently has long, convoluted “German-style” sentence structures. We have left these largely intact, as
interesting illustrations of Reich’s hybrid German-English thinking at this point. Occasionally a particularly
awkward passage has been simplified to more natural sounding English.
2
Originally published in German as “Die natürliche Organisation der Arbeit in der Arbeitsdemokratie,” in
Politische-Psychologische Schriftenreihe der Sexpol, Nr. 4, Sexpol-Verlag, Oslo, January 1939. In the
original publication, authorship was attributed simply to “A Laboratory Worker.”

63
 WILHELM REICH

possible. Then, and only then, the scientific worker becomes the full executive of the
function of the living, to understand and develop himself.

Every day politics has to answer all urgent problems in their entirety; however, correct
answers are only scientifically possible. Science always answers only fragments of these
questions asked by life itself. The unsolved remainder, the politician settles by feeding
with hopes about a nebulous future, if he is clever; by illusions when he aspires to power
more than to justice; and by pretending and usurping omnipotence when he is a deadly
enemy of the scientific guidance of life. There is a wide range of problems still unsolved
and therefore unmastered by man today, and this is the sphere where mysticism,
submission, subjection, political gossip, and human meanness flourish. And this is also the
sphere where the reactionary and conservative psychic structure of the mass of mankind
grows exuberantly—the same masses who constitute social life. Mysticism will not fade
away until the science of life will be easily accessible to all, and until mankind will be
sufficiently secured in its economic needs to acquire and use knowledge.
The beginning of a new rational life will not be conceivable until the mass of mankind
also become bearers of knowledge. But the bearers of progressive thought must first
overcome the fear of giving knowledge to the millions. There is no more sorry figure than
the “socialist” who fears nothing more than being seen through by the masses.
“Academic” science never cared much about the mass of humanity. It lived its
“spiritual life.” The result was: the masses followed the dictators and not the
“representatives of the spirit.” They paid dearly for it; but one cannot reproach them.
Should science remember its real task, the masses would make it victorious with
thousandfold enthusiasm. The real task of science is, from life, pulling on, to create for
life. Besides this there will always be urgent search for truth. In the infinite spaces of the
Earth and stars, the two billion earth-dwellers called mankind wander through time, closely
pressed against each other. Some go astray, isolate themselves, lose the protection of the
masses. Some of these seekers ask inconceivable questions—a very few of these few,
answer some of these questions. They remain alone and must perish as long as human
society does not produce the conditions in which the inconceivable questions would
become commonplace.
Mankind is neither “malicious” nor “stupid”—neither “good” nor “righteous.”
According to social conditions, they are one or the other, or both. It is surprising how much
decency there is still left in humanity today. The conditions for the expansion of obvious
human decencies must first be procured. Then we shall live to see wonders of human
decency, just where we get terrified facing mankind today. Millions march toward the
shambles incited by a few nonentities and bearers of honorary daggers. These same
millions incited to murder condemn war. Tomorrow they will secure peace with their lives!
And war-mongering will be declared anti-social, with the necessary impression of force!
Today children, (genuine) socialists, Jews, outsiders suffer under complete
proscription. In a future state complete proscription (replacing capital punishment) should
fall to the share of war-mongers (also those [merely] talking about peace!), armament
manufacturers, exploiters of human labor, those who ill-treat women and children,
inhuman bureaucrats. Social proscription of crime, (allowed to start a war, but not allowed

64
 The Natural Organization of Work in Work Democracy

to steal if hungry) would be more effective than capital punishment. To be alone is terrible!
A clever and courageous government could without further thought abolish all punishments
for robbery and murder, provided that they did one thing: Unlock the doors to all the
treasures of the Earth and say: We withdraw all sentinels. Whoever steals or murders no
longer belongs to us. He can go where he wants. No one will answer his greeting; no one
will love and show him kindness; no one will speak a single word to him. Thieves and
murderers of today would become the best guards of tomorrow! They stole and murdered
because of necessity, not to gain political power. Those who believe in decent behavior
know that it cannot be contrived. Decency must be given a chance to prove itself. It is not
the prostitute who is indecent but prostitution, not the criminal but crime, not the profiteer
but profiteering, in short, all conditions which cause profiteering, prostitution, crime. Far
away from the “activities” of good, decent and unconscious “Society” who cultivate the
“virtues” of high diplomacy, politics, and tactics, far away from the stock-exchange and
the armament factories, Life goes its way, the way of daily effort, great suffering and little
joys, the life of burning desire to understand the misery of this strange existence. It is the
life of work, of love, of friendship, solidarity and superhuman patience. The life of
unpolitical man. Human society is nourished from this kind of life. Without it there would
be nothing—no high ideals, no silk stockings, no stocks and shares either!
May this life regain its courage, take itself as seriously as it deserves. Believe in oneself
and one’s own brave efforts. To make demands on oneself and not on distant politics. May
1939 bring a step nearer the realization of life’s own dreams: to prohibit the destruction of
the results of human work, a destruction which now seems to be restarted by machines in
uniform far away from life and work. A great revolution in thought is on the way. May
1939 complete it for the security of millions of human lives and the incalculable value of
human effort!
- 1 January 1939

An Inquiry from Germany

In September 1938 we received the following letter from Germany:

“After a long journey in this country I ask myself again if your theories are correct?
At first sight it seems that your ideas are more or less applicable in the different districts of the country.
As far as the inhibition of their orgastic function is concerned, it is clear that the whole population seems to
stick fast in a viscous jelly, which prohibits all activity, thought, and action. On the other hand, it seems that
a release of this inhibition would not set free essential energy, especially in the happier parts of the country,
as in the larger, West-German towns. The step from the present to a complete sexual life, seems to me too
small to free further energy which is necessary for decisive social actions.
In comparison with this I should like to draw some facts from physics. We take a mass element in a
potential field. When this mass element is in a state of rest, it can only move from a place of higher potential
to a place of lower potential, changing its potential energy into kinetic or friction into heat, etc. If our mass
element has an impulse, its movement may succeed in reaching a place of higher potential (or as one can say,
higher tension). Why a mass element has the tendency to change its potential energy into the kinetic is
useless to ask. In any case the mass element has also the quality of not being able to provide itself with new
quantities of energy. Even the smallest movements are subjected to this law, so that there is no movement

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when friction prohibits the direct changing of tension energy into mobile energy. New energy from outside
has first to be added when the limit of friction is big enough to help the mass element to overcome this limit.
Now I maintain that speeches, newspapers, examples plus the relief of sexual energy does not give
enough impulse to the inert mass of human spirit, to enable it to overcome all the inhibitions and to come to
decisive social actions. For at every infinitesimal step that people have to take, from their present opinions
to revolutionary thought, they meet new social restrictions one by one. A movement which resembles the
free field of energy cannot be attained, as long as man still sees in his present mode of life, the probability of
maintaining himself materially in some measure. Under these conditions, he will have difficulty in deciding
to help destroy them. I can imagine that there are times when the hopelessness of the future is so evident that
even a little relaxation [literally: disinhibition] may lead to “free fall.” To lightly bring about such a state of
affairs is a catastrophic policy. I have not the courage to plead for this. The question is therefore:
What is the human spirit to do, so that alone step by step it can overcome inhibitions by its own strength?
I mean that, after reaching a new point, it still has enough energy to alone push forward a little further.
It is greatly to your merit, that you again have given light to such a dialectical point of view. But please,
ask yourself seriously, if it is sufficient to restore liberated sexual energy in man, as the motive power of his
own decisions. I have the impression that in this country there is so much liberty in the sexual sphere
(especially among the youth) that it is not possible to set free much more potential energy for overthrowing
the great social restrictions.
On the contrary, if I were Reichsjugendführer, I should read your writings very attentively and apply a
lot of your theories in my job.
Please reflect upon this. What is to be done if I am right?
It is really a technical question. Many cures in medicine are based upon giving way to a healthy tendency.
You of course wish this too, but I believe too one-sidedly, when one keenly observes the dialectic of things.
Yours sincerely, …”

It is only a characteristic of our time that a professionally untrained observer in

Germany is struck by the fact that the population, by the inhibition of their orgastic
function, “seem to stick fast in a viscous jelly.” The writer’s questions are partly correct,
but partly are caused by very typical and often repeated misunderstandings of the new
movement’s fundamental principles.
The writer doubts that a further liberation can set free essential energy for the
movement. The step from “the present to a complete sexual life” seems too insignificant
to liberate the further energy which is necessary for decisive social actions. The essential
point is, that it is not a step from a “less complete” to a “complete” sexual life. “Complete”
and “less complete” mean nothing. It is not a question of “more” or “less,” but of a
fundamental change in the attitude towards sexuality and life. It is therefore a “qualitative”
not a “quantitative” matter. Popularly expressed: fucking is not loving, but the exact
opposite! As a result of material and psychic distress, people of today are forced to “fuck.”
There is a lack of all that belongs to love: homes, child protection, contraceptives,
sexual self-confidence, psychic structuring of the masses. A people who have grown up in
psychic misery have forgotten how to love, and have even become afraid of it. What must
be altered, is the way of living, the attitude to life generally. The so-called sexual liberty
which has arisen here and there among the population are only quantitative increases of a
formerly limited sexual life. These increases show powerful forces in man breaking
through many limits, against the oppression of sexual life. Natural love with all its
presumptions is exactly what fascist ideology unconsciously means when it speaks of
“Bolshevist underdogs.” If this [natural love] is not advocated there is no reason to worry

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about automatic development of life. The fault lies with all responsible people who don’t
dare to put this question forward.
Those who understand the new movement and want to guide it must essentially
understand that the deliverance of the living itself, consequently centrally sexuality, firstly
cannot be explained otherwise than in terms corresponding to “fucking.”
However, sex-economy has succeeded in not confusing mere intercourse with orgastic
potency. Mankind eagerly desires cohabitation when he is delivered from the chains of
morality. But the majority are still very far from the sexual happiness which they so long
for. This is so for merely economic reasons: Those who desire and cannot be alone with
their partner can scarcely “live fully.” But orgasm anxiety and the stiffening of the human
organism are just as serious and replace real sensations of happiness with merely “fucking.”

I do not maintain that sexual freedom alone is sufficient to start social movements.
Unfortunately, it is always thus misunderstood. I am glad to seize this opportunity, of once
again stating as clearly as possible what I mean: a population held fast in vegetative
stiffness and sexual inhibition is easier to oppress and has more difficulty in developing
the will for freedom than a population delivered from the chains of morality. Dissolution
of moral chains alone can only set free the indispensable psychic energy, which first needs
an aim and an organized conception, in order to be effective as revolutionary power. The
treatment is successful with individuals, in freeing their life-energy and strengthening their
determination. We have found this invariably correct. But all the laws applied
individually, must be applied in a completely different way for the life of the masses. This
must be understood in order to be able to apply individual psychological experience to
society.
The writer asks how the human spirit should be guided, to alone overcome, step by
step, the legal restrictions and still have enough energy at each point attained to continue
its progress further. The answer is: the former social life has already set free strong sexual
energy in the German movement, which the fascists managed to use so brilliantly for their
own purposes, although this energy was merely incited, but was neither conscious nor
satisfied. Then there is only one conclusion: First of all, the leaders of a revolutionary
social movement must experience the confidence and the great affection caused by the
sexual needs of the masses in its quite primitive way. The great longing for sexual freedom
(conscious or unconscious) can only manifest itself in confidence for those who understand
the masses on this point and approve of their desires. Only when this contact is attained
can the masses and their leaders together adjust their aims, which means the aims of
mankind (not of politicians or “ideas”).
First then, the common fight for social and psychological preconditions will be
possible, giving fulfillment to these deep longings of the masses. The breakthrough of
sexual energy alone is not sufficient to bring about revolution, but at the same time sexual
energy is the most essential psychological motive power for the masses with which one
wins their confidence and their manageability, and can attain for them their aims (not those
of a “party”!)
Humanity’s longing for freedom, including sexual freedom, cannot be satisfied at once,
but only shows itself first in great human trust in those who want the realization of universal

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freedom. This alone however would not be sufficient to continuously hold the masses’
confidence. Humanity may have a childlike belief in a lot of promises, but at the same time
they have an incorruptible instinct for traitors and for asceticism, which is always
reactionary!
In the first years after seizing political power, fascism let flow every source of human
longing for freedom. Here fascism was more successful than all other political movements.
That the end must be chaos of war obliges us to see this movement in all its functions, to
investigate it very intensively, quite calmly, even brutally, and without any consideration
for the obligations of friendship, etc. Fascism is no new appearance. It is only a new and
very effective way of making young and appetizing, something very ancient. Fascism is
not a movement or an ideology which was forced upon a social structure to which it was
fundamentally unfamiliar, as it likes to maintain.
On the contrary: it exists in our very being. In man’s fear of happiness, which turns into
romantic dreams; in his helplessness and irresponsibility; in the seduction of life by
irrational feelings and actions; in the art of lying, fraud and circumvention, whose peak is
reached in diplomacy and politics. Fascism is the abomination of human structure in the
form of revolutionary ecstasy, a compromise between the most sacred yearning and
brutality formed in millennia of human oppression. The socialist of today cannot
understand this contradiction. The more he grew up in the world out of which fascism
sprang, the less he himself understands it. This means the world of hypocrisy which
fascism strengthens tremendously, and at the same time believes to conquer. Fascist
mentality and sentimentality manifest themselves in the stupidity of today’s hereditary
psychiatry, in the pedagogical arrogance of helpless and therefore authoritarian teachers
and parents; in the cowardice of the scientific workers in maintaining their convictions, as
well as in the formal commonplace correctness, as for instance in the pride of a little
bourgeois when a “gentleman” shakes his hand; in the reverence for authority of rebellious
intellectuals, as well as in the weak cultured skepticism of bourgeois academicians; in the
awfulness of a modern Shylock, as well as in the excellence of Jewish scientists. In simple
words Fascism is the wish to shelve problems: love of nature in crinolines; sensuality doing
the goose-step; desire for life in trenches; courage for cowardly deeds; rigorous honesty in
basic deception; inexorable consistency in exploiting human helplessness.
Is it possible to advocate bourgeois democracy against the fascist high tide? Supposing
we could say what we really feel. Then should one plead for the “democracies” after the
“Munich peace”? But that is impossible! First of all, Hitler has the courage which the
democratic leaders lack. Secondly—he has (in the frame of political corruption which has
dominated in Europe since the days of Versailles) achieved a task of vital importance for
German society: He has annulled the Versailles Treaty. Those who preceded him wished
for the same thing, the Communists, the Social Democrats and all the others. They failed.
Hitler succeeded. Should one reproach him for this? No!
It was the democrats who proclaimed the right of self-determination. That fascism
uncompromisingly employs democratic slogans where they are useful for its purposes, but
does not grant the right of self-determination in its own sphere, is another matter—which
again can only be understood through the whole frame of the political betrayal, in which
the events of the world take place. One must at once recognize however, that the same

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Hitler who fought for the idea of self-determination for the Sudeten-Germans, would react
quite differently if one proposed that he should arrange a plebiscite in Germany to decide
on war or peace. What would Mussolini have said to a suggestion of a plebiscite in
Southern Tyrol or Abyssinia? But not a single democratic politician had the courage for
such an obvious counter-proposal. What would happen if suddenly the hundreds of
millions of foreigners in the British Empire should demand the right of self-determination?
Actually, an objective argument on ideas like “self-determination,” etc. is absolutely
without meaning, at least in the sphere of so-called politics of today. Moreover, in order
to clearly understand the conclusion we draw and to be convinced by it oneself,1 one must
inevitably agree with Hitler against the democracies—again stressing: whilst politics are
as they are today.
However, we are not and do not want to be inside this political sphere! Beyond its
limits, from the point of view of the vital revolutionary life which fights for freedom, one
can neither agree with Hitler nor the parliamentary democracies. The problem is not
“either—or” but: What shall we have in the place of political corruption? The state of
things let loose by Hitler can only be finally banned and destroyed by the original and
invincible life-claims of mankind. A social task like this requires organization and social
power. Dictatorship à la Hitler is not possible. Is democracy possible? No. Firstly,
because there is no democracy at all but a masked dictatorship (Chamberlain!). Democracy
is not possible for a much more essential reason, hitherto overlooked: Democracy would
be right if it were a fact that mankind was able to make free and rational decisions. This
however they cannot do. They cannot do so, as long as society has not given them liberty
and the possibility of making their own decisions. There is only one possible answer after
four thousand years of psychic suppression, of the apparently disastrous democratic forms
of bourgeois liberalism, and the experiences that fascism offers, and of irrational thoughts
and feelings visible everywhere in daily life. Democracy can only be valid for rational life.
Democracy cannot be valid for the irrational thoughts and feelings of mankind as they are
today, for instance, rootless political talk.
We must settle the difference between healthy and corrupt features in human psychic
structure or else the latter will grow like weeds. Then inevitably a new state bureaucracy
would arise, and must arise, in order to master the dangers resulting from the irrational
behavior of man. Every kind of bureaucracy is based upon the unsolved problems which
the masses should really solve themselves but cannot manage as they are and live now.
They must first educate themselves for that purpose. This is neither possible in the ideology
of a dictatorship à la Hitler nor in the masked dictatorship à la Chamberlain. The most
essential demand of the new movement will be: Make an end, finally make an end to all
politics! Let’s start real work for our social life!! To start new political parties is
meaningless and dangerous. There is no possible climax of a party-system beyond Hitler.
To abolish forever all that was caused by the “party” and what it did to us (raised to the
climax and manifested in the Hitler-party), the most severe punishment must be meted out
to the political mongers themselves. The same punishments which are now reserved for
those who fight for the fundamental rights of man. People will say that one has to

1
In German: “….und sich eigen machen zu können,…” [Eds.]

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distinguish between “bourgeois” and “socialist” parties. No, there is no longer any
difference between bourgeois and socialist parties. The conception of socialism has
altered; for it no longer means a party - “conviction” but practical, real, and honest work
for the tasks of life. The defeat of party-socialists, unperceived by themselves, has the
following reasons:

1. The wrecked, the hopeless and powerless joined the socialist banner, for instance,
the Communist parties of Germany and Austria. The vigorous workers, grown
strong in life and work, who were still not quite ruined, either joined social
democracy—which means the representation of bureaucracy within the workers—
or the political reactionaries.

2. The leaders of the socialist movement (not the founders of socialism) generally
came forth from the proletariat, or they came from the middle classes, which means
they came from the sphere they alleged to represent.

3. The responsibility for human liberty is so immense, that this liberty (appearing as
“the party”) was always brought forth in chains. In my twenty years’ acquaintance
with this movement, I never once saw anything but tremendous fear of the chaos
that would arise if humanity were allowed to have perfect freedom. This fear is not
quite unjustifiable. However, those who are not ready to also face the dangers
connected with the emancipation of the masses of humanity, should stop talking of
liberty.

4. The socialist-party movement broke down finally because it could not recognize
that the masses in their present state are not fit for “liberty.” They could not see
that there are different kinds of liberty.
a) According to slavery, the bourgeois franchise, which is the liberty to starve.
b) The parties’ own conception of liberty, that is forming the “liberty”-
organization and visualizing themselves as the future rulers of the “coming
society.”
c) The reaction to all those conceptions of liberty—the liberty Hitler gave
humanity: relaxing their stomachs by shouting.
d) And finally, the genuine social liberty which has nothing in common with the
former three. Social liberty first of all is only the liberty of taking the
responsibility for one’s own fate, and entrusting it neither to a socialist nor to
any other guidance. Only then, with this responsibility, which is also no light
matter, the real problem of freedom begins.

The solution of the problem presumes:

1. The acquisition of an equivalent economic basis (which means essentially that the
workers will be responsible for production) and the abolition of private property to
make way for social means of production.

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2. The restoration of the workers’ belief in their own work organizations, because of
their longing for a full life with a certainty of happiness.

3. A real sexual policy, executed step by step, to permanently secure the solidity of
the economic as well as the social freedom of humanity, and to change its mental
attitude. In other words, restoration of the working masses’ ability to take over the
responsibility, not only for their own liberty but also for the liberty and activity of
society, for they are interdependent. Human liberty requires an equivalent
organization. This can only be the natural organization of work itself. It cannot be
contrived or produced artificially.

(To be continued)

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en el Trabajo Democracia1,2
Deseos de Año Nuevo:

«La humanidad es tan malvada». Ese es el problema que no existiría si

experimentáramos nuestro destino entre aquellos con quienes estamos en contacto. El
hombre de hoy paga la ilusión de la paz y la evasión de la responsabilidad con su libertad
personal. Paga a los que le entregan sus amados productos. Que lo haga amerita desprecio.
En lugar de sentir desprecio por tener que hacerlo, debemos luchar por un nuevo orden en
nuestra vida.

La ciencia debe ser «objetiva». Lo que significa que bajo ninguna circunstancia debe
permitirse pasar por alto los límites sociales de la investigación de la verdad. Hasta ahora,
también tiene que ser «político», en tanto exista una contradicción entre los intereses
sociales reales y los principales intereses científicos. Si esta contradicción desaparece,
entonces, y solo entonces, la ciencia se atreverá a ser «no política».
La investigación por la verdad (por ejemplo, la revelación del proceso de la vida) es
atacada por las autoridades sociales contemporáneas, porque la ejecución social
generalizada de sus consecuencias aún no es posible, por razones que se pueden encontrar
en la estructura psíquica del hombre o por razones políticas, sociales, o económicas. Este
argumento se justifica siempre que haya parásitos que eviten eliminar estas dificultades.
Estos obstáculos pueden ser «objetivos» y «justificados». La investigación genuina de la
verdad siempre emerge antes de su tiempo. A este respecto se distinguen los gritos de los
viejos envidiosos, que se alían con la incapacidad y la ignorancia profesional de los
principales políticos, quienes cometen peligrosas injusticias en la investigación genuina de
la verdad. Esto significa que estos conocidos tácticos, aquellos astutos y aceitosos
parlamentarios y dictadores que existen con la ayuda de la estupidez y la vulgaridad
mutuas, arruinan así el mundo. En este punto, la ciencia se vuelve combativa, imprudente,
brutal y está lista para el sacrificio. No porque la ciencia sea de «mente noble», sino porque
lucha por su existencia; Lucha por el derecho a respirar. La ciencia combativa representa
el conocimiento de lo aparentemente irreconocible, en contra del pensamiento conveniente:

1
Comentarios de los editores: Este texto está transcrito de una traducción inglesa de esta obra en los Archivos
del Instituto Orgone. El propio Reich parece ser el traductor; sus notas manuscritas y las correcciones en los
márgenes han sido incorporadas. Desde que todavía está aprendiendo inglés a principios de 1939, el texto
frecuentemente tiene largas y complicadas estructuras de frases de «estilo alemán». Los hemos dejado en
gran parte intactos, como interesantes ilustraciones del pensamiento híbrido alemán-inglés de Reich en este
momento. Ocasionalmente un pasaje particularmente incómodo ha sido simplificado a un inglés que suena
más natural.
2
Traducción al español de la traducción al inglés del manuscrito alemán «Die natürliche Organisation der
Arbeit in der Arbeitsdemokratie», en Politische-Psychologische Schriftenreihe der Sexpol, Nr. 4, Sexpol-
Verlag, Oslo, Enero de 1939. En la publicación original, la autoría se atribuyó simplemente a «Un trabajador
de laboratorio».

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la fuente de alimentación de los dictadores. La consideración por la existencia está en

conflicto con la búsqueda de la verdad, para los miopes. La verdad se afirma primero
cuando sus portadores no pueden existir psíquicamente sin representarla. Cuando un
regreso a la conveniencia ya no es posible. Entonces, y solo entonces, el trabajador
científico se convierte en el ejecutivo completo de la función de los vivos, para entenderse
y desarrollarse.

Todos los días la política tiene que responder a todos los problemas urgentes en su
totalidad; sin embargo, las respuestas correctas sólo son científicamente posibles. La
ciencia siempre responde con fragmentos a las preguntas formuladas por la vida misma.
Lo no resuelto permanece, el político se asienta alimentándose con esperanzas de un futuro
nebuloso, si es inteligente; por ilusiones cuando aspira más al poder que a la justicia; y al
fingir y usurpar la omnipotencia cuando es un enemigo mortal de la guía científica de la
vida. Existe una amplia gama de problemas aún sin resolver y, por lo tanto, desconocidos
por el hombre hoy en día, esta es la esfera donde florecen el misticismo, la sumisión, el
sometimiento, los chismes políticos y la maldad humana. Y esta es también la esfera donde
la estructura psíquica reaccionaria y conservadora de la masa de la humanidad crece de
manera exuberante, las mismas masas que constituyen la vida social. El misticismo no se
desvanecerá hasta que la ciencia de la vida sea de fácil acceso para todos, y hasta que la
humanidad esté suficientemente segura en sus necesidades económicas para adquirir y
utilizar el conocimiento.
El comienzo de una nueva vida racional no será concebible hasta que la masa de la
humanidad también se convierta en portadora de conocimiento. Pero los portadores del
pensamiento progresista deben primero vencer el temor de dar conocimiento a todo el
mundo. No hay una figura más triste que el «socialista» que teme más que nada a ser visto
por las masas.
La ciencia «académica» nunca se preocupó mucho por la masa de la humanidad. Vivió
su «vida espiritual». El resultado fue: las masas siguieron a los dictadores y no a los
«representantes del espíritu». Han pagaron caro por ello; pero no se les puede reprochar.
Si la ciencia recordara su verdadera tarea, las masas lo celebrarían con un entusiasmo
multiplicado por mil. La verdadera tarea de la ciencia es, desde la vida, seguir adelante,
crear para la vida. Además de esto siempre habrá una búsqueda urgente de la verdad. En
los espacios infinitos de la Tierra y las estrellas, los dos mil millones de habitantes de la
tierra llamados seres humanos vagan a través del tiempo, apretados entre sí mismos.
Algunos se desvían, se aíslan, pierden la protección de las masas. Algunos de estos
buscadores hacen preguntas inconcebibles; muy pocos de estos pocos responden algunas
de estas preguntas. Permanecen solos y deben perecer mientras la sociedad humana no
produzca las condiciones en las que las preguntas inconcebibles sean comunes.
La humanidad no es ni «maliciosa" ni «estúpida», ni «buena» ni «justa». Según las
condiciones sociales, las personas son una o la otra, o ambas cosas. Es sorprendente la
cantidad de decencia hoy en día aún queda en la humanidad. Primero deben ser procuradas
las condiciones para la expansión de la decencia humana. Entonces viviremos para ver las
maravillas de la decencia humana, justo donde hoy nos aterrorizamos frente a la
humanidad. Millones marchan hacia los escombros provocados por algunas personas que

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no son entidades y son portadores de dagas honoríficas. Estos mismos millones incitados
a asesinar condenan la guerra. ¡Mañana se asegurarán la paz con sus vidas! ¡Y las bromas
sobre la guerra se declararán antisocial, con la misma fuerza!
Hoy en día los niños, los socialistas (genuinos), los judíos, los extranjeros sufren bajo
la proscripción completa. En un estado futuro, la proscripción completa (que reemplaza la
pena capital) debería caer a los traficantes de guerra (¡también quienes [simplemente]
hablan de paz!), fabricantes de armamento, explotadores del trabajo humano, aquellos que
maltratan a mujeres y niños, burócratas inhumanos. La proscripción social del crimen (que
permite iniciar una guerra, pero no permite robar si se tiene hambre) sería más efectiva que
la pena capital. ¡Estar solo es terrible! Un gobierno inteligente y valiente podría, sin
pensarlo más, abolir todos los castigos por robo y asesinato, siempre que hicieran una cosa:
abrir las puertas de todos los tesoros de la Tierra y decir: retiramos a todos los vigilantes.
El que roba o asesina no es uno de nosotros. Puede ir a donde quiera. Nadie contestará su
saludo; Nadie le amará y le mostrará bondad; Nadie le dirá una sola palabra. ¡Los ladrones
y asesinos de hoy se convertirían en los mejores vigilantes del mañana! Robaron y
asesinaron por necesidad, no para ganar poder político. Los que creen en un
comportamiento decente saben que no puede ser ideado. La decencia debe tener la
oportunidad de probarse a sí misma. No es la prostituta quien es indecente, sino la
prostitución, no el criminal, sino el crimen, no el que obtiene ganancias, sino la
monopolización, en resumen, todas las condiciones que causan la especulación,
prostitución, y crimen. Lejos de las «actividades» de la «sociedad» buena, decente e
inconsciente que cultivan las «virtudes» de la alta diplomacia, la política y las tácticas,
lejos de la bolsa de valores y las fábricas de armamento. La vida sigue su camino, el camino
del esfuerzo cotidiano, gran sufrimiento y pequeñas alegrías, la vida de ardiente deseo de
comprender la miseria de esta extraña existencia. Es la vida del trabajo, del amor, de la
amistad, la solidaridad y la paciencia sobrehumana. La vida del hombre no político. La
sociedad humana se nutre de este tipo de vida. Sin ella no habría nada, ni altos ideales, ni
medias de seda, tampoco acciones y ganancias.
Que esta vida recupere su coraje, tomarse tan en serio como se merece. Creer en uno
mismo y en los valientes esfuerzos de uno mismo. Hacer demandas sobre uno mismo y no
sobre políticas distantes. Mayo de 1939 trajo un paso más a la realización de los sueños de
la vida: prohibir la destrucción de los resultados del trabajo humano, una destrucción que
ahora parece reiniciarse con máquinas uniformadas muy lejos de la vida y el trabajo. Una
gran revolución en el pensamiento está en camino. ¡Mayo de 1939 lo completa por la
seguridad de millones de vidas humanas y el incalculable valor del esfuerzo humano!

1 de enero de 1939
Una Solicitud desde Alemania

En septiembre de 1938 recibimos la siguiente carta de Alemania:

Después de un largo viaje en este país, me pregunto nuevamente si sus teorías son correctas.
A primera vista, parece que sus ideas son más o menos aplicables en los diferentes distritos del
país. En lo que respecta a la inhibición de su función orgásmica, está claro que toda la población
parece adherirse rápidamente a una gelatina viscosa, que prohíbe toda actividad, pensamiento y

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 La Organización Natural del Trabajo en el Trabajo Democracia

acción. Por otro lado, parece que una liberación de esta inhibición no liberaría energía esencial,
especialmente en las partes más felices del país, como en las ciudades más grandes de Alemania
Occidental. El paso del presente a una vida sexual completa me parece demasiado pequeño para
liberar más energía que es necesaria para acciones sociales decisivas.
En comparación con esto, me gustaría extraer algunos hechos de la física. Tomamos un
elemento de masa en un campo potencial. Cuando este elemento de masa está en un estado de reposo,
solo puede moverse desde un lugar de mayor potencial a un lugar de menor potencial, cambiando
su energía potencial en cinética o la fricción en calor, etc. Si nuestro elemento de masa tiene un
impulso, su movimiento puede tener éxito de alcanzar un lugar de mayor potencial (o como se puede
decir, una mayor tensión). Es inútil preguntar por qué un elemento de masa tiene la tendencia a
cambiar su energía potencial en cinética. En cualquier caso, el elemento de masa tiene también la
calidad de no poder proporcionarse a sí mismo nuevas cantidades de energía. Incluso los
movimientos más pequeños están sujetos a esta ley, de modo que no hay movimiento cuando la
fricción prohíbe el cambio directo de energía de tensión en energía móvil. Nueva energía externa
debe agregarse primero cuando el límite de fricción es lo suficientemente grande como para ayudar
al elemento de masa a superar este límite.
Ahora sostengo que los discursos, los periódicos, los ejemplos y el alivio de la energía sexual
no dan suficiente impulso a la masa inerte del espíritu humano, para permitirle superar todas las
inhibiciones y llegar a acciones sociales decisivas. Porque en cada paso infinitesimal que la gente
tiene que tomar, desde sus opiniones actuales hasta el pensamiento revolucionario, se encuentran
con nuevas restricciones sociales una por una. No puede lograrse un movimiento que se asemeje al
campo libre de energía, en tanto el hombre vea en alguna medida, en su modo de vida actual, la
probabilidad de mantenerse materialmente. En estas condiciones, tendrá dificultades para decidirse
a ayudar a destruirlos. Puedo imaginar que hay momentos en que la desesperanza del futuro es tan
evidente que incluso un poco de relajación1 puede llevar a una «caída libre». Dar el más mínimo
espacio a una situación es una táctica catastrófica. No tengo el coraje de abogar por esto. La pregunta
es, por lo tanto:
¿Qué debe hacer el espíritu humano para que solo paso a paso pueda superar las inhibiciones
por su propia fuerza? Quiero decir que, después de alcanzar un nuevo punto, tenga suficiente energía
para solo empujar un poco más hacia adelante.
Es en gran medida su mérito, el que nuevamente haya dado luz a ese punto de vista tan
dialéctico. Pero, por favor, pregúntese seriamente, si es suficiente restaurar la energía sexual liberada
en el hombre, como la fuerza motriz de sus propias decisiones. Tengo la impresión de que en este
país hay tanta libertad en la esfera sexual (especialmente entre los jóvenes) que no es posible liberar
mucha más energía potencial para derrocar las grandes restricciones sociales.
Por el contrario, si yo fuera Reichsjugendführer, debería leer sus escritos muy atentamente y
aplicar muchas de sus teorías en mi trabajo.
Por favor reflexione sobre esto. ¿Qué debería de hacerse si estoy en lo cierto?
Es realmente una cuestión técnica. Muchas curaciones en medicina se basan en dar paso a una
tendencia saludable. Por supuesto, usted también desea esto, pero creo que también de manera
unilateral, cuando uno observa atentamente la dialéctica de las cosas.

Suyo sinceramente, …

Es solo una característica de nuestro tiempo el que en Alemania un observador

profesional no entrenado se sorprenda por el hecho de que la población, por la inhibición
de su función orgástica, «parece adherirse rápidamente a una jalea viscosa». Las preguntas
del escritor son en parte correctas. pero en parte son causados por malentendidos típicos y
frecuentemente repetidos de los principios fundamentales del nuevo movimiento.

1
literalmente: la desinhibición. [Eds.]

75
 WILHELM REICH

El escritor duda que una nueva liberación pueda liberar energía esencial para el
movimiento. El paso del «presente una vida sexual completa» parece demasiado
insignificante para liberar la energía adicional necesaria para acciones sociales decisivas.
El punto esencial es que no es un paso de una vida sexual «menos completa» a una vida
sexual «completa». «Completo» y «menos completo» no significan nada. No se trata de
«más» o «menos», sino de un cambio fundamental en la actitud hacia la sexualidad y la
vida. Por lo tanto, es un asunto «cualitativo» no «cuantitativo». Expresado popularmente:
¡fornicar no es amar, sino exactamente lo contrario! Como resultado de la angustia psíquica
y material, las personas de hoy en día se ven obligadas a «fornicar». Falta todo lo que
pertenece al amor: hogares, protección infantil, anticonceptivos, autoconfianza sexual,
estructuración psíquica de las masas. Las personas que han crecido en la miseria psíquica
han olvidado cómo amar, y hasta le tiene miedo. Lo que hay que alterar, es el modo de
vivir, la actitud ante la vida en general. La llamada libertad sexual que ha surgido aquí y
allá entre la población son solo aumentos cuantitativos de una vida sexual anteriormente
limitada. Estos aumentos muestran fuerzas poderosas en el hombre que rompe muchos
límites, en contra de la opresión de la vida sexual. El amor natural con todas sus
presunciones es exactamente lo que inconscientemente significa la ideología fascista
cuando habla de «desvalidos bolcheviques». Si este [amor natural] no se dirige, no hay
razón para preocuparse por el desarrollo automático de la vida. La culpa yace en todas las
personas responsables que no se atreven a plantear esta pregunta.
Quienes entiendan el nuevo movimiento y quieran guiarlo deben esencialmente
comprender que la liberación de lo vivo en sí mismo, y en consecuencia centrado en la
sexualidad, básicamente, no puede explicarse más que en términos correspondientes a
«fornicar».
Sin embargo, la economía sexual ha logrado no confundir el mero contacto sexual con
la potencia orgástica. La humanidad desea ansiosamente la convivencia cuando es liberada
de las cadenas de la moralidad. Pero la mayoría todavía está muy lejos de la felicidad sexual
que tanto anhelan. Esto es así básicamente por razones económicas: aquellos que desean y
no pueden estar solos con su pareja apenas pueden «vivir plenamente». Pero la ansiedad
por el orgasmo y la rigidez del organismo humano son tan serias y reemplazan las
verdaderas sensaciones de felicidad con simplemente «fornicar».
No sostengo que la libertad sexual sola sea suficiente para iniciar movimientos sociales.
Desafortunadamente, esto siempre es mal entendido. Me complace aprovechar esta
oportunidad, para una vez más establecer lo más claramente posible lo que quiero decir:
una población que se mantiene firme en la rigidez vegetativa y en la inhibición sexual es
más fácil de oprimir y tiene más dificultades para desarrollar la voluntad de libertad que
una población liberada de las cadenas de la moralidad. La disolución de las cadenas
morales por sí sola solo puede liberar la energía psíquica indispensable, que primero
necesita un objetivo y una concepción organizada para ser efectiva como poder
revolucionario. El tratamiento es exitoso con individuos, liberando su energía vital y
fortaleciendo su determinación. Hemos encontrado esto invariablemente correcto. Pero
todas las leyes aplicadas individualmente, deben aplicarse de una manera completamente
diferente para la vida de las masas. Esto debe entenderse para poder aplicar la experiencia
psicológica individual a la sociedad.

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 La Organización Natural del Trabajo en el Trabajo Democracia

El escritor pregunta cómo debe guiar al espíritu humano, para que supere, paso a paso,
las restricciones legales y siga teniendo suficiente energía en cada punto alcanzado para
continuar su progreso. La respuesta es: la vida social anterior ya ha liberado una fuerte
energía sexual en el movimiento alemán, que los fascistas lograron manejar tan
brillantemente para sus propios propósitos, aunque esta energía fue meramente incitada,
no fue consciente ni satisfecha. Entonces solo hay una conclusión: en primer lugar, los
líderes de un movimiento social revolucionario deben experimentar la confianza y el gran
afecto causado por las necesidades sexuales de las masas en su forma bastante primitiva.
El gran anhelo de libertad sexual (consciente o inconsciente) solo puede manifestarse en la
confianza a aquellos que entienden a las masas en este punto y aprueban sus deseos. Solo
cuando se logra este contacto, las masas y sus líderes pueden ajustar sus objetivos, lo que
significa los objetivos de la humanidad (no los de los políticos o de sus «ideas»).
Luego entonces, será posible la lucha común por las precondiciones sociales y
psicológicas, dando cumplimiento a estos profundos anhelos de las masas. El avance de la
energía sexual por sí solo no es suficiente para provocar la revolución, pero, al mismo
tiempo, la energía sexual es la fuerza motriz psicológica más poderosa de las masas con
las que uno gana su confianza y su capacidad de administración, y puede alcanzar para
ellos sus objetivos (¡no los de un «Partido»!)
El anhelo de la humanidad por la libertad, incluida la libertad sexual, no se puede
satisfacer de inmediato, sino que solo se muestra primero con una gran confianza humana
en aquellos que desean la realización de la libertad universal. Sin embargo, esto solo no
sería suficiente para mantener continuamente la confianza de las masas. La humanidad
puede tener una creencia infantil en muchas promesas, pero al mismo tiempo tienen un
instinto incorruptible para los traidores y para el ascetismo, ¡que siempre es reaccionario!
En los primeros años después de tomar el poder político, el fascismo dejó fluir todas
las fuentes del anhelo humano por la libertad. Aquí el fascismo fue más exitoso que todos
los otros movimientos políticos. El fin debe ser el caos de la guerra que nos obliga a ver
este movimiento en todas sus funciones, a investigarlo con mucha intensidad, con
tranquilidad, incluso con brutalidad, y sin ninguna consideración por las obligaciones de la
amistad, etc. El fascismo no es algo nuevo. Es solo una forma efectiva de hacer parecer
joven y apetitoso, algo muy antiguo. El fascismo no es un movimiento o una ideología que
se impuso sobre una estructura social en la que era fundamentalmente desconocido, como
le gusta sostener.
Al contrario: existe en nuestro propio ser. En el miedo del hombre a la felicidad, que
se convierte en sueños románticos; en su desamparo e irresponsabilidad; en la seducción
de la vida por sentimientos y acciones irracionales; en el arte de la mentira, el fraude y la
burla, cuyo punto máximo se alcanza en la diplomacia y la política. El fascismo es la
abominación de la estructura humana en forma de éxtasis revolucionario, un compromiso
entre el anhelo más sagrado y la brutalidad formada en milenios de opresión humana. El
socialista de hoy no puede entender esta contradicción. Cuanto más creció en el mundo del
cual surgió el fascismo, menos lo entiende. Esto significa un mundo de hipocresía que el
fascismo fortalece enormemente y, al mismo tiempo, cree que conquistará. La mentalidad
y el sentimentalismo fascistas se manifiestan en la estupidez de la psiquiatría hereditaria
de hoy, en la arrogancia pedagógica de los maestros y padres desamparados y, por lo tanto,

77
 WILHELM REICH

autoritarios; en la cobardía de los trabajadores científicos para mantener sus convicciones,

así como en la formalismos correctos, como por ejemplo en el orgullo de un pequeño
burgués cuando un «caballero" le da la mano; en la reverencia por la autoridad de los
intelectuales rebeldes, así como en el débil escepticismo culto de los académicos
burgueses; en el horror de un Shylock moderno, así como en la excelencia de los científicos
judíos. En palabras sencillas, el fascismo es el deseo de dejar de lado los problemas: el
amor a la naturaleza en las crinolinas; sensualidad haciendo el paso de ganso; deseo de
vivir en trincheras; coraje para los actos cobardes; honestidad rigurosa en el engaño básico;
Consistencia inexorable en la explotación del desamparo humano.
¿Es posible defender la democracia burguesa contra la alta marea fascista? Suponiendo
que pudiéramos decir lo que realmente sentimos. Entonces, ¿debería uno abogar por las
«democracias" después de la «paz de Múnich»? ¡Pero eso es imposible! En primer lugar,
Hitler tiene el coraje del que carecen los líderes democráticos. En segundo lugar, ha logrado
(en el marco de la corrupción política que ha dominado en Europa desde los días de
Versalles) una tarea de vital importancia para la sociedad alemana: ha anulado el Tratado
de Versalles. Aquellos que lo precedieron desearon lo mismo, los comunistas, los
socialdemócratas y todos los demás. Ellos fallaron. Hitler tuvo éxito. ¿Debería uno
reprochárselo por esto? ¡No!
Fueron los demócratas quienes proclamaron el derecho de autodeterminación. Ese
fascismo emplea intransigentemente consignas democráticas cuando son útiles para sus
propósitos, pero no otorga el derecho de autodeterminación en su propia esfera, es otro
asunto que, de nuevo, solo puede entenderse a través de todo el marco de la traición
política, en el cual los acontecimientos del mundo tienen lugar. Sin embargo, hay que
reconocer que el mismo Hitler que luchó por la idea de la autodeterminación de los
Sudeten-alemanes, reaccionaría de manera muy diferente si uno propusiera que organizara
un plebiscito en Alemania para decidir la guerra o la paz. ¿Qué hubiera dicho Mussolini a
una sugerencia de un plebiscito en el sur del Tirol o Abisinia? Pero ni un solo político
democrático tuvo el coraje de una contrapropuesta tan obvia. ¿Qué pasaría si de repente
los cientos de millones de extranjeros en el Imperio Británico exigieran el derecho a la
autodeterminación? En realidad, un argumento objetivo sobre ideas como la
«autodeterminación», etc. no tiene ningún significado, al menos en la esfera de la llamada
política actual. Además, para comprender claramente la conclusión a la que llegamos y
para convencernos a nosotros mismos1, inevitablemente hay que estar de acuerdo con
Hitler en contra de las democracias, una vez más enfatizando: mientras que hoy los
políticos son como son.
¡Sin embargo no estamos y no queremos estar dentro de esta esfera política! Más allá
de sus límites, desde el punto de vista de la vida revolucionaria vital que lucha por la
libertad, uno no puede estar de acuerdo con Hitler ni con las democracias parlamentarias.
El problema no es «ninguno de los dos» o «sino»: ¿Qué tendremos en lugar de la corrupción
política? El estado de las cosas desatado por Hitler solo puede finalmente ser prohibido y
destruido por los invencibles y originales de la humanidad. Una tarea social como esta
requiere organización y poder social. Dictadura a la Hitler no es posible. ¿Es posible la

1
En alemán: und sich eigen machen zu können. [Eds.]

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 La Organización Natural del Trabajo en el Trabajo Democracia

democracia? No. Primero, porque no hay democracia en absoluto, sino una dictadura
enmascarada (¡Chamberlain!). La democracia no es posible por una razón mucho más
esencial, hasta ahora pasada por alto: la democracia sería correcta si fuera un hecho que la
humanidad pudiera tomar decisiones libres y racionales. Esto sin embargo no se puede
hacer. No pueden hacerlo, en tanto a la sociedad no le haya dado la libertad y la posibilidad
de tomar sus propias decisiones. Solo hay una respuesta posible después de cuatro mil años
de supresión psíquica, de las formas democráticas aparentemente desastrosas del
liberalismo burgués, y las experiencias que ofrece el fascismo, y de los pensamientos y
sentimientos irracionales visibles en todas partes de la vida cotidiana. La democracia solo
puede ser válida para la vida racional. La democracia no puede ser válida para los
pensamientos y sentimientos irracionales de la humanidad como son hoy, por ejemplo, las
conversaciones políticas sin raíces.
Debemos resolver la diferencia entre características sanas y corruptas en la estructura
psíquica humana o, de lo contrario, esta última crecerá como maleza. Entonces,
inevitablemente, surgirá una nueva burocracia estatal, y debe surgir, para dominar los
peligros que resultan del comportamiento irracional del hombre. Cada tipo de burocracia
se basa en los problemas no resueltos que las masas realmente deberían resolver por sí
mismos pero que no pueden manejarse como están y viven ahora. Primero deben educarse
para ese propósito. Esto no es posible ni en la ideología de una dictadura a la Hitler ni en
la dictadura enmascarada a la Chamberlain. La demanda más esencial del nuevo
movimiento será: ¡Poner fin, finalmente poner fin a toda la política! ¡¡Comencemos un
trabajo real para nuestra vida social!! Comenzar nuevos partidos políticos no tiene sentido
y es peligroso. No hay un clímax posible de un sistema de partidos más allá de Hitler. Para
abolir para siempre todo lo que fue causado por el "partido" y lo que nos hizo (elevando el
clímax manifestado en el partido de Hitler), el castigo más severo debe impartirse a los
traficantes políticos. Los mismos castigos que ahora están reservados para aquellos que
luchan por los derechos fundamentales del hombre. La gente dirá que uno tiene que
distinguir entre partidos «burgueses» y «socialistas». No, ya no hay diferencia entre los
partidos burgueses y socialistas. La concepción del socialismo se ha alterado; para ello ya
no significa una «convicción» de partido, sino un trabajo práctico, real y honesto para las
tareas de la vida. La derrota de los socialistas del partido, no percibida por ellos mismos,
tiene las siguientes razones:

1. Los destrozados, desesperanzados e impotentes se unieron a la bandera socialista,

por ejemplo, los partidos comunistas de Alemania y Austria. Los trabajadores
vigorosos, que se hicieron fuertes en la vida y en el trabajo, que todavía no estaban
arruinados, se unieron a la democracia social, lo que significa la representación de la
burocracia dentro de los trabajadores, o los políticos reaccionarios.

2. Los líderes del movimiento socialista (no los fundadores del socialismo)
generalmente surgieron del proletariado, o vinieron de las clases medias, lo que
significa que vinieron de la esfera que supuestamente representan.

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 WILHELM REICH

3. La responsabilidad por la libertad humana es tan inmensa, que esta libertad (que
aparece como «el partido») siempre fue llevado en cadenas. En mis veinte años de
relación con este movimiento, nunca vi nada más que un tremendo temor al caos que
surgiría si se permitiera a la humanidad tener una libertad perfecta. Este miedo no es
del todo injustificable. Sin embargo, aquellos que no están preparados para enfrentar
los peligros relacionados con la emancipación de las masas de la humanidad, deben
dejar de hablar de libertad.

4. El movimiento del partido socialista se rompió finalmente porque no podía reconocer

que las masas en su estado actual no son aptas para la «libertad". No pudieron ver que
hay diferentes tipos de libertad.
a) Según la esclavitud, la franquicia burguesa, que es la libertad de morir de hambre.
b) La propia concepción de libertad de los partidos, que forma la «libertad»:
organización y visualización de ellos mismos como los futuros gobernantes de la
«sociedad venidera».
c) La reacción a todas esas concepciones de libertad: la libertad que Hitler dio a la
humanidad: relajando sus estómagos por los gritos.
d) Y finalmente, la genuina libertad social que no tiene nada en común con las tres
anteriores.

La libertad social, ante todo, es solo la libertad de asumir la responsabilidad por el propio
destino, y no lo confiamos ni a un socialista ni a ninguna otra orientación. Solo entonces,
con esta responsabilidad, que tampoco es un asunto liviano, comienza el verdadero
problema de la libertad. La solución del problema supone:

1. La adquisición de una base económica equivalente (lo que significa esencialmente

que los trabajadores ser responsable de la producción) y la abolición de la propiedad
privada para dar paso a los medios sociales de producción.

2. La restauración de la creencia de los trabajadores en sus propias organizaciones de

trabajo, debido a su anhelo de una vida plena con certeza de felicidad.

3. Una política sexual real, ejecutada paso a paso, para asegurar permanentemente la
solidez de la economía, así como la libertad social de la humanidad, y cambiar su
actitud mental. En otras palabras, la restauración de la capacidad de las masas
trabajadoras para asumir la responsabilidad, no solo de su propia libertad sino también
de la libertad y la actividad de la sociedad, ya que son interdependientes.

La libertad humana requiere una organización equivalente. Esto solo puede ser la
organización natural del trabajo en sí. No puede ser ideado o producido artificialmente.

(Continuará)

80
 Observations on the Radiation Phenomena
of SAPA Bions1
I. Mixture origin: Several incandescent bion solutions were started in my laboratory on
January 15, 1939. Among them was one which was created from sea sand. A spatula-tip
of the sand was heated over a gas flame until it was red hot, more or less lit up to
incandescence, and was then immediately added to an autoclaved mixture consisting of
meat broth + 0.1 N KCl. (The preparation solutions are always kept in a temperature-
controlled environment at 37° C to enable exclusion of unsterile substances). After the
usual five-day interval, re-inoculation on Egg Medium IV occurred.2 After 48 hours, the
medium in question displayed an intense yellow, creamy growth. A microscopic
examination showed bions of the packet amoeba type.
However, these bions differed from the otherwise common packet amoebae and bions
through their different size and a relative immobility when compared to other cultures.
The cultures grew well when re-inoculated onto blood agar or simple agar. I studied
them under a microscope almost daily for four weeks. I had the impression that I could
see unusual light phenomena when using a dark field condenser (Reichert Co.) at a
magnification of 2000-3000x. Only under a specific dark field condenser setting, one
could see peculiar streaks of light similar to rays, sometimes appearing as continuous
lines, which regularly appeared and seemed to originate from especially bright, glowing
places inside the bions. These radiations moved in rhythm with the bion movements, and
their position could not be influenced by repositioning the reflecting mirror. A gradual
reduction of the microscope’s light completely weakened the radiation; however, the
tiniest ray of light caused them to light up again. Likewise, it is noted that, with correct
light and dark field condenser settings, the bions were filled with light and dark lines at
regular intervals (see photo)3.
I did not consider the possibility of radioactive micro-rays, although I had been asked
two months prior by a Dutch physicist, who had read the bion book4, whether I had
observed any radiation. After four weeks, my eyes began to hurt. They felt tight, I could

1
Translation of “Beobachtungen über Strahlungsphänomene bei SAPA-Bionen,” dated 10 March, 1939,
Archives of the Orgone Institute, Manuscripts, Box 9.
2
Culture medium IV (egg white base): 38 g potatoes (thickly peeled and chopped small), 5 cc bouillon,
3 g flour (potato starch), 0.5 gr peptone (Witte brand). Boil for one hour. Stir for the first ten minutes until
a mush forms, then close the glass flask. Cool down to about 50° C, and then add: 10 cc 0.1 N KCl
solution, 0.5 g lecithin, 10 cc Ringer’s solution, 6 cc glycerin, 2 to 3 eggs, depending on the size (sterilized
and moistened with alcohol), 7.4 pH. Filter the complete mixture through gauze. Fill into sterilized glasses;
let it gel in a dry sterilizer at 80-90° C for two hours. On the next day, repeat this process in the dry
sterilizer for two hours at the same temperature.
3
The photo mentioned here was not found with the manuscript. [Eds.]
4
A reference to the Dutch physicist Willem F. Bon, who had read Reich’s book Die Bione: zur Entstehung
des vegetativen Lebens, Sexpol Verlag, Oslo, 1938, and began a correspondence and collaboration with
him concerning the SAPA bion radiation phenomena. [Eds.]

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WILHELM REICH

hardly use the microscope because they were so sensitive to light, and my eye pressure
was increased. An ophthalmologist in Oslo diagnosed conjunctivitis and ordered rest.
For several days, I wore black-lensed safety goggles until my eyes improved.
I then filmed the SAPA bions through a one-tube lens barrel using my right eye. After
about 1.5 hours, that one eye began to hurt and to display the same symptoms. Following
extended periods of microscopic observation, previously unknown and strange looking,
deep-blue images appeared until whenever the eye left the eyepiece.
The reproduction of the SAPA-bion-culture from the second sand-preparation
succeeded in February, 1939. During the next month, four more reproductions from sand
preparations succeeded.

Three fundamental questions must be answered:

1. If, at all, the radiation truly exists,

2. Which type it is,
3. How intense it is under specified measurement parameters.

I, personally, could only answer both the first two questions. Personally, I could
positively only answer the first question, the second only very vaguely. This is still the
case to date. The answer to the third question must be left to the professional physicists.

Proof of the fact that the SAPA I (Evin) and SAPA II (Lorin) bion cultures emit radiation:

A. Synopsis of subjective evidence:

1. People, whose hand palms have a high electrical charge, perceive a subtle prickling
in their palms and sometimes warmth when exposed to SAPA cultures in agar tubes held
steadily at a distance of 2-5 mm for 2-5 minutes. The same reaction results from
smearing an eyelet of the culture on a quartz specimen slide and placing on the skin. This
experiment is unreliable because results depend on the electrical charge of each
individual’s skin and on each subject’s ability to perceive the prickle. On the other hand,
the reddening of the skin, which usually occurs within 5 -10 minutes, can be seen as an
objective proof. Tingling on the palm of a hand can also be felt at a distance of
approximately 3 mm from the copper wall of a Faraday cage after it has been filled with
SAPA culture and left for several hours, or, better still, several days.

2. In total darkness, preferably inside a Faraday cage, one can observe a diffuse, pale,
bluish glow that is boundless and unstable (like patches of fog). After about half an hour
(when one is accustomed to the darkness and can perceive the glow), putting on a pair of
black-tinted glasses will decrease the intensity of the pale radiance. On the other hand,
the glow on the copper walls of the cage and on metal objects can be seen more clearly
until when the glasses are removed.

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 Observations of the Radiation Phenomena of SAPA Bions

Wearing the glasses and staring at a metal wall in total darkness for an extended
period of time, one sees deep-blue-violet points of radiation rhythmically emerge. This
phenomenon can be intensified by holding up a sheet coated with zinc sulfide.
The same happens when one holds a strong magnifying glass between one’s eyes and the
shiny glow, adjusting the distance until the shiny glow appears denser. The violet points
of light can then be clearly observed, especially if the magnifier is connected to a
focusing screen at the correct distance.
If two people sit in the dark, the second person, totally without prompting, will report
that the same pale glow appears and is denser around the white lab coat, the head, and the
hands, etc. It was possible to reach for the glowing objects. By repeatedly putting on and
taking off the black-tinted glasses, one is convinced of the accuracy of the observations.
One must differentiate between a general pale glow and the deep-blue-violet radiance.
One afternoon, after I had been sitting in the dark room for 5 hours with the preparations,
the fingers and palms of my hands glowed. This shimmer diminished after a few days.
However, the palm of my left hand retained a feeling of warmth accompanied by tingling,
alternating whiteness and redness, and a bright glow visible in the dark room exactly on
the spot where I had regularly held the test tubes containing the preparations during
subjective tests of the emissions.

3. After one-half to one hour in the Faraday cage, the air was perceived to be “dense,”
“heavy,” “oppressive,” depending on the individual. If one remained in the Faraday
cage too long, two to three hours, one felt compelled to leave it again. Once outside of
the room, one could breathe a sigh of relief. If one is exposed to air influenced by the
preparations for longer periods of time, one becomes tired and listless. Fresh air quickly
dispels such conditions. One feels strangely fresh and strong. This impression, though
subjective, was also reported by other people.

4. Mice and guinea-pigs clearly reacted with unrest when placed in the Faraday cage at
a distance of ten to twenty cm from the wall.

5. Examining the SAPA-bions under a microscope only with one lens barrel for longer
than approximately one half hour by strong magnification (again varying with the
individual), results in pain in that one eye but not in the other one. Bluish afterimages
appear. Rest and dark glasses relieve the sensitivity to light, the eye pressure, and the
from case to case conjunctivitis. Thus, the SAPA-bions should be examined under a
microscope very cautiously. That is, as long the nature and intensity of the radiation are
unknown.

B. Objective findings based on these first subjective discoveries.

1. Light sensitive plates are placed in cardboard boxes wrapped in black paper and,
without removing the wrapping, placed at a distance between 5-10 cm parallel to the
copper wall of a Faraday cage. The preparations are positioned so that the emanation
and the radiance must pass through the plates to the copper wall. The radiation results

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WILHELM REICH

are tested by developing the plates after 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, etc. hours by way of removing
one plate from the box in total darkness each time. The plates can also be directly
exposed to the preparations by placing agar plates, agar tubes, or cultures on a glass slide
rubbed with a bit of NaCl on the boxes containing the plates. Similarly, one can position
x-ray film for about 15 minutes at the focal point of a microscope’s ocular tube. As a
control, do not use an unexposed plate that was in the same room as the plate being
tested. The experiment showed that, since emanation apparently occurs, even such plates
that are in the same room with the preparation located some distance away are exposed.
A roll of x-ray film intended for the control experiment and coincidently left in the room
was consequently no longer usable. Control plates should be stored away from the trial
location, such as at the place where they were procured. All plates must be from the
same series.
I was able to get a picture of the beams once using a Leica apparatus by focusing the
microscope eyepiece pointer on the center of the field at the edge of the culture and
exposing overnight using a focal plane shutter.

2. Evidence of emanation is the fact that covering parts of light sensitive plates with
metal pieces or rods did not protect them from exposure. The radiation is dispersed
throughout the room containing the preparation. Having metal in close proximity
plays a large role because it is very difficult to expose packed plates located in the room
without a lot of metal present. Note that further trials are necessary to explain this.

3. Dark field photomicrography of radiation at high magnification (2000 to 3000x):

I switched on a dark field condenser instead of a bright field condenser (using the
Reichert darkfield condenser). I screened out residual light as much as possible and
adjusted to a 1920x and then a 3000x magnification (80x objective lens, 16x and 25x
oculars respectively, tilted binocular tube, which magnifies 50% more). I focused on an
individual SAPA bion formation as sharply as possible. The vesicles of living organisms
and glowing beams alternating on a regular basis between bright and dark appeared
clearly in the image. One can control that these are not spherical aberration phenomena
because they remain constant when the incident light is shifted. One time I was able to
adjust the focus so sharply that I saw straight beams of radiation emanating from the
brightest glowing parts of the bions. These beams interfused the dark field in straight
lines at times interspersed with dark spaces. They moved with the same rhythm as the
bions and were not disturbed when the reflex mirror and the dark field condenser’s
adjustment screw was fine-tuned. At such a high magnification, I use what I call water
immersion, meaning that the objective lens is immersed directly in the droplet. It is
necessary to use a very small droplet, otherwise the preparation blurs. Direct immersion
simplifies this meticulous work exceedingly because it is extremely difficult to obtain
these types of images when using a cover glass. The camera is equipped with an interior
sighting tube.1 The length of exposure time using various magnifications in a dark field
has, as of yet, not been experimentally determined. Under the intensive shine of a point

1
In German, “inblickrohr.” [Eds.]

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 Observations of the Radiation Phenomena of SAPA Bions

light, an exposure time of one second or even half a second is sufficient. If the exposure
time is too long, the image of waved lines blurs, and, by too short of an exposure time,
the linear beams do not emerge.

4. Reddening of the skin through the object slide:

A specimen slide, preferably of quartz glass, is smeared with an eyelet full of fresh
culture, so that a round or quadratic shape is formed. The culture is evenly saturated with
a minuscule drop of 0.1 N KCl or 0.9% NaCl, so that it does not dry out too quickly. The
object slide will be placed on the back of the hand without exerting pressure with the
moist side up and the other side down. After a few minutes, between 5 and 10 minutes
depending on the individual, it begins to tingle. The skin reddens after 5-15 more
minutes of exposure exactly in the form of the culture’s shape on the object slide.
Sometimes the edges are red and the center is whitish (central anemia). It is of utmost
importance to patiently wait until the reaction appears. Vasomotoric and easily excitable
individuals react quicker and more noticeably than people whose skin carries a poor
electrical charge.

5. Magnetic deflection in the Faraday cage:

At first, I attempted to cause a deflection of the magnet’s needle solely through direct
contact with the preparation. This did not produce clear results. It became evident that
the beams showed a strong attraction to metals (cast iron, nickel, etc.). Metallic objects
in the room became magnetized, and they appeared to strongly reflect the radiation. I
then tested the magnetism in the Faraday cage close to the copper walls, as shown on the
sketch1. If the preparations are in the well-contained cage for at least 24 hours, one
already notices magnet needle agitation at a distance of 20 - 30 cm, at times even 50 cm
from the wall. The wall exactly opposite the earth’s magnetic north deflects the most,
that is, it completely draws the north pole of a magnetic needle to it, the opposite
direction of magnetic north. The needle showed no influence when placed in the center
of the 2.5 meter long and wide cage. There was no deflection on the north wall and only
a shaky indicator that wobbled more and more. Deflection was apparent on the east and
west walls, but only one-half to one-fourth as intense as on the south wall. These
phenomena can probably be explained by the influence of the parallelogram of forces
formed on the one side by the earth’s magnetic fields and on the other side by the effect
of the charged walls. The cage is grounded.
The cage has not been used without the prepared cultures because those cultures do
not tolerate being stored elsewhere for the time being. However, interferences during
experiments using an oscillograph or other sensitive magnetic needles near the wall were
never observed. It is necessary to perform control experiments using a completely
discharged cage.

1
The sketch mentioned here was not found with the manuscript. [Eds.]

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WILHELM REICH

6. The oscillograph (a three-tubed direct current amplifier connected to a magnetic

mirror-galvanometer) shows an increase in anode voltage and a decrease in grid voltage
when the grid electrode makes contact with the cage wall. It is a certainty that anode
open-voltage occurs in radiation areas without wall contact. However, the grid voltage
shows strong, mostly positive fluctuations, which have not, as yet, been thoroughly
studied.

7. SAPA I killed amoeboid crawling cancer cells at a distance. These events were
filmed. Unadulterated, deep-reaching ulcers similar to x-ray ulcers appeared on two
mice, which had been re-inoculated with T-bacillus cultures. SAPA I prevented the
otherwise fatal effect of the T-bacillus. (T-bacilli are organisms about 0.25 - 0.5 or 0.6
µm in size, which are formed through bion degeneration or by growing them from cancer
tissue or cancerous blood. A report about this will follow shortly).1

Preliminary Findings:

1. Both of the SAPA-bion cultures on hand emit an active photochemical

electromagnetic radiation.

2. A hazy glow can be distinguished from the deep-violet point radiation during
observation.

3. The type and quality of the radiation have not yet been evaluated.

4. Shielding has not yet been determined. A Faraday cage appears to be the best means
of deflecting rays towards grounded metal; however, it does not stop emanation.

5. An electroscope placed in close to distant proximity registers electromagnetic

phenomena. A decision to conduct a closer examination and evaluation of these
phenomena has not yet been made.

6. Harm to blood and tissue has not been ascertained.

7. It must be determined whether this radiation is of a known type or if it is a new form.

8. At this time, a theoretical interpretation of the described phenomena cannot be given.

However, the creation of SAPA-bions from Norwegian sea sand and their functions align
with the theories of physics regarding matter waves and particles of energy and with the
basic theory of bions that life is created from matter through swelling and electrical
charge and functions accordingly (tension-charge-discharge process of tension release).

1
See: “Bion Experiments on the Cancer Problem,” pp. 38-62 of this journal. [Eds.]

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 Observations of the Radiation Phenomena of SAPA Bions

Directions for the Preservation of SAPA-bions 1 (Evin) and 2 (Lorin):

The SAPA-bions are inoculated every 3-4 days on light-colored or, even better, blood
agar. Following the inoculation, they remain in an incubator for 10 - 20 hours and then at
room temperature. Occasionally, they decompose resulting in tissue shrinkage and the
appearance of bacteria rods observable under a microscope. Control at a magnification of
2000x. It is sometimes possible to regenerate them by swelling with a solution of 0.1 N
KCl and using rhythmic pulses of voltage at 10 volts.
It is best not to use infected cultures in radiation trials. Because the types and
intensity of the radiation are unknown and must first be determined, it is difficult to
implement adequate protective measures.

Protective Measures:

The following protective measures have been implemented at this time:

a) All of the cultures are located in the Faraday cage to limit the effect of the radiation.
The cage is in the basement; however, it is connected to the living area through a
radiator system.

b) There is continuous ventilation in the basement and living areas to counteract any
radiation that might come through.

c) Microscopic observations are held to a minimum.

d) The possibility of obtaining equipment for eye protection was raised with a firm
specializing in such equipment.

e) Lab coats and clothing are immediately exchanged and aired following contact with
the preparations.

f) To start with, consideration is being given to using asbestos, lead-lined protective

aprons, and radium protective gloves when working.

g) A radium-lead container was procured for the preparations. However, it is not certain
whether this container will provide enough protection given the intensity of the radiation.

h) After two weeks, the animal experiment on 7 mice has caused no life-changing
damages so far. However, one must wait longer before passing judgment concerning this
experiment. Injected were 0.7 cc of SAPA-suspension, 1 eyelet full onto 3 cc NaCl.

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WILHELM REICH

Preparations SAPA 1 and SAPA 2 have been sent to an institution specializing in radiation
for closer physical analysis. This report goes to:

The Director of Medicine, Oslo, Norway.

The Radiation Institute in Holland mentioned above.
Dr. Emil Walter, chemist and physicist, Zurich.
Dr. Tage Philipson, Copenhagen.
A New York institution.1
Dr. Odd Havrevold, Oslo.

1 Possibly, a reference to Dr. Theodore P. Wolfe at Columbia University. [Eds.]

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 Observaciones de los Fenómenos de
Radiación de Biones SAPA1
I. Origen de la mezcla: El 15 de enero de 1939, se inició la preparación de varias
soluciones incandescentes de biones en mi laboratorio. Entre ellas había una creada a
partir de arena de mar. Una punta de espátula de arena se calentó sobre una llama de gas
al rojo vivo, más o menos hasta la incandescencia, y luego se agregó inmediatamente a
una mezcla autoclavada de caldo de carne + 0.1 n KCl (las soluciones para las
preparaciones se mantienen siempre en un ambiente de temperatura controlada a 37° C
para descartar las sustancias no estériles). Después del intervalo habitual de cinco días, se
produjo una reinoculación en medio de huevo IV.2 Después de 48 horas, el medio en
cuestión mostró un intenso crecimiento amarillo cremoso. Un examen microscópico
mostró biones del tipo ameba en paquete.
Sin embargo, al ser comparados con otros cultivos,estos biones difirieron de los
biones ameba en paquete por sus distintos tamaños y una relativa inmovilidad. Los
cultivos crecieron bien cuando se reinocularon en agar sangre o agar simple. Los estudié
bajo un microscopio casi a diario durante cuatro semanas. Tuve la impresión de que podía
ver fenómenos de luz inusuales al utilizar un condensador de campo oscuro (Reichert
Co.) a un aumento de 2000x-3000x. Sólo bajo una configuración específica del
condensador de campo oscuro, podían distinguirse peculiares líneas de luz similares a los
rayos, que aparecían regularmente, a veces como líneas continuas y parecían originarse
en lugares especialmente brillantes dentro de los biones. Estas radiaciones se movían al
compás de los movimientos del bion y su posición era independiente del
reposicionamiento del espejo reflector. Una reducción gradual de la luz del microscopio
debilitaba completamente la radiación; sin embargo, el más pequeño rayo de luz las hacía
encender de nuevo. Asimismo, se observa que, con la configuración correcta del
condensador de campo claro y oscuro, los biones se llenaban con líneas claras y oscuras a
intervalos regulares.3 No consideré la posibilidad de micro rayos radiactivos, aunque un

1
Traducción al español de la traducción al inglés del manuscrito alemán, «Beobachtungen über
Strahlungsphänomene bei SAPA-Bionen», 10 de Marzo, 1939, Archivos del Instituto Orgone, Recuadro 9.
2
Medio de cultivo IV (a base de clara de huevo), 38 gr. Patatas (peladas gruesas y picadas pequeñas), 75
ccm Caldo, 3 gr. harina (almidón de patata), 1/2 gr. Pepton (marca Witte). Hervir durante una hora.
Revolver durante los primeros diez minutos hasta formar una papilla, luego cerrar el frasco de vidrio.
Enfriar a aproximadamente 50° C y luego agregar: 10 ccm KCl 0.1 N, 1/2 gr. lecitina, 10 ccm Solución de
campana, 6 ccm glicerina, 2 a 3 huevos, dependiendo del tamaño (esterilizado y humedecido con alcohol),
7.4 pH. Filtrar toda la mezcla con una gasa. Verter en frascos esterilizados; dejar que se gelifique en un
esterilizador seco a 80 - 90° C por dos horas. Al día siguiente, repetir el proceso en el esterilizador seco por
otras dos horas a la misma temperatura.
3
Aquí, en el manuscrito original Reich nos refiere a una fotografía que no fue encontrada con el
manuscrito. [Eds.]

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 WILHELM REICH

físico holandés,1 que había leído mi libro Die Bione, me había preguntado dos meses
antes si había observado alguna radiación. Después de cuatro semanas, me comenzaron a
doler los ojos. Los sentía tensos, casi no podía usar el microscopio porque estaban muy
sensibles a la luz y la presión de mis ojos había incrementado. Un oftalmólogo en Oslo
me diagnosticó conjuntivitis y me mandó reposo. Durante varios días, usé gafas oscuras
de seguridad hasta que mis ojos mejoraron. Luego filmé los biones SAPA con un solo
ocular, usando mi ojo derecho. Después de aproximadamente hora y media, ese ojo
comenzó a dolerme y experimenté los mismos síntomas que había experimentado antes
en los dos ojos. Después de largos períodos de observación microscópica, aparecían
imágenes hasta entonces desconocidas, de azul profundo y de aspecto extraño. Éstas
cesaban al interrumpir la observación en el microscopio. La reproducción de un cultivo
de biones SAPA a partir de la segunda preparación de arena, fue exitosa en febrero de
1939. Durante el mes siguiente, otras cuatro reproducciones a partir de preparaciones de
arena fueron posibles.

Se deben responder tres preguntas fundamentales:

1. Si la radiación realmente existe.

2. De qué tipo de radiación se trata
3. Qué tan intensa es bajo los parámetros de medición especificados.

Hasta la fecha, sólo he podido contestar positivamente la primera pregunta y la segunda,

apenas vagamente. La respuesta a la tercera pregunta debe dejarse a los físicos
profesionales.

Prueba del hecho de que los cultivos de biones SAPA I (Evin) y SAPA II (Lorin) emiten
radiación:

A. Sinopsis de la evidencia subjetiva:

1. Las personas, cuyas palmas tienen una carga eléctrica alta, perciben un sutil pinchazo
en las palmas de las manos y a veces calor cuando se exponen a cultivos de SAPA en
tubos de agar mantenidos a una distancia de 2 a 5 mm durante 2 a 5 minutos. La misma
reacción resulta de colocar una pizca del cultivo en un portaobjetos de cuarzo y colocarlo
en la piel. Los resultados de este experimento dependen de la carga eléctrica de la piel de
cada individuo y de la capacidad de cada sujeto para percibir el cosquilleo. Por otro lado,
el enrojecimiento de la piel, que generalmente ocurre entre los 5 y 10 minutos de
exposición, puede considerarse una prueba objetiva. El hormigueo en la palma de la
mano también puede sentirse a una distancia de aproximadamente 3 mm de la pared de

1
Una referencia a Willem F. Bon, quien inició una correspondencia y colaboración con Reich en relación
con el fenómeno de la radiación de los biones SAPA. [Eds.]

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 Observaciones de los Fenómenos de Radiación de Biones SAPA

cobre de una jaula de Faraday después de que se que en su interior haya reposado un
cultivo SAPA, durante varias horas o, mejor aún, varios días.

2. En la oscuridad total, preferiblemente dentro de una jaula de Faraday, se puede

observar un resplandor difuso, pálido y azulado que es ilimitado e inestable (como
parches de niebla). Después de aproximadamente media hora (cuando uno se acostumbra
a la oscuridad y puede percibir el brillo), ponerse un par de lentes oscuros disminuirá la
intensidad del brillo pálido. Por otro lado, el brillo en las paredes de cobre de la jaula y en
los objetos metálicos se puede ver más claramente cuando que se retiran las gafas. Al usar
los anteojos y mirar fijamente una pared de metal en la oscuridad total durante un período
prolongado de tiempo, se observan puntos de radiación de color azul-violeta que emergen
rítmicamente. Este fenómeno se puede intensificar sosteniendo una lámina cubierta con
sulfuro de zinc.
Lo mismo sucede cuando uno sostiene una lupa de gran aumento entre los ojos y el
punto destellante, ajustando la distancia hasta que el brillo se vuelva más denso. Los
puntos de luz violeta se pueden observar claramente, especialmente si la lupa está
conectada a una pantalla de enfoque a la distancia correcta. Si dos personas se sientan en
la oscuridad, darán cuenta de la aparición del mismo resplandor pálido y de que éste es
más denso alrededor de la bata blanca de laboratorio, la cabeza y las manos, etcétera. En
esa obscuridad, se alcanzaban a ver los objetos resplandecientes. Al ponerse y quitarse
repetidamente los lentes oscuros, uno se convence de la precisión de las observaciones.
Se debe distinguir un brillo pálido general del resplandor azul-violeta profundo. Una
tarde, después de haber estado sentado en el cuarto oscuro durante 5 horas con los
preparativos, me brillaban los dedos y las palmas de las manos. Este brillo disminuyó
después de unos días. Sin embargo, la palma de mi mano izquierda conservaba una
sensación de calidez acompañada de hormigueo, alternando la blancura y el
enrojecimiento, y un brillo destellante visible en la habitación oscura exactamente en el
lugar donde había sostenido regularmente los tubos de ensayo que contenían los
preparativos durante las pruebas subjetivas de las emisiones.

3. Después de una media a una hora en la jaula de Faraday, el aire se percibía «denso»,
«pesado», «opresivo», según el individuo. Si uno permanecía en la jaula de Faraday
demasiado tiempo, de dos a tres horas, uno sentía la necesidad de salir. Una vez fuera de
la habitación, uno podría respirar un suspiro de alivio. Si uno se expone al aire de esta
atmósfera (el aire de los preparativos) durante largos períodos de tiempo, se siente
cansado y apático. El aire fresco disipa rápidamente tales condiciones. Uno se siente
extrañamente fresco y fuerte. Esta impresión, aunque subjetiva, también fue reportada por
otras personas.

4. Los ratones y cobayas reaccionaron claramente con incomodidad cuando se colocaron

en la jaula de Faraday a una distancia de diez a veinte cm de la pared.

5. Examinar los biones de SAPA bajo un microscopio de un cilindro de lente por más de
aprox. media hora con aumento fuerte (que varía nuevamente con el individuo), produce

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 WILHELM REICH

dolor en el ojo que se usa para la observación pero no en el otro. Aparecen imágenes
secundarias azuladas. El descanso y las gafas oscuras alivian la sensibilidad a la luz. En
algunos casos, se presenta presión ocular y conjuntivitis. Por lo tanto, los biones SAPA
deben ser examinados bajo un microscopio con mucho cuidado. Esto en tanto
desconozcamos la naturaleza y la intensidad de la radiación.

B. Hallazgos objetivos basados en estos primeros descubrimientos subjetivos.

1. Las placas sensibles a la luz se colocan en cajas de cartón envueltas en papel negro y,
sin quitar la envoltura, se colocan a una distancia de 5 a 10 cm paralela a la pared de
cobre de la jaula de Faraday. Las preparaciones se colocan de modo que la emanación y
la luminosidad pasen a través de las placas hasta la pared de cobre. Los resultados de la
radiación se prueban revelando las placas después de 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, etc. horas, quitando
una placa de la caja en oscuridad total cada vez. Las placas también pueden exponerse
directamente a las preparaciones colocando placas de agar, tubos de agar o cultivos en un
portaobjetos de vidrio frotado con un poco de NaCl en las cajas que contienen las placas.
De manera similar, se puede colocar una placa de rayos X durante aproximadamente 15
minutos en el punto focal del tubo ocular de un microscopio. La placa de control (la placa
no expuesta) no debe colocarse en la misma habitación que la placa con la que se está
experimentando. El experimento mostró que, dado que se produce emanación, las placas
que están en la misma habitación que las preparaciones, aún a cierta distancia están
expuestas. Un rollo de película de rayos X que sería destinado al experimento de control
y fue casualmente dejado en la sala, se veló. Por tanto, las placas de control deben
almacenarse lejos del lugar de los experimentos. Todas las placas deben ser de la misma
serie. En una ocasión, pude obtener una imagen de los rayos utilizando un aparato Leica
enfocando el indicador del ocular del microscopio en el centro del campo en el borde del
cultivo y exponiéndolo durante la noche con un obturador de plano focal.

2. Es evidencia de la emanación el hecho de que cubrir partes de las placas sensibles a la

luz con piezas de metal o varillas no las protegió de la exposición. La radiación se
dispersa por toda la sala que contiene la preparación. Tener metal en las proximidades
juega un papel importante, ya que es muy difícil exponer las placas empacadas ubicadas
en la habitación sin una cantidad de metal considerable. Se ha de tener en mente que son
necesarios más ensayos para explicar esto.

3. Microfotografía de campo oscuro de la radiación con gran magnificación (2000x a

3000x). Encendí un condensador de campo oscuro en lugar de un condensador de campo
claro (utilizando el condensador de campo oscuro Reichert). Protegí la luz residual lo más
posible y ajusté a 1920x y luego a un aumento de 3000x (lente de objetivo 80x, ocular
16x y 25x respectivamente, tubo binocular inclinado, que aumenta un 50% más). Me
centré en una formación de biones SAPA individual tan atentamente como me fue
posible. Las vesículas de los organismos vivos y los rayos brillantes que alternan de
forma regular entre brillo y obscuridad aparecen claramente en la imagen. Se puede
afirmar que estos no son fenómenos de aberración esférica porque permanecen constantes

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 Observaciones de los Fenómenos de Radiación de Biones SAPA

cuando se desplaza la luz incidente. Una vez, pude ajustar el enfoque tan finamente que
vi rayos rectos de radiación emanando de las partes más brillantes de los biones. Estos
haces producían una mezcla en el campo oscuro de líneas rectas a momentos
intercalados con espacios oscuros. Se movían al compás de los biones y no se perturbaron
cuando el espejo de reflejo y el tornillo de ajuste del condensador de campo oscuro se
ajustaron más finamente. A una magnificación tan alta, uso lo que yo llamo inmersión en
agua, lo que significa que la lente del zoom está sumergida directamente en la gota. Es
necesario utilizar una gota muy pequeña, de lo contrario la preparación se desdibuja. La
inmersión directa simplifica enormemente este meticuloso trabajo meticuloso porque es
extremadamente difícil obtener este tipo de imágenes cuando se utiliza una cubierta de
vidrio. La cámara está equipada con un tubo de observación interior.1 La duración del
tiempo de exposición usando varios aumentos en un campo oscuro, no ha sido
experimentalmente determinada hasta el momento. Bajo el brillo intenso de un punto de
luz, un tiempo de exposición de un segundo o incluso medio segundo es suficiente. Si el
tiempo de exposición es demasiado largo, las líneas onduladas se vuelven borrosas y, si el
tiempo de exposición es demasiado corto, los haces lineales no emergen.

4. Enrojecimiento de la piel a través del portaobjetos. En un portaobjetos,

preferiblemente de cristal de cuarzo, se coloca una gota de puro cultivo fresco, de manera
tal que se forme una superficie cuadrada o redonda. El cultivo se satura uniformemente
con una gota minúscula de 0,1 N de KCl ó NaCl al 0,9%, para que no se seque demasiado
rápido. El portaobjetos será colocado en la parte posterior de la mano sin ejercer presión
con el lado húmedo hacia arriba y el otro lado hacia abajo. Después de unos minutos,
entre 5 y 10, dependiendo de la persona, se comenzará a sentir un hormigueo. La piel
enrojece entre 5 y 15 minutos después de la exposición y el enrojecimiento toma
exactamente la forma de la muestra en el portaobjetos. A veces, los bordes son rojos y el
centro es blancuzco (anemia central). Es de suma importancia esperar pacientemente
hasta que ocurra la reacción. Los individuos más fácilmente excitables y con mayor
vasomotricidad, reaccionan más rápido y más notablemente que las personas cuya piel
lleva una carga eléctrica deficiente.

5. Deflexión magnética en la jaula de Faraday. Al principio, intenté provocar una

desviación de la aguja del imán únicamente a través del contacto directo con la
preparación. Esto no produjo resultados claros. Se hizo evidente que los rayos tenían una
fuerte atracción por metales (hierro fundido, níquel, etc.). Los objetos metálicos en la sala
se magnetizaron, y a la vez, reflejaron fuertemente la radiación. Probé el magnetismo en
la jaula de Faraday cerca de las paredes de cobre, como se muestra en la ilustración. Si
las preparaciones permanecen en una jaula bien aislada por lo menos 24 horas, se
advierte agitación en la aguja magnética a una distancia de 20-30 cm, a veces incluso 50
cm de la pared. La pared exactamente opuesta al norte magnético de la Tierra es la que
más desvía, esto es, atrae completamente el polo norte de una aguja magnética, la

1
En alemán: «inblickrohr».

93
 WILHELM REICH

dirección opuesta del norte magnético. La aguja no mostró influencia al ser colocada en
el centro de la jaula de 2,5 metros de largo y ancho. No hubo desviación en la pared norte
y sólo un indicador inestable que se tambaleó. La deflexión fue aparente en las paredes
este y oeste, pero apenas la mitad o una cuarta parte de la intensidad en la pared sur. Estos
fenómenos pueden explicarse probablemente por la influencia del paralelogramo de
fuerzas formado por los campos magnéticos de la tierra y por el efecto de las paredes
cargadas. La jaula está conectada a tierra. La jaula no se ha utilizado sin los cultivos
preparados porque esos cultivos, por el momento, no toleran ser almacenados en otro
lugar. Sin embargo, no fueron observadas interferencias al llevar a cabo experimentos con
el oscilógrafo ni con otras agujas magnéticas sensibles cerca de la pared. Es necesario
llevar a cabo experimentos de control utilizando una jaula completamente libre de carga.

6. El oscilógrafo (un amplificador de corriente continua de tres tubos conectado a un

espejo-galvanómetro magnético) muestra un aumento en el voltaje del ánodo y una
disminución en la tensión de la red cuando el electrodo de rejilla hace contacto con la
pared de la jaula. Es una certeza que un voltaje de ánodo abierto tiene lugar de radiación
donde no hay contacto con la pared. Sin embargo, la tensión de la red muestra fuertes
fluctuaciones, en su mayoría positivas, que aún no han sido estudiadas a fondo.

7. SAPA I mató células cancerosas con movimiento ameboide a la distancia. Estos

eventos fueron filmados. En dos ratones que habían sido reinoculados con bacilos T,
aparecieron úlceras profundas similares a las producidas por los rayos X. SAPA I previno
el, de otra forma fatal, efecto de los bacilos T. (Los bacilos T son organismos de
aproximadamente 0,25-0,5 o 0,6 μm de tamaño que se forman a través de la degeneración
de biones o por el crecimiento de ellos a partir de tejido de cáncer o sangre canceroso. Un
informe al respecto estará disponible pronto).

Hallazgos preliminares:

1. Los dos cultivos de biones SAPA que tenemos [Lorin y Evin] emiten una radiación
electromagnética fotoquímica activa.

2. Se puede distinguir un brillo brumoso del punto de radiación violeta profundo durante
la observación.

3. El tipo y la calidad de la radiación aún no han sido evaluados.

4. El blindaje aún no se ha determinado. Una jaula de Faraday parece ser el mejor medio
para desviar los rayos hacia un metal conectado a tierra; Sin embargo, no detiene la
emanación.

5. Un electroscopio colocado a una distancia próxima registra fenómenos

electromagnéticos. Aún no se ha tomado la decisión de llevar a cabo un examen y
evaluación más cercana de estos fenómenos.

94
 Observaciones de los Fenómenos de Radiación de Biones SAPA

6. No se ha determinado daño a la sangre y al tejido.

7. Se debe determinar si esta radiación es de un tipo conocido o si es una forma nueva.

8. En este momento, no puede darse una interpretación teórica de los fenómenos

descritos. Sin embargo, la creación de biones SAPA a partir de arena de mar de Noruega
y sus funciones se alinean con las teorías de la física con respecto a las ondas de la
materia y las partículas de energía y con la teoría básica de que la vida se crea a partir de
la materia a través de la hinchazón y la carga eléctrica y funciona en concordancia con
este proceso (el proceso de tensión-carga-descarga, es un proceso de liberación de
tensión).

Instrucciones para la preservación de biones SAPA:

Los biones SAPA se inoculan cada 3-4 días en agar ligero o, mejor aún, en agar
sangre. Después de la inoculación, permanecen en un termostato por 10-20 horas y luego
a temperatura ambiente. Ocasionalmente, se descomponen, lo que resulta en el
encogimiento del tejido y la aparición de bacterias observables bajo un microscopio.
Control a una ampliación de 2000x. A veces es posible regenerarlos hinchándolos con
una solución de KCl 0.1 N y usando pulsos rítmicos de voltaje de 10 voltios.
Es mejor no utilizar cultivos infectados en ensayos de radiación. Debido a que los
tipos y la intensidad de la radiación son desconocidos y primero se deben determinar, es
difícil implementarlos adecuadamente.

Medidas de protección:

Las siguientes medidas de protección se han implementado en este momento:

a) Todos los cultivos están ubicados en la jaula de Faraday para limitar el efecto de la
radiación. La jaula está en el sótano. Sin embargo, está conectada al espacio habittado a
través del sistema radiador.

b) Hay ventilación continua en el sótano y en las áreas de vivienda para contrarrestar

cualquier radiación que pueda alcanzar estas áreas.

c) Las observaciones microscópicas se mantienen al mínimo.

d) La posibilidad de obtener equipo para la protección de los ojos se planteó a una firma
especializada en este tipo de equipo.

e) Las batas y la ropa de laboratorio se intercambian y ventilan inmediatamente después

del contacto con los preparados.

95
 WILHELM REICH

f) Para empezar, se está considerando el uso de asbestos, delantales de protección

revestidos con plomo y guantes protectores de radio cuando se trabaja.

g) Se adquirió un contenedor de radio-plomo para las preparaciones. Sin embargo, no es

seguro si este contenedor proporcionará suficiente protección dada la intensidad de la
radiación.

h) Después de dos semanas, el experimento con animales en 7 ratones no ha causado

daños que alteren la vida hasta el momento. Sin embargo, uno debe esperar más tiempo
antes de emitir un juicio sobre este experimento. Se inyectaron 0,7 ccm de suspensión
SAPA, 3 ccm de NaCl.

Los preparados SAPA 1 y SAPA 2 se han enviado a una institución especializada en

radiación para un análisis físico más detallado. Este informe se dirige a:

El Director de Medicina, Oslo, Noruega.

El Instituto de Radiación en Holanda mencionado anteriormente.
Dr. Emil Walter, químico y físico, Zurich.
Dr. Tage Philipson, Copenhague.
Una institución de Nueva York.1
Dr. Odd Havrevold, Oslo.

1
Posiblemente, una referencia al Dr. Theodore P. Wolfe de la Universidad de Columbia. [Eds.]

96
 Three Experiments with Rubber
at the Electroscope1

I.

Fresh and intact Sand Bion (SAPA) cultures2 are placed together with thin rubber
gloves or any other kind of soft rubber for several hours in a metal cage. It is also
sufficient to block the admission of air in any other way. Pieces of rubber of the same
kind were exposed, as a control, to freely moving air in the shade. The latter give no
reaction at the electroscope, neither on approaching nor on contact. On the other hand,
the rubber gloves influenced by the SAPA bions produce a more or less sharp deflection
of the electroscope at a certain distance away from and on contact with the plate of the
electroscope. If we exchange the rubber gloves, and put those which were in the cage in
the open, shaded air and bring those that were in the shade into the cage, we obtain the
reverse result: The earlier shaded, now irradiated gloves give a reaction at the
electroscope; the earlier treated, now shaded gloves produce no reaction, if the control
gloves are thoroughly aired. Also, immersion of the gloves in water causes the reaction to
disappear.

II.

We place soft, thin rubber gloves in the bright sunlight until we obtain a reaction with
them on approaching and on contact with the electroscope. Control rubber gloves were
placed in shady, mobile air or, still better, immersed in water. The latter give no reaction.
In exchanging the gloves, we had the same result with the gloves that had been kept in
the shade and now were placed in the sun.

III.

We repeat the same experiment, but in this case, we place soft gloves, which
previously gave no reaction at the electroscope, on the stomach, the genitals, etc., of an
experimental subject. After 5 to 10 minutes the rubber, influenced by the body, produces
a deflection of the leaves at the electroscope on contact with and also on approaching the
electroscope. The control gloves kept in fresh, shaded, mobile air cause no deflection. If
we exchange the gloves, then we obtain the same result with the gloves that formerly

1
First published in German in the series Klinische und Experimentelle Berichte, No. 7, 1939, issued by the
Institut fur Sexualökonomische Lebensforschung, Sexpol – Verlag, Oslo, Norway. This English translation
first appeared in the Orgone Energy Bulletin, Vol. 3, No. 3, 1951, pages 144 – 145.
2
For photographs of SAPA bions, see photos 14 and 15, in Reich, W. “Bion Experiments on the Cancer
Problem,” on page 47 of this journal.

97
 WILHELM REICH

were used as the control. Persons with poor respiration and diminished vegetative
excitability cause only a slight deflection of the electroscopic leaves or none at all.
If one has the experimental subjects who react poorly, breathe more fully, then the
reaction occasionally succeeds. Experimental persons with strong vegetative excitability
give strong and quick reactions.

Conclusion: The organism, too, if not vegetatively rigid, passes over to the rubber an
energy, which influences the electroscope as does friction electricity. The interpretation
of these phenomena, which point to the existence of a definite kind of bio-energetic
radiation, as well as a detailed presentation of the experiments, should be given
elsewhere and in another connection.

98
 The Effects of Humidity on Orgone Trials1
In April, 1939, after experimenting with orgone radiation for three months, I sent a
SAPA culture for testing purposes to Dr. Bon2 in Amersfoort, Holland at his request.
After a number of weeks, I received notification that, although he did notice the blue light
impression, the rest of the results were all negative. This was totally incomprehensible,
since the trials in Oslo continuously produced very positive results. These experiments
showed verifiable, positive reactions again and again, through rubber on the electroscope,
on photography plates, in a Faraday cage, etc.
I was first able to clarify the difficulties in August, 1939, during my immigration
from Oslo to New York. I had taken an electroscope and some pliable rubber staves with
me on the trip and was studying the effects of solar orgone. The enclosed table contains
an overview of the trials.3 On August 21st and 23rd, I could clearly detect orgone in the
air of my cabin, on the ship’s deck, on peoples’ bodies and in the sun. On August 25th,
the sky was very cloudy, and orgone was barely detectible in the air of my cabin but
nowhere else. Until August 27th I could obtain absolutely no further reactions. At first I
could not understand this lack of reaction because the morning of August 27th was clear
and sunny. After much afterthought, it dawned on me that we had traveled well beyond
the 50th parallel on August 25th, and that the moisture content of the air was extremely
high. It was suddenly clear that the moisture in the air absorbed the radiation so
thoroughly that it could no longer be detected via rubber. Experiments with static
electricity were equally negative. In New York, where it was extremely moist and
humid, I could not detect orgone either until September 16th, 1939, around 11:00 in the
morning when it was clear and sunny, and I once again obtained a pronounced
electroscopic reaction in the street in front of my house. The two enclosed charts4 show
that, during the time span from September 16 until November 2, 1939, the detection of
orgone radiation from the sun depended on the moisture content of the air. As the
relative humidity decreased, the easier it was to obtain a reaction, while each increase in
humidity made a reaction next to impossible.
Because of Holland’s very high average relative humidity and Oslo’s minimally low
average relative humidity, the conjecture that poor reactions were caused by moisture
seemed logical, assuming that no other errors had been made during observations. It was
especially noticeable that the objects in which the evidence of orgone was so difficult to
verify under high relative humidity, showed an increase in the magnetic deflection of
metals when exposed to solar or SAPA-culture radiation. The phenomena were
especially perplexing, and one must resign oneself to a very tedious procedure requiring

1
Translated from the German manuscript, “Die Auswirkungen der Luftfeuchtigkeit auf Orgonstudien,”
(late 1939). Archives of the Orgone Institute, Manuscripts, Box 9.
2
Dutch physicist Willem F. Bon, who collaborated with Reich in studies of the SAPA bion radiation
phenomena. [Eds.]
3
This table was not found with the manuscript. [Eds.]
4
These two charts were not found with the manuscript. [Eds.]

99
 WILHELM REICH

lots of patience in order to differentiate between individual occurrences of orgone

radiation in the overall phenomenon. After October, my concern that the determination
of orgone radiation in the human organism would not be possible while in New York
proved to be totally baseless. As soon as the humidity sank, I got the same responses
from the organism as in Oslo.

100
 Interferencia de la Humedad en los
Experimentos con Orgón1
En abril de 1939, después de experimentar por tres meses con radiación orgónica, le
mandé al Dr. Bon, a Amersfoort, un cultivo de biones SAPA a petición suya.2 Tras varias
semanas me informó que notaba las impresiones de luz azul, pero no había obtenido ningún
otro resultado. Esto me resultaba incomprensible. En Oslo los experimentos continuamente
producían resultados positivos y verificables: con caucho en el electroscopio, en placas
fotográficas, en la caja de Faraday, etcétera.
Las condiciones para clarificar los resultados obtenidos por Bon, se presentaron en
agosto de 1939, durante mi emigración de Oslo hacia Nueva York. En el viaje llevaba
conmigo un electrosopio y algunas tablillas plegables de caucho y estaba estudiando los
efectos del orgón solar. La tabla adjunta3 contiene un esquema general de los experimentos.
El 21 y el 23 de agosto, detecté orgón en el aire de mi camarote, en la cubierta del barco,
el cuerpo de la gente y en el sol. El 25 de agosto, el cielo estaba muy nublado y a excepción
del aire de mi camarote en donde el orgón era apenas detectable, no registré evidencia de
su actividad en ninguna otra parte del barco. Del 27 de agosto en adelante, no volví a
obtener resultados positivos. Al principio me costó entender la ausencia de reacciones. El
día 27 el cielo estaba claro y soleado. De pronto me dí cuenta: el día 25 de agosto habíamos
cruzado el paralelo 50 y la humedad atmosférica era extremadamente alta. Entonces
quedome claro que la humedad absorbe la radiación en el aire volviéndola indetectable al
menos usando el caucho. Los experimentos con electricidad estática también eran
negativos. Una vez en Nueva York, la humedad atmosférica seguía siendo muy alta y no
fue hasta el 16 de septiembre, sobre las 11:00 am que volví a detectar orgón. El día era
claro y soleado y obtuve una reacción electroscópica pronunciada en la calle, frente a mi
casa. Las dos tablas adjuntas,4 muestran que entre septiembre 16 y noviembre la evidencia
de radiación orgónica solar dependía de la humedad relativa. Conforme ésta decrecía, más
fácil era obtener reacciones, mientras que al incrementar la humedad relativa las reacciones
se hacían casi imposibles. La conjetura de que las reacciones nulas o pobres se debían a la
alta humedad, era lógica, tras esta serie de observaciones. La alta humedad relativa en
Holanda (asumiendo que no se cometieron errores que hayan afectado las observaciones y
los resultados) y la baja humedad relativa promedio en Oslo, explicarían pues la diferencia
entre los resultados de Amersfoort y Oslo. Es muy importante señalar que aquellos objetos
en los cuales la evidencia de orgón era tan difícil de verificar bajo alta humedad relativa,

1
Traducción al español del manuscrito en inglés, «The Effects of Humidity on Orgone Trials», finales de
1939, de los Archivos del Orgon Institute (OI), Manuscritos, Caja 9. Original en alemán: «Störung der Orgon-
Versuche durch Luftfeuchtigkeit»
2
W.F. Bon era un físico neerlandés que colaboró con Reich en los experimentos de control sobre los biones
SAPA. [Eds.]
3
Tabla no encontrada con este manuscrito. [Eds.]
4
Estas tablas no se encontraron junto con el manuscrito. [Eds.]

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 WILHELM REICH

al exponerse a radiación proveniente del sol o de cultivos SAPA, mostraban un incremento

en la deflección magnética de los metales. Estos fenómenos eran especialmente
desconcertantes y uno debía resignarse a seguir un procedimiento bastante tedioso que
requería de una gran paciencia para poder diferenciar entre manifestaciones particulares de
la radiación orgónica y el fenómeno en su conjunto. Mi preocupación de que la
determinación de radiación orgónica en el organismo humano no fuera posible en Nueva
York, después de octubre, careció de sustento. Tan pronto cedió la humedad, volví a obtener
las mismas respuestas del organismo que en Oslo.

102
 THE WILHELM REICH MUSEUM

The Wilhelm Reich Museum is an historic site and nature preserve which represents
and interprets the life and work of physician-scientist Wilhelm Reich (1897 - 1957)
and the environment in which he investigated the energy functions that govern all
living things. The museum comprises 175 acres of fields and woodland with a
system of trails and two major buildings. The Orgone Energy Observatory,
designed for Reich in 1948, exhibits biographical materials, inventions, and
equipment used in his pioneering experiments. Reich's library, personal
memorabilia, sculpture, and vivid paintings are also on view, and there is a
discovery room for children. The observatory deck on the roof provides a
spectacular vista of the surrounding countryside. Reich's tomb stands in a forest
clearing nearby.

Visiting hours:

JULY & AUGUST SEPTEMBER

Tuesday-Sunday Sundays only
1 P.M.-5 P.M. 1 P.M.-5 P.M.

The Conference Building, originally a students’ laboratory, is open year-round. It

is used for conferences, workshops, and special exhibits. It also houses the
museum office, bookstore, and mail order service.

Orgonon, P.O. Box 687 Rangeley, Maine 04970

(207) 864-3443
Prepared by MagCloud for Javier Dura. Get more at wilhelmreichtrust.magcloud.com.