One of the most obvious social phenomenon that is in front of everyone’s eyes and that no-one sees…the elephant in the room…is the transformation of Western Society from authoritarian to anti-authoritarian that began around 1960. All of a sudden, human authority that had functioned for thousands of years as an organizing force responsible for maintaining and perpetuating Western civilization became a “problem” that had to be destroyed. Before this could be accomplished, the central authority figures that first had to be eliminated were its male leaders on all social levels. These we’re the ones who had the power of enforcing the sexual suppression of the authoritarian, moral code. Eliminating sexual suppression and demanding the sexual freedom of young people were believed to be the final “solutions” to humanities problems. This was behind the “sexual revolution” of the 60s. As a result of this colossal blunder all hell broke loose.
The social transformation that resulted is the background for the rise in almost all of the destructive social changes that have occurred since that time. The most important of these was the disintegration of the authoritarian family, the foundation of the authoritarian order. This social catastrophe has spawned all the other pathological social symptoms of our society. These include the public mystically looking for answers for the problems of society through politics, the rise in psychopathic and criminal activity of far-left politicians, the rise in drug related fatalities, the inability of young adults to take care of themselves as seen most dramatically in the increase in the homeless population nationwide and the general deterioration of society etc.
All of these and other symptoms of the social pathology of the transformation continue to remain enigmatic because people do not have the functional tools of social orgonomy to understand them. Knowledge of the social forces underlying the transformation and why society was transformed from authoritarian to anti-authoritarian in the first place are necessary steps that must be taken before any functional knowledge can be applied to prevent further social decline.
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Neither Left Nor Right
The Emotional Plague
Charles Konia, M.D. 
Dear Dr K, So enjoying & appreciative of your fabulous posts. Undoubtedly our culture & country are in dire need of exposing the emotional plague forces that have been unleashed on an unsuspecting & increasingly vulnerable public.
I grew up during the authoritarian 50’s & must say it was a most unhappy & repressive time. Sexual repression was rampant & corporal punishment from both parents & teachers was the norm… & any push back was greeted with even more repression (“shut up & do what you’re told!”). When the 60’s came along it was natural to some extent to rebel as so many of my (Boomer) generation did. I do agree that it did- & has- gone too far. But I’m also in no hurry to return to the past authoritarian model that
caused this rebellion in the first place. Im sure you’re not suggesting this, but I am a little confused as to your meaning when you state: “Knowledge of the social forces underlying the transformation and why society was transformed from authoritarian to anti-authoritarian in the first place are necessary steps that must be taken before any functional knowledge can be applied to prevent further social decline.” What social forces exactly? And what type of society would you envision that would actually reverse the current social decline?
I am not suggesting a return to the “good old days” as if that were even possible. In my book “Neither Left Nor Right” I describe people’s quandary. A new way of looking and thinking are required. This is called functional thinking. The American College of Orgonomy is conducting lectures open to the public to acquaint the public on how to understand what is happening in today’s world from a functional perspective.
What Dr.Konia has answered is in my perception absolutely right, you cannot go back to the 1950s, it is even biologically not possiblle at all and this cannot be the goal. It would have been nice if there would have been a tender, slow change in society , more rational and contactful. since the 50s.
Let me say it this way, the goal is to follow functionally the authority of God, the creator of life, reflected in natural authorities and leaders.
I do not mean this religiously and also not pantheistic, there is existing a life in contact with reality and it is possible, beyond neurosis.
We have some people in Germany, who are interested in orgonomy, but all come from left-wing working families and have the classic behaviors of anti-authoritarian leftists, they have now learned everything correctly, by memorizing with the brain, as socialist education imagines, what Dr.Reich, Dr.Konia and Dr, Baker wrote – it is a typically leftist tragic comedy of irrational illusions, they did not understand anything biologically in the depth, and want to change very aggressively addictively society with a new mass movement (even fantasizing of misusing the cloudbuster for mass “therapy”, with a new ideology, society should follow, orgonomy is only pushed in the facade for these irrational, destructive goals.
You should start, setting yourself small personal goals, that you can reach realistically, just start with the feeling of your own fears and the perception that nothing bad will happen if you do not run away from them.
Starting with these “small” goals, you will begin a biological process over years – that will lead you to “bigger” goals bit by bit, this means to a fully self-responsible, free life, taking responsibility for your health, that means stopping to destroy yourself, your body with your masochism, responsibility for a personal happy life, finding a partner that you can make happy, and you might have emotional healthier children with in the future, who are even more emotional healthier than you were in childhood.
This is how you will change society with your personal biological happiness, this is all you can do, it undermines biologically a big part of the emotional plague (also the plague within yourself) that knows no emotional depth at all, and you might stop being part of selfdestructive and society destructive anti-social behaviours.
The idea of a mass movement with a new ideology to change society in my perception is totally from he brain and will cost thousands of lives – leading to the next fascism. – it is nothing but an expression of the emotional plague.
Understood, but given the fact that millions of (clueless) Americans seem to be buying into the plague infected far left’s freedom peddling B.S., perhaps ACO lectures to a very limited audience, might not cut it. That is to say the extreme left’s agenda is becoming more mainstream by the day & if it’s not stopped sooner than later, then we’re all going to be subjugated to their power hungry PC tyranny. Can you imagine what life under Prez Bernie would be like? Or even worse, Prez AOC? Frightening prospects to say the least.
Orgonomy has the knowledge/information necessary to expose & combat this fast approaching tyranny, but a more proactive approach may very well be needed.
Elliot, it has taken me many years to absorb the simplicity of Dr. Konia’s definition of anti-authoritarianism from his book, “The Emotional Plague”:
“Anti-authoritarianism: The social system that is opposed to both neurotic (irrational) and rational authority at every level of social organization.” (Page 453)
So what Dr. Konia is saying is that the baby has been thrown out with the bathwater: we rejected the irrational authority (authoritarianism); but in the process we threw out rational authority as well. For example, the authoritarian tradition contained within it many rational elements—not the authoritarianism itself, but within the authoritarian tradition there was some health which has now been thrown out entirely. I think that pretty much summarizes talk to Tonya’s message in a very simple way.
His two books provide the details about how that happened.
Ok David, there is rational and irrational authority. Then rational authority would relent in the presence of auto-regulation only to re-appear when the irrational (authority) shows up. Do you agree?
Hi, Maurice: No. “Rational authority” means functioning from the core, since authority comes from the core. So “rational authority“ simply means healthy functioning. Rational authority is not a form of authoritarianism. I’m sorry, I hope I’m not misunderstanding you, quite possibly I am. But according to how I would define rational authority, it would have no reason to “relent“ in the presence of self-regulation, quite the contrary. Self regulation itself generates rational authority and vice versa. Rational authority doesn’t only need to show up when irrational authority rears its head. “Rational authority” simply means functioning in a healthy manner with core contact. It doesn’t imply authoritarianism or lording it over anyone or bossing anyone around or being a cop or something like that.
The way the term “authority“ is being used here is perhaps somewhat different than the usual understanding of the word.
The word “authority“ derives from the Latin word “auctor,” which means “originator” or “promoter.” The word “author“ also derives from “auctor.” I think the etymology here is consistent with the concept of authority coming from the core, since the core is where everything originates, in a sense.
Thank you, for your response, David. It ‘s clearer to me now.
You’re welcome, Maurice.
You wrote that the ACO is trying “to acquaint the public on how to understand what is happening in today’s world from a functional perspective.” The question is why this has so little appeal and does not catch fire with the masses, at all. I believe Dr. Holbrook gave the answer to this on this very blog: medical orgone therapy (and I guess one might extrapolate: orgonomy in general) does NOT work by exciting the core, and he refers to “the various feral body therapies, which damage people by increasing excitation in a non-contactful manner.” Inherently orgonomy is neither truth- nor freedom peddling. It works ”character analytically” from the outside in. Therefore it is so “dry” and non-appealing. Take the books MURDER OF CHRIST and MAN IN THE TRAP: in any other, for lack of a better term, “school of thought” there would have been “wet” descriptions about “living life,” “Jesus Christ,” and “heaven,” exciting the core of people in a mystical way, but actually these books are dry treatises about the emotional plague and character dynamics. Even traditional psychoanalysis has way more sex appeal! I do not see how orgonomy will ever solve this conundrum without going the way of “the various feral body therapies, which damage people by increasing excitation in a non-contactful manner.” Well, there are tons of individuals and organization who try to be exciting “orgonomically” – but they are all emotional plague and will destroy orgonomy… Essentially they are nothing but “blue” FASCISTS! Orgonomy has to start with the most superficial layer not the core; it has to start with the ocular block not the pelvis. No wonder people, who are constantly bombarded with sentimental kitsch, religion, spirituality, and sex, pass by not even recognizing there is something like orgonomy.
Quite agree Peter. Although I dont necessarily agree that MURDER OF CHRIST is a ‘dry” work. Other than FUNCTION OF THE ORGASM, it may very well be Reich’s most important book. But yes, Orgonomy would be well served by appealing to people’s superficial layer as opposed to their mystical core. But how to do this on a massive scale is the question. Dr Konia’s books are a fantastic start, but more needs to be done (social media?) to reach a much wider audience to help stem -and even reverse- the ever increasing tide of progressive fascist ideology.
It is a mystery to me why no orgonomist simply starts a youtube channel. It costs nothing and can potentially reach as much people as, say, cnn, Cf. Marc Dice! If it reaches nobody, no damage in done! I know, practicing psychiatrists must be careful not to expose themselves too much, especially politically. I do not know.
It is an excellent idea.
Peter
The point you raise here is precisely the challenge that the people who were drawn to Reich’s work and the science of orgonomy (particularly Dr. Konia and the ACO) have grappled with for the longest time. I share your frustration with regards to the lack of interest in the treasure chest (and I mean that literally) of knowledge the science of Orgonomy provides to the world. In “Children of the Future” Reich points out that even from the earliest age, humans are not naturally drawn to the depths in a straight forward manner. Here is the quote “Children will identify much faster and more fully with the sick, rough stuff – grimacing, using bad language, shooting, spitting, etc – than the calm, deep, simple natural behavior.” 1000’s of years of armoring is not that easy to overcome in the short term.
The first time I attended an ACO conference in the mid 90’s, I was shocked at how few people were in attendance at Princeton University. I was expecting 1000’s and I remember asking the panel during question period, why weren’t there more people in attendance.
I am attracted to the ACO because they represent the 9th degree black belt in orgonomy. It seems that because of the straight forwardness and all encompassing depth of the subject matter, very few are attracted. In karate new students are introduced to the simple version (yellow/white belt). So far orgonomy has not found a way to present itself in the yellow/white belt format. I am not sure it is possible
It seems to me that Reich did an excellent job of reaching people and he never used a white belt, always a 15th degree black belt. I don’t think dumbing things down is the answer. I think the answer is the opposite.
It seems to me that Reich did an excellent job of reaching people and he never used a white belt, always a 15th degree black belt. I don’t think dumbing things down is the answer. I think the answer is the opposite.
I don’t think anyone ever turned away from orgonomy because it was “too complicated.” Frankly, I think a far greater danger is boring people to death.
In my perception your words in your comment above are absolutely true, Dr. Holbrook,
What you are describing, is the second reason why I reject an orgonomic „mass movement“.
An „orgonomy light“, like a diet product for „the people“ would decronstruct the essence of orgonomy from the biological core, it would only take biologically place mostly in the brain, and what is so difficult about coming into contact with his body feelings and fears?
You do not have to simplify this biological process at all, the science of orgonomy itself is for sure not for laymen, this is, what I perceive clearly in Germany.
It has been scientifically researched that the emotional, non-verbal language of newborn infants around the world is the same.
Everyone understands the language of emotions, although the characterstructers of adults and grown ups are naturally totally different.
A You tube channel – why?
The truth of orgonomy is in my perception a biolgical truth and therfore deep personal contact is necessary..
I find electronic communication very unsensitive and somehow absolutely contctless, you cannot look really in the eyes of a person – how do you want orgone energy, feel the energy field of a person, by watching you tube videos ? – orgonomy is not a theory, orgonenergy is biological reality
But please, try the you tube channel – I am sure that, even if it is didactically very professional produced by the ACO, it will have very little followers, which is not due to orgonomy or the ACO, but to the unsatisfactory electronic communication, which is quite non-sensory, non biologically, and away from the body, much more in the head, in the brain, , in my body perception , you can get really problems with the ocular armor using a smartphone for hours daily, it feels like a bodily contraction process, concentrating on this little machine all day.
For sure the few people who are interested in orgonomy would find such a you tube channel produced by the ACO, there already exists one, very good and would be very happy about it.
So I personally would enjoy some youtube lectures by Dr.Konia on social orgonomy very much, but I am not „the people“ :).
I am sorry for an error in my comment above:
It have to correct one sentence.
It has to be called:
“…it will have very FEW followers….”
I just want to give you an example of the results of „power to the people“ in Germany:
The Berlin Association on Wihelm Reich is misusing his name – no one ever was in real orgontherapy from its members at all, they immediately brushed off the for them annoying theme of sexuality, after that the existence of orgone energy was consistently denied – those who are afraid of sexuality MUST deny the existence of orgonenergy ,
Then they created a very slender body psychotherapy from the words of Myron Sharaf, whom I had heard in a lecture in Vienna, but who was never trained by Reich, Alexander Lowen’s brutal dilletatism, and pressure point massages from body psychotherapy, mixed with Stanislav Grofs Transpersonal mystifying psychology that takes you away from the body, and Grof’s holotropic breathing that is forced breathing all the way to hyperventilation, you can inflict a lifetime of damage to a patient’s health with this.
They called this nonsense „Orgoentherapy“ in Berlin.
I was visiting Lassek personally in Berlin years ago, he gave me lectures by Ryke Gerd Hamer, an antisemitic cheater who has brought many patients to grave.
It was biological core contact from my side against, emotional plague from Lasseks side.he had no idea of orgonomy at all.
That was the irrational result of „power to the people“, a movement.
Humans have an incredible yearning for freedom, but they can not endure their uptake, they are in fear of the responsibilty, they cannot biologically handle freedom without natural authority, which they almost never follow, as they have no biological core contact at all.
They, „the people“, will take orgonomy and misuse it, we have such things in different variations in Germany.
Please notice, that I do NOT want to have a conversation on the Berlin association, neither on single persons – it is just an example, that I know.
Please remember that renaissance, with its science of enlightenment, was maintained for almost a hundred years by only a hundred people in europe, society was not yet ripe or ready for science of enlightment, it took time.
I just want to give you an example of the results of „power to the people“ in terms of orgonomy from Germany
The Berlin Association on Wihelm Reich is misusing his name – no one ever was in real orgontherapy from its members, they immediately brushed off the for them annoying theme of sexuality, after that the existence of orgone energy was consistently denied – those who are afraid of sexuality MUST deny the existence of orgonenergy ,
Then they created a very slender body psychotherapy from the words of Myron Sharaf, whom I had heard in a lecture in Vienna, but who was never trained by Reich, Alexander Lowen’s brutal dilletatism, and pressure point massages from body psychotherapy, mixed with Stanislav Grofs of all people Transpersonal mystifying psychology that takes you away from the body, and Grof’s holotropic breathing that forced breathing is all the way to hyperventilation, you can inflict a lifetime of damage to a patient’s health.
They called this nonsense „Orgonetherapy“ Berlin.
I was visiting Lassek personally in Berlin years ago, he gave me lectures by Ryke Gerd Hamer, an antisemitic cheater who has taken many people to his grave.
It was biological core contact from my side against, emotional plague from Lasseks side.he had no idea of orgonomy at all.
That was the irrational result of „power to the people“, a movement.
Humans have an incredible yearning for freedom, but they can not endure their uptake, they are in fear of the responsibilty, they cannot biologically handle freedom without natural authority, which they almost never follow, as they have no biological cor contact at all.
They, „the people“, will take orgonomy and misuse it, we have such things in different variations in Germany.
Please notice, that I do NOT want to have a conversation on the Berlin association, neither on persons – it is just an example, that I know.
Please remember that renaissance, with its science of enlightenment, was maintained for almost a hundred years by only a hundred people in europe, society was not yet ripe or ready for science of enlightment, it took time.
ready
May I politely point out that the outermost layer of the character structure is fed by the secondary layer, and it serves to conceal it – and not vice versa.
Real social behavior from the biological core does not require a social facade. at all
So, thi is the reason, why behavioral therapy, psychoanalysis etc. did not work, they all get hung u in the secondary layer, because they only use words and address mostly the neocortex.
You may like to try to explain maybe with lectures to the normal neurotic that his work is very valuable (although this instinct knows that his dissatisfaction with his work has something to do with his lack of work function, with his orgasmic impotence -)
He will then consider after a lecture, that his work might be very valuable and say that he would never have thought so.
This feeling on the surface lasts for three days – instinctively he realizes biologically by doing bodily his work again, that this is a lie, after three days he wants to be the president of the us again, as a mirror image of his jammed energy, which he can not biological dissipate or discharge at all, like a big tight bubble, alsways longing to burst but it will never happen.
The above mentioned example is considered to be psychology and life counseling it is NOT Orgonomy, it is past the truth,
It is NOT about thinking, but about biology and feeling.
Remember your unconscious is in your Body., it is mostly not a function of the brain at all.
My personal appreciation of what Reich, Baker and the ACO have accomplished is second to none but I have to respectfully disagree with your assessment that the answer is the opposite. The white belt would not be a dumbing down or an attempt to distort the essence.
Dr Konia’s editorial in Volume 44 #2 “Securing a Beachhead” I believe clearly expresses the need to establish meaningful communication with the conventional thinker and in effect gain some credibility in the greater social realm.
The challenge to accomplish this is not simple and there is no existing road map. So one has to be created and it could be helpful if different ideas be considered.
Your distinction between the micro (individual) and the macro (social) realms is significant. Social functions are more superficial and therefore easier to comprehend. I look forward to see where you are taking this idea.
The end of Marxism: society is not about “rational” economics and “profits” but about sociopolitical characterology and the characterological transformation, i.e., it is all dominated by the COMPLETELY irrational emotional plague. Hollywood (who INTENTIONALLY destroys one profitable movie brand after the other, now even “James Bond”) and a “woke” company like Procter & Gamble blissfully offer tens of billions of Dollars at the altar of Communist political correctness: https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2019/08/02/gillette-ceo-8-billion-loss-over-woke-ads-worth-paying/
To understand this madness read chapter 13 of Elsworth F. Baker’s MAN IN THE TRAP and Charles Konia’s THE EMOTIONAL PLAGUE.
The nihilistic children of the sexual revolution: 89 per cent of 16- to 29-year-olds believe that their lives have no meaning or purpose.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/08/02/poll-9-10-young-britons-believe-their-lives-have-no-purpose/
There are two groups orgonomy might approach: “lay people” and academics. After he left psychoanalysis (or rather was left by psychoanalysis) Reich wrote in a way clearly directed at lay people. If I am informed correctly today’s orgonomists have read Reich in their youth as “lay people” and then have chosen a medical/psychiatric carrier. How often there is an already practicing psychiatrist who late in his carrier learns about Reich and joins the ACO didadic course to become an orgonomist? Also, over the decades not “scientific funds” (like the Rockefeller Foundation) but rich “lay people” kept orgonomy alive, economically.
The problem is mechanism and mysticism: academia is solely in the grips of mechanism (and political correctness!) and, thus, it is hopeless to expect much from those quarters; as with “lay people” it’s always the problem to mobilize mysticism but there is, at least, some core contact even if extremely distorted.
Today Reich would, of course, use electronic media because they are way more contactful than the written word. One sees people and hears their voices! If you show your face on youtube and speak free without a manuscript you can’t hide anything. (In a social media environment like today a Hitler would have been impossible.)
Strategically orgonomy needs demand and that demand can only come from the public.
Demand for orgonomy in my perception cannot be can not be regulated like in market economy.
Demand should be generated by well-trained physicians as orgone therapists and clinical psychologists, who are only trained in character analysis.
Patients recommend this over mouth to mouth “propaganda” –
in this way every practice becomes alomost full, without any websie at all.
in my opinion, it is not the task of laymen, ie patients, to spread orgonomy, in a different sense than I have described above., in “public” – orgonomy addresses always the individual person and his feelings NOT the masses – and laymen should let go of their fingers of playing “sciebtists”, that means libarotors of “the peiople” , laymen are not able to estimate the processes that might be triggered in public.
Orgone therapy is the basis of orgonomy, just to get contact to yourself.
What did Reich mean, when he said, you cannot redeem the world with orgonomy, and that the redeemer and the redeemer spirit is the biggest enemy of rational orgonomy as a science ?.
Reich had writtenm that laymen should leave orgonomy real professionel experts, even if laymen might have the best intentions, they can only cause damage.
You can read this in an article by Reich published in a book by Walter Hoppe in the 1980s, only published once in the Journal Orgonomic Functionalism, without the abuse of Marxism, the article by Reich I took the quotes from is called : On sympathetic understanding
Sympathetic understanding can only come from the biological core.
I am sorry for some typos in my comment above:
Corrected It has to be called:
“…and laymen should let go of their fingers of playing “scientists”, that means liberators of “the peiople” , laymen are not able to estimate the biological processes that might be triggered in public.
PERSONAL Orgone therapy is the basis of orgonomy, just to get in deep contact to yourself.”
Only this changes society.
Reading some comments here I am reminded of a central problem in the adoption of orgonomy by the public: the “short circuit thinking.” For example right now on my facebook page someone commented on Dr. Konia’s depiction of the problem of authority. Everything what Dr. Konia writes were superficial, “the living” should be in charge. Sounds “deep” and “orgonomic” but in reality it’s the most superficial, namely moralistic point of view. The same holds true for, e.g., that strange Heiko Lassek’s “energetische Medizin”. All these “Reichians” blare about “energy” but in reality it’s nothing more than the most superficial point of view, i.e., the “psychologistic” one: “mind over matter”. These people have zero contact with “the living” and the orgone!
Here belongs also the constant vague reference to “the core,” “contact,” “the bioenergtic point of view,” etc. First of all, in THIS context contact means that one understands orgonomy thoroughly, or: thinks orgonometrically. For example the third layer, the façade, can be an ally of the bioenergetic core in fighting against the secondary layer, i.e., the emotional plague we incorporated into our very structure. (If I understood Dr. Harman’s decisive article in the JOURNAL correctly!) So approaching “the masses” and the façade makes sense. To brush all the subtleties of social orgonomy away by pointing to alleged bioenergetic depths is not deep at all but reminds me of religious revivalism, “back to the roots,” “true feelings,” etc. “The Eros will make an effort!” Bollocks! In reality one cannot be more superficial.
Here is precisely where orgonomy started: while people like Walther Groddeck and Freud himself indulged in “deep” speculations about “metapsychology,” the meaning of the alleged depths of the neurotic mind, “Eros,” “Thanatos,” the wonders of transference and stuff Reich investigated the most superficial mannerisms of his patients and the most “insignificant” everyday-life of the masses. A “superficial approach” which lead directly to the discovery of the orgone.
These are all mystical distortions of Reich. Nietzsche said: “Mysticism is supposed to be deep. In reality it doesn’t even go to the extent of being superficial.”
Thank you very much Dr. Konia, for this very important analysis.
You’re welcome
I want to add to my comments, that I did not say, that Dr. Konia’s analysis are superficial at all., I said exactly the opposite, and distinguished between experts like Dr. Konia and laymen.
If you misunderstood this you might have a lack of biogical core contact.
Indeed I said the e. g Lassek’s energy medicine is the worst mystificism, and it does not Goin the depth at all. So you may not turn my words exactly to the opposite I said, which is typically for laymen with a lack of understanding,
Reich’s words were often misunderstood and turned irrationally around to the exact opposite, that he said, which was mostly an expression of the emotional plague.
I think in anti-authoritain society the statement, that you have to dsitinguish between trained experts and laymen is not very popular at all.
In anti-authoritain society most kids from working class families were coming with socialistic politics to books – most of them had a lack of intelligence – so “power to the people” in antiauthoritain society menas that everyone is supposed to be an expert for everything – even only collecting books or being a patient, and having just contact to an Orgonomist, is misused as a justification for beeing an expert, which is totally irrational.
Orgonomy has a lack of young physicians, trained , talented physicians, under the age of 50.
No one needs Rudi Dutschkes of Orgonomy, at least Orgonomy itself.