Securing a Beachhead

Charles Konia, M.D.
Reprinted from the Journal of Orgonomy, Vol. 44 No. 2
Securing a Beachhead

When Wilhelm Reich compared the discovery of orgone energy to the discovery of America he meant that what he had discovered was only the existence of a large body of knowledge that had yet to be explored and understood. To take Reich’s analogy further, we can say that it took hundreds of years after the New World was first discovered before it was successfully colonized. This was partly because the resources for survival in the New World were not sufficiently understood, partly because plans for colonization were not carefully implemented and partly because of a lack of good fortune.

Today, the American College of Orgonomy finds itself in a similar position in relation to the world that existed when America was first discovered. The new “colonists” are charged with the daunting task of giving the science of orgonomy a secure and permanent beachhead in a world that is completely out of touch with the existence of orgone energy. Therefore, establishing contact and cooperation with this alien world is an essential goal of the College.

There are many parallels between the old and the new colonists. Just as there was a division of labor among the old colonists in there attempt to survive in a foreign environment, there are necessary differences in the work function of the new colonists. Working cooperatively in different functions as an integral part of the American College of Orgonomy is essential for its survival. Some members are involved with administration and organizational matters, others with teaching the new science, others with scientifically investigating and understanding the surrounding territory in this new environment while still others are concerned with making contact and establishing cooperation with the indigenous people of the “New World”.

This last function requires some elaboration. Just as there were profound cultural differences between the old colonists, who came from European agrarian societies and the tribal people of North America, there are major differences between the ways of thinking and functioning between the new “colonists” of the College and the natives of the “New World”.

The most important difference between them and the one most difficult to overcome is in people’s thought process itself. An example is that the natives of the New World view the human body mechanically as if it were no different than a machine that is controlled by the brain. As a result, according to their way of thinking emotions have no importance in health. Since they are the product of irrational forces when disturbed, emotions must be chemically suppressed. In contrast, the new colonists are capable of viewing and thinking functionally about nature. Their view is that emotional well-being is an essential pert of health.

This important difference in the ways of thinking and living of the two groups functions like an insurmountable language barrier. Nevertheless, the survival of the College depends entirely on its ability to have sustained contact with a sufficient number of the people from the New World. This remains the only hope for the science of orgonomy to secure a permanent foothold in the world.

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