American College of Orgonomy

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The American College of Orgonomy (A.C.O.) was formed as a nonprofit institution by Dr. Elsworth F. Baker in 1968.[1] The purpose of the College is to advance the scientific work in the science of orgonomy, originally developed by Dr. Wilhelm Reich.

The A.C.O. trains therapists and offers courses in the field of social orgonomy for teachers, social workers, as well as other fields of interest. Standards in the field of orgonomy are created and maintained by the college as well.

Wilhelm Reich was a prominent, though intensely controversial, psychiatrist from the circle around Sigmund Freud in Vienna. His purported discovery of orgone energy led to the development of orgonomy, which many members of mainstream psychiatry and the scientific community at large insist must be labeled as pseudo-science, with Henry Bauer accusing the college of perpetuating Reich's "latter-day megalomania".[2] The interdisciplinary field of orgonomic studies encompasses several established disciplines, including biological, social,[3] and environmental[4] sciences.

Originally called vegetotherapy by Reich, orgone therapy often did not rely on the use of drugs at all. Baker was a student and co-worker of Reich in the United States. In her book, Orgone and You, Reich’s assistant, Lois Wyvell, explains how Reich asked Baker to carry the science of orgonomy forward in 1949.

Baker’s response to this challenge was to form the A.C.O. and to publish the Journal of Orgonomy in 1967 – a scientific publication devoted to advancing orgone science. The A.C.O. continues to publish the journal semiannually.[5] Baker also wrote a major textbook on orgone therapy, Man In the Trap.[6]

The American College of Orgonomy is based in Princeton, NJ. They offer a major orgonomic conference every fall, and hold regional talks on various scientific topics. Members of the college teach related college courses and also present laboratory courses.

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[edit] Training Programs

The College conducts a prostgraduate medical orgonomy training program for qualified physicians and psychiatrists. Physicians who meet preset requirements can receive instruction in becoming orgone therapists. There are also courses offered for those interested in "social orgonomy".

[edit] Publications

Besides the Journal of Orgonomy, the A.C.O. publishes books of orgonomic interest including Baker’s Man In the Trap, Me and the Orgone by Orson Bean and recently also Wilhelm Reich and Orgonomy by Ola Raknes (also a founding member of college). The A.C.O. has also produced films about orgonomy, most notably, Room For Happiness - an introduction to orgonomic therapy.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sharaf, Myron (1994). Fury on Earth: A Biography of Wilhelm Reich. Da Capo Press, pp. 480-481. ISBN 0306805758. 
  2. ^ Bauer, Henry H. (2001). Science or Pseudoscience: Magnetic Healing, Psychic Phenomena, and Other Heterodoxies. University of Illinois Press, p. 160. ISBN 0252026012. 
  3. ^ Hochberg, Louis (June 1997). "Wilhelm Reich in the alternative therapies and clinical social work". Clinical Social Work Journal 5 (2): 99–107. doi:10.1007/BF02144235. ISSN 1573-3343. 
  4. ^ Avery, Jeanne (2004). Astrology And Your Health. Cosimo, Inc., p. 37. ISBN 1931044775. 
  5. ^ Morgan, Clifford Thomas (1986). Introduction to Psychology. McGraw-Hill, p. 715. ISBN 0070432104. 
  6. ^ Smith, Edward W. L. (2000). The Body in Psychotherapy. McFarland, p. 14. ISBN 0786409665. 

[edit] External links