Orgone

Orgone is a pseudoscientific concept described as a life force or energy related to (repressed) sexuality. It was developed by the Jewish Freudian and Marxist Wilhelm Reich. The word is probably from Greek org- "impulse, excitement" as in org-asm, plus -one as in ozone. Reich and others have combined it with various other pseudoscientific theories and also used it in "orgone therapy".

Reich used the theory to sell "orgone energy accumulators". He was eventually jailed due to defying an injunction related to making medical claims relating to orgone. The concept is somewhat notable due to its origins from the also pseudoscientific psychoanalysis and Albert Einstein briefly being interested in the theory. Another issue is why the theory gained a following and why it still has some followers. Possible explanations may be similar to those stated in the psychoanalysis article regarding the popularity of psychoanalysis.

"Orgone energy accumulator"

Einstein was involved with Wilhelm Reich in "scientific" research into "Orgone energy accumulation". Wilhelm Reich was at the time seen as the leader of a cult of sex and anarchy and one of Reich's books was entitled The Function of the Orgasm. Moreover, the word "Orgone" (that does not exist in the English language) is a portmanteau of the words "Orgasm" and "Ozone". There can therefore be no doubt that Reich's meaning of term "Orgone" must have been a sort of "nascent sexual energy" and that the Orgone energy accumulator's purpose is to harvest this "source" of energy. Some typical picture of "orgone energy accumulators" can be found on orgone-energy websites, for example this external picture.

The "orgone energy accumulator" is some sort of box with metallic material lining the insides of its walls, that can accumulate "nascent sexual energy" presumably created by sexual acts performed in the "orgone energy accumulator". Common sense quickly rejects such things as quackery, pseudo science, and perversion. Not Einstein, however, whose collaboration with Reich in the field of "Orgone energy accumulation" was extensive and included for example correspondence and "scientific" visits of Einstein to Reich. Reich published in 1953 a book about his collaboration with Einstein, in a very limited edition. The Wilhelm Reich instute today still sells "copies" of this book, but it is well possible that these so-called copies have been sanitized by taking out the parts potentially embarrassing for Einstein.