The untold story of Wilhelm Reich and the dawn of the sexual
revolution. An illuminating, startling, at times bizarre story of
sex and science, ecstasy and repression. In the middle of the 20th
century, the United States became an adoptive home for dozens of
expatriated European thinkers, who saw this rich, young country
ripe for sexual liberation. One of the most left-field of them was
the Viennese psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich, a disciple of Freud's who
had broken with the master. Reich's own approach was based on his
theories of the orgasm and sexual energy, which he dubbed 'orgone
energy'. Instead of the couch, he made use of a tall, slender
construction of wood, metal, and steel wool, which he called the
orgone box. A highly sexed man himself, Reich thought that a person
who sat in the box could elevate their 'orgastic potential' ridding
the body of repressive forces, improving sexual potency, and
enhancing overall health. After World War Two, Reich's theories
caught on among writers and artists, the early adopters of the
counter-culture. Norman Mailer and Saul Bellow were amongst those
for whom the orgone box represented a yearned-for synthesis of
sexual and political liberation, and of physical science and
psychology. Meanwhile, Reich himself faced one debacle after
another. Albert Einstein heard him out before rebuffing him. The
FBI investigated him as a Communist sympathizer: it turned out that
they were hunting the wrong man. The federal government banned the
orgone box and tagged Reich as a fraud. There were claims of sexual
misdeeds, and bouts of Reich's own mental instability. This is the
story of the blossoming of the 20th century's sexual revolution,
and the unshackling of a repressed society, and sex before science.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
