Somatic Biopathies: Part I
Charles Konia, M.D.
Reprinted from the Journal of Orgonomy, Vol. 23 No. 2
The American College of Orgonomy
This series of articles will demonstrate clinically Wilhelm Reich’s postulate that all the various disease forms encompassed by the somatic biopathies have as their common functioning principle (CFP) a pulsatory disturbance of the plasmatic system and that orgone therapy can eliminate both the somatic biopathic symptoms, as well as the underlying pulsatory disturbance. A somatic biopathy manifests itself primarily in the somatic realm and includes the psychosomatic diseases of classical medicine. The term "psychosomatic" however, is a misnomer for the following reasons:
In contrast, the orgonomic term "biopathy" focuses on the pathogenesis of these diseases. All biopathies arise from an underlying disturbance of orgonotic pulsation involving the plasmatic system (autonomic nervous system and vascular system).(1) This disturbance is itself caused by orgastic impotence.
A psychic biopathy arises when the pulsatory disturbance of the organism involves a segment containing an erogenous zone (1). A somatic biopathy, on the other hand can arise from armoring of any segment. All somatic biopathies develop within the milieu of a pre-existing, underlying psychic biopathy. In these cases, therapy is determined not only by the patient’s character structure, but also by the segment containing the somatic biopathy.
A somatic biopathy arises when the muscular armor is unsuccessful in immobilizing energy, which then overflows into the plasmatic system, in particular, the autonomic nervous system and the target organs innervated by it. The symptoms of the somatic biopathy are nothing more than undischarged somatic excitation being expressed by the autonomic division of the plasmatic system. The process is comparable to the anxiety of psychic biopathies. Both situations result from a failure of armoring.
Shrinking biopathies (i.e., the cancer biopathy) develop an increased vascularity, which supplies large quantities of energy for tumor growth. The vascular component of the plasmatic system is, thus, the source of energy discharge. In all other biopathies, however, in which shrinking does not occur, the autonomic nervous system is the primary source of energy discharge. In both cases, the patient has more energy than that contained in the armor. Somatic biopathies can be divided into high energy states where energy is discharged via the autonomic nervous system and the low energy states where energy discharge occurs by way of the vascular system. In the latter case, the shrinking biopathy has been preceded by decades of chronic sympatheticotonia (chronic excitation of the sympathetic nervous system), a primary manifestation of the biopathy prior to tumor formation. After decades of sympatheticotonia, autonomic excitation is finally extinguished with psychological resignation of the organism. At this point, the vascular division of the plasmatic system becomes the primary outlet. Malignant tumor formation can occur, accompanied by the proliferation of vascular tissue to it. This further depletes the host organism of energy and accelerates the shrinking process. (2)
Benign tumor formation may represent an intermediate state between those somatic biopathies exclusively involving the autonomic nervous system and those in which shrinking is present. If this is correct, then benign tumors would involve activity of both components of the plasmatic system. It is known that benign tumors can develop in high-energy biopathies and these, under certain conditions, can degenerate into malignant tumors.
When energy overflows into the autonomic nervous system, the result is chronic sympatheticotonia. In certain biopathic diseases there may be, in addition, a superimposed parasympathetic reaction to it. This can occur either simultaneous with sympathetic excitation, as is the case of asthma and mucous colitis, or alternatingly, as in the case of Raynaud’s disease and migraine.
Typically, biopathic symptoms wax and wane with the emotional state of the individual. When autonomic discharge becomes chronic and fixed, irreversible structural damage to the tissues may result. Because the symptoms of the biopathy originate from undischarged sexual excitation resulting from orgastic impotence, orgone therapy remains the only means of permanently eliminating a somatic biopathy.
During the course of orgone therapy, somatic biopathies may appear and disappear. Their manifestations may vary in intensity and can become sufficiently prominent to warrant a classical medical diagnosis. Others are too subtle for medical identification. Depending on the type and severity of the somatic reaction, the management of a biopathic symptom may require medical or surgical intervention. As in the case of a psychic biopathy, the earlier a somatic biopathy develops in the patient’s life, the more severe will be its consequences. The following series of case presentations show well-known examples of biopathic disorders. It will focus primarily on the clinical manifestations of somatic biopathies and not on the process of systematic dissolution of the armor, as is customary. They will be presented up to the point at which the biopathies were eliminated. (3)
In this condition, the most common form of hypertension seen in clinical practice, the thoracic segment is primarily affected. There is chronic sympatheticotonia involving the cardiovascular system. The excess sympathetic excitation may also result in disturbances of the rate and regularity of the heartbeat. Biophysically, the patient appears under a great deal of tension, and the chest is held in an inspiratory attitude. There may or may not be awareness of a sense of oppression or tension in the chest, depending on the degree of contact the patient has with himself. Great quantities of suppressed rage are held in the thoracic segment. If the condition becomes chronic, it predisposes to the development of arteriosclerotic heart disease, cerebrovascular strokes, as well as renal disease.
This 56-year-old, married, white male accountant came to therapy because of vascular hypertension of 10 years’ duration. Approximately four and a half years prior to therapy, an internist found the patient’s blood pressure to be 240/150. His physical examination was otherwise unremarkable, while blood studies, urinalysis, EEG, and chest films were all within normal limits. He was placed on diuretics, anti-hypertensive medication, and a minor tranquilizer. Follow-up visits revealed a blood pressure stabilized around 180/110. He was told by his physician that this amount of reduction as all he could expect.
When first seen in consultation, he complained of occasional headaches but no dizziness. He felt a numbness in his right arm when upset. He dated the onset of his hypertension to his wife’s refusal to have sexual relations. He later learned she had taken a lover. When he confronted her, he did so without expressing any emotion but stated in a rational manner that she was jeopardizing the marriage. His voice, restrained to this point, suddenly became stronger. He stated that he never expressed anger toward anyone. He just sulked and withdrew, ending up feeling stupid. He acknowledged feeling stupid for not doing anything about his marital problem.
Biophysical examination revealed a well-developed tense, white male. He was myopic and had difficulty moving his eyes. He spoke in a timid, restrained fashion. His occiput was tight and his face and neck stiff. His chest appeared particularly tense and was held in an inspiratory position. Both the thoracic and diaphragmatic segments were heavily armored. There was generalized tenderness along the subcostal margin. The rest of the biophysical examination was unremarkable. Characterologically, he had a marked affect block and exhibited doubting when sensitive issues were broached. For example, despite the clear association of the onset of his hypertension with his wife’s sexual rebuff, he doubted the important of sexuality in his life. His characterological diagnosis was catatonic schizophrenia.
Because of the severity of his hypertension (ranging between 160/110 and 150/100), the primary therapeutic focus was facilitating the expression of pent-up feelings from the patient’s chest. The thoracic segment was mobilized by prodding the intercostal muscles and encouraging him to shout. His blood pressure immediately dropped to 140/90 and on one occasion was as low as 130/80. He felt generally less tense. His wife, who often complained of the patient’s failure to socialize, found him becoming more social. He also began speaking regularly to his children, for him an unusual event.
Relieving his physical tension resulted in a greater degree of contact. He felt more buoyant and saw how his selfish attitude toward his children was the result of having an overindulgent mother.
With continued mobilization of the chest segment, his blood pressure remained at normal levels and he was instructed to reduce the dosage of anti-hypertensive medication. Because of the stresses encountered both at home and at work, his blood pressure was elevated at the onset of each session. After expressing rage from the chest, his blood pressure typically returned to normal levels.
As his emotional contact improved, he began fighting with both his wife and his mother. He blew up at his wife for nagging him and decided he did not care if his marriage survived. He saw the poor quality of his marital relationship and concluded he had nothing to lose if it broke up. During this period, his anger became deeper and involved the diaphragmatic segment. Violent gagging followed the expression of rage from the thorax. After shouting, his body vibrated and throbbed down to his thighs. He felt more self-confident and told his wife in a fit of rage she could leave if she wanted to. He became more relaxed, his blood pressure remained normal, and the antero-posterior diameter of his chest decreased. He developed a loud, booming voice.
At this point, all anti-hypertensive medication was eliminated. He was able to remain normotensive so long as he expressed rage from his chest and diaphragm. His entire body would go into intense clonisms, and he left the sessions feeling limp and relaxed.
After one such episode, his anal sphincter tightened. After shouting, his diastolic pressure did not drop below 100. During the following weeks, his blood pressure continued to remain elevated.(4) He began to hold back his resentment toward his wife while expressing a desire to remain in the marriage. In his typically ambivalent manner, he stated the marriage to be "80% good and 20% bad," the latter due to the sexual problem, which he minimized. Despite the rapid progress made to this point (therapy consisted of 31 sessions), he decided to remain in the marriage rather than fight for his life, and he quit therapy. Six years later, I learned from a relative he died from complications of his hypertensive biopathy.
This 28-year-old, single, white female came to therapy because she was out of touch with her feelings and was bored with life. She was unemployed for almost two years and socially isolated. Biophysically, she was approximately 50 lbs. Overweight and was heavily armored throughout. Her forehead appeared flat and unexpressive. She stared frequently and her eyes were distrustful and contactless. Her face was immobile. She was able to hit and shout mechanically. Her lower extremities were exquisitely sensitive to touch. There was no history of hypertension or other significant medical illness. Her diagnosis was paranoid schizophrenia.
After several years of therapy, when the first three segments were sufficiently mobilized, the patient developed a sensation of fullness in her chest. Pressure on the thoracic paraspinals and shoulders resulted in an intense anxiety felt in her chest. During the following week, the patient developed dizziness, headache, ocular pain, and other visual symptoms. An internist found her blood pressure to be 155/105. ECG and chest x-rays revealed slight left ventricular hypertrophy. Ocular examination revealed oritis and conjunctival hemorrhage of the right eye. Blood and urine examinations were normal. She was placed on anti-hypertensive medication and advised to lose weight.
When seen the following week, her blood pressure was 150/100. With manual pressure on her chest, she gave in to shouting with fear and rage followed by gagging. Her blood pressure dropped to 124/90. She described seeing better and her head felt clearer. She was instructed to stop the anti-hypertensive medication. During subsequent sessions, screaming continued to relieve terror and rage centered primarily in her chest and she was free of paranoia. With pressure on the sternum, she felt sensations of terror spreading outward from the center of her chest to the periphery (arms and shoulders). Hitting the couch elicited intense frustrated anger directed at a family member with whom she was currently having a great deal of difficulty. During the next few weeks, mobilization of her chest continued with monitoring of blood pressure before and after each session. Typically both systolic and diastolic pressures decreased by 10mm Hg after expression of fear and anger from her chest. She was instructed to scream outside of therapy, as well. Gradually she felt a breaking up of the tension in her chest.
During this phase of therapy, anxiety shifted between her thoracic and ocular segments. When she felt anxious or tense in her chest, she was hypertensive but free of paranoia. When she was normotensive, her ocular segment clamped down and she became withdrawn and paranoid. Continued screaming terror relieved both conditions.
Following this, feelings of sadness began to surface, and she was able to express great misery and longing from her chest. With dieting, she gradually lost most of her excess weight. As her armor shifted downward and her weight loss was maintained, her blood pressure stabilized at normotensive levels. This phase of her therapy lasted 31 sessions.
Bronchial asthma is a somatic biopathy involving the thoracic segment manifested by a characteristic form of wheezing, dyspnea, and expectoration of thick sputum. It can occur with intervals of relative comfort but can also assume a mild continuous form with exacerbations. In rare instances, the acute attack may persist for days or weeks as life-threatening status asthmaticus (3).
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