ACO Full-Day Laboratory Course
Living Blood: The Reich Blood Test
September 7, 2024
Living Blood: The Reich Blood Test
Opportunities rarely occur for learning and experiencing the art of natural scientific observation. The American College of Orgonomy offered a Full-Day Laboratory Course on “Living Blood: The Reich Blood Test: at our campus in Princeton, NJ on September 7, 2024. The course, with a focus on bions, gave students a digestible portion of orgonomic knowledge of one of the subjects fundamental to all laboratory work in orgonomy. It was a hands-on laboratory course designed to demonstrate these developments of Reich’s research and work. Each seminar participant, with the help and supervision of the lab faculty, created bions, and through the microscope observed their formation and movement. Each seminar participant performed a Reich Blood Test on their own blood, again with the help and supervision of the faculty. The group observed as the Reich Blood Test is conducted on a patient with a history of cancer or another disease. This blood test was administered by Steve Dunlap, the ACO lab technician. The course also included a lecture on bions by Dr. Alberto Foglia and a lecture on the Reich Blood Test by Dr. Howard Chavis.
Around 1936, Reich began observing microscopic vesicles formed by the swelling of organic and inorganic matter in fluid. In one preparation, which consisted of particles of heated coal dust, the particles were seen to take up fluid, swell, and soften their angular appearance when immersed in a solution of bullion and 0.1 n KCl and viewed under the microscope. These particles formed membranes and developed an intense blue color. They began to pulsate, as well as move about in the fluid. They even divided. Reich called these vesicles “bions.” While subsequently observing bions made from sand through a microscope, Reich developed an inflammation in one eye. This led to his discovery that bions emitted some form of radiation. Later, Reich was able to identify this radiation as the necessary biological energy implied by Sigmund Freud’s concept of a psychic libido. Reich had long recognized that the psychic energy described by Freud must be a manifestation of an actual, biological energy. Reich named this energy “orgone.”
Further observation convinced Reich that living red blood cells also function as orgone energy vesicles, and that the vitality of red blood cells directly reflects the energetic vitality of the donor individual. Subsequently, Reich observed that when red blood cells were immersed in saline for a period of time, they were seen to disintegrate into bions. Observing this disintegration, and assessing it through specific techniques which he had developed, Reich was able to further quantify the biological energetic vitality of red blood cells. These procedures became known as the Reich Blood Test.
Rather than covering didactic material in lectures, the course focused primarily on direct observation and hands-on work, with the students receiving instruction on laboratory and microscope technique. Students made and observed various bion preparations, grass disintegration and protozoa, and paid particular attention to size, shape, color, movement (pulsation) and their own subjective impressions.
Dr. Foglia discussing bions with students and faculty.
Steven Dunlap showing students laboratory techniques.
Dr. Chavis discussing the Reich Blood Test with students.
Dr. Peter Crist discussing observations with students and faculty.
Dr. Peter Crist discussing observations with students and faculty.
Students and Faculty working in lab.
Students and Faculty working in lab.
Students and Faculty working in lab.
Students and Faculty working in lab.
Students and Faculty working in lab.
Students and Faculty working in lab.
