Hawkwind – Orgone Accumulator lyrics

This song is about Dr Wilhelm Reich's epoch smashing discovery/descent into madness depending on your point of view. Reich was a star pupil along with Jung of Sigmund Freud. Months before the Nazis annexed Austria he wrote a book arguing that Nazis had unresolved father issues etc. Needless to say, this didn't go down well and he was forced to flee, first to Sweden and then to the USA.

It was in the USA that Reich had his epiphany. According to him, the whole universe is permeated by "Orgones" which help with health, happiness and general well-being. Orgones are, apparently, blue which is why we all like sunny days with blue skies - there are more orgones around. People with blue eyes have a higher concentration of orgones in their bodies (and are presumably happier and healthier than people with brown eyes).

So far, so odd. Unfortunately, Reich then went on to invent the Orgone Accumulator (basically a lead lined wooden box). He claimed that orgones could enter but not escape them i.e the boxes accumulated them. He made many different sizes ranging from v small which could, for instance, be strapped to a broken arm and would promote faster healing; to large ones that people could lie in (and which must have been pretty "spacey" as they would act like a sensory deprivation tank - lots of pretty colours!).
It was this medical application which got Reich into trouble because the American authorities were prepared to allow him complete free speech, but will not allow "bogus" medical claims. Reich was tried and convicted. He appealed and his sentence was increased and the court ordered his books and orgone accumulators to be destroyed. Reich died in prison.

What made Reich "live on" and be popular was that this was the '60s and the hippies loved him - mainly because he taught that a really good way to accumulate your own orgones was through orgasm (which is why we feel so good after sex) - this gave the hippies are "scientific" basis for their free love philosophy. Was he right? It's not very likely, but I would love a session in a large accumulator just for the kicks and sensations. For anyone interested, I am reliably informed that there is a hotel in Cornwall/Devon that has a full size accumulator.