Wilhelm ReichBirth Chart

Wilhelm Reich was an Austro‑American psychoanalyst, sexologist, and researcher whose work influenced several fields of twentieth‑century thought. Initially associated with Freudian psychoanalysis, he became known for books such as Character Analysis and The Sexual Revolution, in which he broadened attention to collective processes and to the bodily dimension of therapy. His intellectual interventions influenced later writers and therapeutic practices, including bioenergetics and strands of body‑oriented therapy.

During his career he published studies on sexuality, psychopathology and sociology — including The Mass Psychology of Fascism — and produced extensive work on topics ranging from biology to physics, developing a holistic approach he called orgonomy. Later he came to defend the existence of a vital energy, “orgone,” and built experimental devices for its clinical use, attracting media attention and scientific controversy.

In the United States he faced strong institutional opposition; he was prosecuted by public health authorities and, in 1956, convicted amid serious criticism of the validity of his claims. He died while serving his sentence, leaving a complex legacy: at once a pioneer of sexual liberty and body‑oriented psychotherapy and a controversial figure because of his scientific claims and unconventional methods.