Character Analysis

Wilhelm Reich's Character Analysis (1933) proposed that character structure acts as a protective shield against underlying neuroses. Reich, a psychoanalyst, believed repressed emotions manifested as muscular tension, forming a mental and physical "armour" that could be addressed through direct manipulation and by increasing patient awareness of this tension. This approach was intended for patients resistant to traditional psychoanalytic methods.1

Reich's work also explored "orgone energy," a concept he developed, which he believed was a cosmic life force. He theorized that mental illness stemmed from an orgone deficiency and attempted to treat it using an "Orgone Energy Accumulator". His theories and practices, particularly orgonomy, led to his expulsion from the International Psychoanalytic Association and later conflict with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, resulting in the destruction of his writings and equipment.1