Commenter recalls Wilhelm Reich, orgone experiments and later regulatory action

A public commenter recalled meeting and following work associated with Wilhelm Reich and recounted the speaker’s memory of orgone‑energy experiments, “orgone boxes,” and later government enforcement actions.

The speaker said Reich (spoken in the transcript as Will Hamreich in places) built layered assemblies of iron oxide and cellulose that he called “Voltaire” piles or orgone blankets and that those devices produced measurable heat. The resident said Reich published The Pathology of Cancer and later faced enforcement by federal authorities: “They ordered all of his books burnt, and they arrested him,” the speaker said.

The commenter described what he called a federal restraining order and said aides transported iron oxide and blankets across state lines, which led to federal action and Reich’s imprisonment. The speaker characterized Reich’s work as attracting attention from military and scientific figures and said Reich’s writings and associated materials were subject to institutional removal, according to the recollection.

The speaker also recounted correspondence and later collaborations with other researchers who studied iron oxide and plant growth (mentioning Phil Callahan at the University of Florida) and said some of Reich’s materials remained in special collections at the University of Arizona, though he said access was limited.

These are the speaker’s memories reported aloud during public comment; the transcript contains no court documents, publisher records or institutional statements presented at the meeting to corroborate the assertions during the session.