Orgones

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term referring to a supposed universal life energy; often associated with pseudoscience and claimed to be harnessed for healing or environmental benefits; believed by its proponents to influence physical and emotional well-being in various ways
2. This concept denotes an alleged form of energy that is said to exist in the atmosphere and can be accumulated and utilized for various metaphysical purposes; it is considered both a healing tool and a source of vitality by those who advocate its existence; its properties and effects remain largely unverified by mainstream science
3. The idea of this energy encompasses claims of an unseen force that can affect health and the environment; it is often depicted as a cosmic or life force that can be stored and manipulated through devices, thus suggesting its capacity to enhance life and counteract negative energy influences

Etymology: "Orgones" is the plural of "orgone," a word coined by Wilhelm Reich, the Austrian-born psychoanalyst, for a life energy he claimed to have discovered. The name is a blend of "organism" and "hormone," joined to reflect Reich's belief that this energy was the basic vital force of living things, with the German form "Orgon" as the model for the term. Reich's idea was that orgone energy could be gathered, stored in boxes he built, and used to treat illness and affect mood, and he later extended the notion to weather and the atmosphere. The concept was rejected by mainstream science, and the term has since become tied to pseudoscience, though it still circulates in alternative health and fringe circles.