How each panel is built.
Every ORGONON™ panel follows Reich's core accumulator principle — alternating organic and metallic layers within, the energy field directed toward the interior.
Outer Shell — Organic Canvas
Greige washed natural canvas: 55% certified organic hemp, 45% certified organic cotton. 16 oz weight, pre-shrunk. Durable, breathable, and unbleached.
Alternating Fill
The four plies at the heart of the accumulator: formaldehyde-free rock wool alternating with carbon steel wool — the organic/metallic layering central to Reich's design.
Sheer Silk Liner
A layer of fine, sheer 100% silk organza sits behind the screen to retain stray steel wool fibers while preserving the screen's open character.
Galvanized Steel Screen
The metallic layer that faces the body — the type of galvanized steel screening Reich used in his accumulator design. Made in the USA and GREENGUARD Gold certified for low chemical emissions, it also gives each panel light structure, holding its form near the body rather than collapsing onto it.
Modular Velcro Assembly
Velcro closures seal each panel — no stitching through thick layers, and a system that invites simplicity, access, and adjustment.
Why rock wool?
Reich used rock wool and glass wool (fiberglass) in his original accumulator panels. We use rock wool for the same reasons he did.
- Never needs to dry out. Naturally hydrophobic, rock wool doesn't absorb atmospheric moisture — so whatever the climate or humidity where you live, the accumulating material stays dry and sound.
- Fire-resistant by nature. Withstands over 2000°F with no added flame retardants.
- Formaldehyde-free & GREENGUARD Gold certified for low chemical emissions.
- Safe to handle. Modern stone wool is bio-soluble — inhaled fibers dissolve and clear from the lungs — and isn't classified as a carcinogen or irritant; loose fibers can cause passing skin itch, so we suggest light gloves in the event that you decide to open the blanket and handle the contents.
- Made in the USA, largely from recycled mineral content.
- Form-stable. Doesn't sag or compress over time.
Sheep's wool and cotton, which have become popular materials for the organic layers in orgone blankets due to their availability and ease of use, hold atmospheric moisture — and even the glass wool Reich sometimes employed can absorb moisture. Mineral wool simply doesn't.
One panel. Add as you go.
Each ORGONON™ panel is a complete four-ply accumulator, 12″ × 30″. Because the panels carry light structure, they don't drape like cloth — so rather than one large sheet, the blanket grows by joining panels. Joining strips act as hinges, letting joined panels tent over the contours of the body while maintaining continuity of material.
A complete accumulator on its own — and the starting point of the system.
Joined with a joining strip, two panels cover the main part of the torso — the configuration most users will want.
A third panel can be added with a second joining strip — for a larger person, or a more box-like, wrap-around enclosure.
Why "blanket"? We use the word in its orgonomic sense. These panels aren't large and soft like a bed blanket — "blanket" here distinguishes a portable accumulator placed over the body from the rigid, box-style accumulator one sits inside. Reich himself made this distinction, and designed the first orgone blankets for people who couldn't use a box.
How others build them. Most orgone blankets are sealed — an outer shell permanently stitched around the interior contents. DIY designs may slip layers of wool or cotton batting or blankets and steel wool inside a thin fabric shell, pillowcase-style. Some designs use stainless steel mesh fabric as the inner layer near the body for flexibility. We have endeavored to follow the accumulator design that Reich specified, and we like the touch of structural rigidity the galvanized screen provides, as well as its greater ferrous content compared with the alloys found in stainless steel mesh.
But, obviously, there are a variety of ways to construct an orgone blanket, and we are in favor of all good-faith efforts to expand their use. We have intentionally designed a blanket that is different from what others make, but will be open to offering other styles of orgone blanket in the future, based on our own experimentation and feedback from users.
Sewn in the garment district. Assembled at Orgonon.
The canvas outer shells and inner screen assemblies are cut and sewn to a pattern specification we developed with a workshop in Manhattan's garment district, and we appreciate their willingness to work with unusual materials such as galvanized steel screen. Back at Orgonon in the former Students' Laboratory that houses Reich's famous Orgone Room, rock wool and carbon steel wool are cut to size, assembled into layers, inserted into the tailored shell assemblies and sealed using the integrated Velcro enclosures. This way, the blankets can be opened for inspection or modification. After final hand assembly, blankets are packed and shipped directly to their destination in the contiguous 48 states.
The hemp/cotton shell takes its Velcro edging under an industrial walking-foot machine.
Velcro trim is stitched to the galvanized screen, with a layer of sheer silk incorporated to hold in fine steel wool fibers.
Rolls of Velcro in hand, our materials on the cutting tables — a working shop in the heart of Manhattan's vibrant garment district.
The blanket is Reich's idea. So is everything inside ours.
Reich designed the first orgone blankets for people who were bedridden or otherwise unable to sit inside a box accumulator — semi-rigid, arched forms that held their shape over the body. The ORGONON™ panel system continues that thinking in modular form.
The ORGONON™ orgone blanket panels mimic the structure of the rigid panels in Reich's original box-style orgone accumulators, but with a fabric exterior. This is not orgonite — no resin, no crystals, no metaphysical add-ons — just Reich's functional approach, in historically faithful materials.
In his most refined box-style accumulators of 1952, Reich made one change: he replaced the solid sheet-metal lining with plastic-coated galvanized screen — a product called Warp's Screen-Glass. The Foundation's own literature describes the result:
The orgone energy field which extends toward the inside from the walls is "softer" … and is also objectively much stronger. Wilhelm Reich Foundation, "Additional Information Regarding Soft Orgone Irradiation," January 24, 1952
Warp's of Chicago manufactures Screen-Glass to this day — but only in aluminum — so we pair modern galvanized steel screening with a sheer silk liner to the same effect. Each panel is hand-assembled at Orgonon — Reich's historic home, laboratory, and research center in Rangeley, Maine, now home to the Wilhelm Reich Museum.
The documentary record.
Orgonon holds the archives of Reich's accumulator work — original devices, correspondence, and the literature that shipped with every unit. A few pieces behind this design. Click any item to enlarge.
Use your judgment, not someone else's rules.
Certain rules and warnings have circulated over the years about accumulator use — keep away from nuclear plants, avoid cities, never use near electronics, fluorescent lighting, or Wi-Fi. These are typically pronounced with great certainty, but are based more on assumptions than actual scientific evidence. Reich's own guidance emphasized awareness, common sense, and self-regulation — not rigid prohibitions.
Take a look, for example, at the photograph above from the first orgonomic conference in 1948. Obviously taken during an evening session, note the fluorescent light fixture burning overhead, just a few feet from Reich's famed Orgone Room. Reich did later come to take a negative position on fluorescent lighting, but we use this example to caution against blind adherence to strict prohibitions that may blow risks out of proportion and actually suggest an underlying fear of the benefits of the accumulator.
What we'd say instead is pragmatic: the modern environment is simply different from Reich's. Low-level electromagnetic radiation of various kinds is now part of daily life nearly everywhere, and it cannot meaningfully be avoided. Sweeping prohibitions are no substitute for common sense — and both the empirical experience of users and the guidance from Reich's own time indicate that the accumulator does no harm when used thoughtfully. Pay attention to your environment and to how you feel.
In the early 1950s, Reich did describe that in the presence of strong radiation sources such as the X-ray machines of his era, something he called an Oranur Effect can occur, causing an over-excitation of the orgone energy in the vicinity. From this work came his concept of stagnant or "deadly" orgone energy (DOR), and he developed grounded accumulators — coupled to water through hollow metal cables to draw off stagnant energy — that he came to call "DOR Busters." But none of this history suggests that using an accumulator as people had since the early 1940s would cause harm, or that it should be avoided around the low-level sources of electromagnetic energy common today.
Getting started
- Begin with short sessions of 10–20 minutes.
- Listen to your body — a sense of having had enough, or slight discomfort, is the signal to end a session.
- Be patient: Reich noted that the real effects may be felt only after weeks of regular use.
- Don't sleep under the accumulator; avoid long continuous sessions.
- If you feel overcharged — dizziness, pressure, irritation — stop and get fresh air. You'll feel better quickly.
- Approach with care (and medical guidance) if you have high blood pressure, tumors, severe inflammation, or hypersensitivity to stimulation.
Care
- Spot clean the canvas shell as needed. Do not machine wash.
- The shell can be removed for a more thorough hand washing, though in normal use this should rarely, if ever, be necessary.
- If you handle the interior materials, do so gently. Gloves are recommended around rock wool — not because it's harmful, but because the fibers can be mildly irritating to the skin.
FAQ
What is an orgone blanket?
A more portable form of Wilhelm Reich's orgone energy accumulator: alternating organic and metallic layers designed to absorb orgone energy from the environment and concentrate it toward the inside of the device. "Blanket" distinguishes it from the rigid, box-style accumulator one sits inside — not a promise of softness. Reich designed the first orgone blankets himself, for people who couldn't use a box.
What makes the ORGONON™ blanket different?
A direct line to Reich's design. Where other blanket designs use materials such as sheep's wool, cotton, or stainless steel mesh fabric, or simply layer wool and steel wool inside a thin fabric shell, our panels use Reich's own preferred materials: galvanized steel screen, carbon steel wool, and rock wool. And rather than a sealed unit permanently stitched closed, our modular panels are sealed using Velcro and can easily be reopened. They're also assembled at and shipped from Orgonon.
Why rock wool instead of sheep's wool or cotton?
Reich used it. Rock wool does not absorb atmospheric moisture, so the material itself stays dry and never needs to dry out — wool, cotton, and even fiberglass can absorb moisture. Reich noted that atmospheric humidity will dampen the orgone charge generally and reduce the effect of the accumulator, but using hydrophobic material such as rock wool in the organic layers maximizes its strength in any environment. We use rock wool that is completely formaldehyde-free and GREENGUARD Gold certified.
Why are two panels recommended?
The panels carry light structure — they hold their form near the body rather than draping like cloth. A single 12″ × 30″ panel covers one region well; two panels joined with a joining strip can tent over the main part of the torso. A third panel can extend coverage further, creating a more wrap-around enclosure.
Is it safe to use?
Yes, just keep sessions moderate and take a break with fresh air if sensations become unpleasant.
Can I use it near a city or electronics?
Strict rules and prohibitions in these areas have long circulated, often stated with great certainty. Modern life makes the presence of low-level electromagnetic radiation essentially unavoidable. Empirical evidence from accumulator users suggests that such warnings may be out of proportion to any risks. Use common sense, notice your environment, and pay attention to how you feel.
Is this the same as "orgonite"?
No. Resin-and-crystal "orgonite" devices borrow Reich's vocabulary but not his methods. The ORGONON™ blanket is built strictly from Reich's functional, materials-based approach.
Are there scientific studies of the accumulator?
Our mission is preservation, historical accuracy, and education about Wilhelm Reich's work — we are not in a position to take on the task of proving the accumulator's effects. We're not a research institute, and we make no health or therapeutic claims. A literature does exist for those who want to investigate, however. Reich distributed accumulators with the understanding that users would report back, and he gathered several hundred detailed feedback reports that informed what he wrote about the accumulator — though these were never published. Later researchers have run a variety of ad hoc and controlled experiments, including at least one double-blind study — Gebauer and Müschenich's Der Reichsche Orgonakkumulator (Nexus Verlag, Frankfurt, 1987), which reported effects on body temperature and EKG in accumulator versus dummy-box conditions — alongside various biological experiments on plants, mice, and physical instruments. No one at this time can state, with conventional scientific rigor, precisely what the effects of the accumulator are — though we'd note that Reich worked within a framework mainstream science never engaged on its own terms, and we don't concede that disciplines outside that framework are the sole arbiters of the question. What we can say is that something about it has sustained serious interest for about 85 years, and our role is to help satisfy that interest accurately, letting people explore the evidence and decide for themselves.
Hand-assembled in small batches.
Each 12″ × 30″ panel is a complete four-ply accumulator. The outer shell elements of organic canvas, silk, galvanized screening, and Velcro are cut and sewn to our pattern in Manhattan's garment district; at Orgonon we cut and arrange the interior materials into layers, enclose them inside the tailored shell, and pack and ship each order. Start with the Two-Panel Set, or a Single Panel you can expand later with an Extension Panel. The first panel carries the embroidered ORGONON™ label.
Ships within the 48 contiguous United States. We don't offer shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, or international destinations.