1.Introduction

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
This is a select collection of the works of the neo-Reichian psychologistDr. Charles R. Kelley.In the beginning, pre-civilization it seems and definitely before humans haddeveloped higher thought processes, there was Sigmund Freud. The guy has producedcopious volumes of mostly BS that many college students in pastdecades have beenforced to endure. As to Freud's credibility as a guide for others to live by, I haveyet to see any photos of the guy where he wasn't looking incredibly depressed andsad. I can't imagine a worse person to listen to for the meaning of life, love, orto find the joy of living. Next there was Wilhelm Reich, a student of Freud.Reich viewed Freud as being neurotic and the two men hardly got along. Reichdiscovered the connection between blocked sexuality and feelings, and the "musculararmoring" of modern "civilized" humans. Reich noted the tight jaws, shoulders,pelvises, the restricted breathing patterns, and the tension around the eyes of thepatients he saw. Reich devised some techniques to help relieve the tensions, bringemotion, sexual feelings,and life back into the people who came to him. Reich alsocoined the phrase "genital character" to denote someone who was completely unblockedand sexually open. It turned out to be largely a "pie in the sky" ideal to bestriven for, as it was an extremely elusive goal for his patients to reach.Reich had a number of better known students, including Alexander Lowen(Bioenergetics), John Pierrakos, Ellsworth Baker (Man in the Trap), and Charles R.Kelley. While Lowen had a slicker PR approach to marketing his therapy with flashiertitles and hot babes on the covers of his books, Kelley almost had a loathing forall forms of showy marketing. Despite his major contributions to the field of body-mind psychology, Kelley has been largely sidelined because of this by his more PRsavvy peers.Charles Kelley's version of bodywork had several points of note. He studied theBates Method of vision improvement under its founder William Bates, and triedsuccessfully to bring Reichian psychology and Bates techniques together. Kelleynoted the correlation between blocked emotion and myopia and hyperopia, and alsonoted that blocked fear, and sometimes blocked sadness, can lead to myopia (near-sightedness). He also observed that hyperopia (far-sightedness) corresponded withblocked anger. There has been more of an emphasis on dealing with vision and the"eye segment" with Kelley's bodywork than with the other bodywork modalities becauseof this.Another of Kelley's views that differed from the other neo-Reichians, was hisegalitarian view of personal growth work. There was none of the "top down, I'menlightned and your a mere peasant" view that has characterized many psychologistsfrom the inception of the field. Kelley viewed the muscular armor as having apurpose for the person doing the armoring, and he viewed it a matter or choice forthat person to either let go and experience fully the feelings inside whenappropriate, or to block those feelings in order to apply purpose and to accomplishsomething. Also, he did not view the unblocking of emotion in someone to have afinite end--or a beginning. He viewed the blocking of emotion, or the constructionof the armor, as an ongoing process necessary for survival and for the full range ofchoices in life. Instead of the term "psychotherapy", he considered the process ofopening to one's emotions more of a matter of education and choice. Again, the term"psychotherapy" to him connoted a sickness or mental illness, rather thanconsidering the whole affair of blocking or unblocking emotion to be one of personalchoice. Kelley's philosophy extended to his marketing of his books and teachings,and he didn't like the idea of slickly selling his views, books, or his teachings tothose who might benefit from them. Also, unlike others under the Reichian umbrella,Kelley didn't share in the medical elitist view of bodywork that Reich and Lowenpromulgated. Kelley was more willing to share in the specifics of the emotionalrelease work than were the others. Included in the titles in this set is "Freeingthe Feelings" that describes in a fair amount of detail some of the blockages tospecific emotion that won't be to my knowledge found in the writings of any otherReichian psychologist. Again, Kelley didn't have the "I am enlightened my child,and some day you may be wise and not nuts like me" that has been prevalent in thepersonal growth field from Osho and Hubbard, to Reich and Janov. Kelley even sharedhis own personal emotional release work with his "students." He made a deliberateattempt to be seen as an equal by the people who worked with him and not a "guru" ora saint. Many people crave charismatic leaders to follow, and in their leaders findpersonal strength and glory by identifying with them. We see this throughout humanhistory--in wars, politics, religion, sports and even in marriage and relationships.Kelley didn't want to cater to this human desire. He was just who he was.While the articles included in this torrent do not cover everything Charles Kelleyhas ever written, it does give the reader a good basic understanding of his neo-Reichian psychology and goes into some of his ideas about "Radix", his term for lifeforce or life energy. There are other works of his, "A New Method of WeatherControl", "Life Force" (his last book before his death), and some materials onlyavailable to those studying his work on feeling and purpose through the classesoffered through the following websites. The first site listed is maintained byKelley's wife Erica and it disseminates many of Kelley-Radix writings.http://www.kelley-radix.orghttp://www.radixaustralia.com.auhttp://www.radix.orgThis collection of torrents is an excellent resource for those looking for some goodbasic understanding of body oriented psychology, without the pages of filler thattypically characterizes some of the works of Reich and Lowen. "Freeing theFeelings" is not light reading, but in a few pages does a very good job ofsummarizing the last 60 years of body oriented psychology. Whether a person's intosimple massage work, Rolfing, or just wants a deeper understanding of what is goingon inside of them, Kelley's works are invaluable. For anyone in the helpingprofessions--chiropractors, new-age healers, to progressive psychologists andphysicians--the information contained in these writings can be of immense benefit,and at the minimum very interesting.Files:1.What is Orgone EnergyA summary of the discovery of orgone energy by Wilhelm Reich, with a listing of itsmanifestations, properties and applications. Resistance to acceptance of theconcept is interpreted by the author as a split between mysticism and mechanism.2.What is the Matter with ManReview of Reich?s observations about the muscular armor and Kelley?s subsequentinsights into its positive value as the mechanism of the human will. The dawn ofpurpose and the mass distortions it can create in society.3.Education in Feeling and PurposeDr. Kelley's seminal work concerning muscular armor, programs in "Feeling" and"Self-Direction/Purpose" with examples, and methodology for finding balance betweenthe two.4.Freeing the FeelingsThis is an updated combination of basic conceptual information about the radix,pulsation, charge and discharge, and its application in mobilizing the armor in thecharacterological pairs of pain/pleasure, fear/trust and anger/love. Firstpresented by Kelley in ?Opening the Feelings? 1975.5.New Techniques of Vision ImprovementSynthesizing the work of Wilhelm Reich and of the ophthalmologist William H. Bateswas a revolutionary concept in 1971 and, along with the techniques described here,remains valid today. Detailed work with the ocular segment is a unique feature ofRadix bodywork.6.Radix Charge of Living PlacesDescribes radix overcharge and its effect on the environment and on human life;gives tips for handling radix overcharge including which types of environments aremost favorable to productive charge levels.7.Interview with Sandy Shore 1998Transcription of an Interview of Charles (Chuck) Kelley by Sandy Shore of SomaticsCoalition, Portland, Oregon, February 1998. Informal summary of Radix history andprograms, description of sessions, how Kelley/Radix helps under- as well as over-armored people, and tips for finding meaning in life.8.Life and Death of Wilhelm ReichThis perspective of Reich was written in 1962, only five years after his death. Itsummarizes Reich's life, his work, and his struggles with the Federal Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) culminating in his imprisonment and death.9.About Reich and Radix, A MemoirAutobiographical account of Kelley?s relationship with Reich during Reich?s lastyears, and the evolution of his thinking away from the medical model of orgonomy tothe development of Radix Education.Personal note: The Radix teachers I have personally met I found open, warm and ingeneral fairly cool. However, I doubt that all that are around are people that Iwould want to associate with. As with all teacher-student situations, it is highlyadvisable to go with your gut feelings about people before you chose them as yourteachers. In work of this nature, having an emotionally nourishing person to act asa guide is extremely important and one who you are comfortable with in expressing thefull ... [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]