Hi fellow reflexology fans,
I want to talk/ask about the brilliant physician and psychoanalyst Wilheim Reich who was a protege of Sigmund Freud.
He agreed with Freud that sexual development was the origin of ill health and mental illness.
They both believed that most psychological states were dictated by unconscious processes, that infant sexuality develops early but can be repressed, and that this has important consequences for their health. As sexual repression was the cause of the neuroses, the best cure would be to have an active, guilt-free sex life.
Reich had a theory called ‘body armouring’. He argued that unreleased psychosexual energy could produce actual physical blocks within muscles and organs, and that these act as a ‘body armor’ preventing the release of the energy. Although most didnt know it, muscles remain rigid and tense with this inhibited libido. An orgasm was one way to break through the armour. These ideas developed into a general theory of the importance of a healthy sex life to overall well-being, a theory compatible with Freud's views.
His idea was that the orgasm was not simply a device to aid recreation, but was the body's emotional energy regulator. The healthy the orgasm, the more energy was released, meaning that less was available to create neurotic states. Reich called the ability to release sufficient energy during orgasm ‘orgastic potency’, something that very few individuals could achieve, he argued, because of society's sexual oppression or upbringing. A man or woman without orgastic potency was in a constant state of tension, developing a body armor to keep it in. The outer rigidity and inner anxiety is the state of neurosis, leading to hate, sadism, greed, and at a political level, fascism and antisemitism.
This dissolution of the ‘body armour’ also brought back the repressed memory of the childhood situation that had caused the repression, he wrote. If the session worked as intended, he wrote that he could see waves of pleasure move through their bodies, a series of spontaneous, involuntary movements.
Reich called these the ‘orgasm reflex’. The two goals of Reichian therapy became the attainment of this orgasm reflex during therapy, and orgastic potency during intercourse. Reich called the flow of energy that he said he observed in his patients' bodies ‘bio-electricity’. He went on to scientifically prove the existence of this, what he called Orgone energy, ('chi') in experiments (with Einstein).
I agree completely with all of this. The key to any good health (and any therapy for good health) is making sure there’s no over-tension in the orgasm. When I used to have a bad back, if I went for reflexology session within a day or two after an orgasm she would say ‘oh, you’re quite tight today’. I often used to feel crappy, achy, depressed for a day or two after an orgasm until I figured it all out! I realised after a lot of alexander technique and reflexology that it was to do with fear of pain over a childhood operation (undescended testicle), something I had basically forgotten about. My muscles were rigid and tense and all thoses contractions during an orgasm when my muscles were tight sent my body off in badly ‘skew-riff’ manner, which does affect long-term posture and muscle strength. Thankfully, im over all that now.
But I would have figured it out quicker if it was in the literature.
There’s now lots of Neo-Reichian therapies such as Alexander Technique, Rolfing and Feldenekreis. In not a reflexologist but probably reflexology is one too.
What I don’t understand, unless Im wrong, is why these therapies don’t make a bigger thing of this in their literature and teaching, definitely Alexander technique doesn't mention it. Surely in this day and age no-ones bothered (offended) about reading about this important health subject (?) esp. if will improve their health.
Is there a mention of the ‘orgasm reflex’ in reflexology?
Is there a spot on the foot that represents the ‘orgasm reflex’?
In my opinion, the whole foot represents the orgasm as the whole body needs to free and relaxed during one to remain healthy.
Cheers
this 'arnie sounding' guy talks about it
There are reflexologists (usually male) who claim to be able to "give a woman an orgasm" by manipulation of one point on her foot. I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole.
wasnt really what i meant or why i asked.
Im not trying to find out what spot to touch to give a woman an orgasm, it was more if someone his having unhealthy orgasms does it show up in a particular way?
Ive got a hunch that if someone has any problem reflexes on their body, an orgasm will make it worse (at very least temporarily), but on the other hand if someone has a 'free', relaxed healthy body, an orgasm is very good for them.
at around 6mins they talk about it here
Fab post Matty30 - so good i am going to re read it!
Good post Matty30
Reading your post, it seems that what you are describing is more of a mental/emotional rather than a physical problem and reflexology seems to give more physical responses to what is going on in the body, though yes a physical manifestation can have and often does have mental/emotional undercurrents.
Unfortunately I don't have the answer for you concerning a reflexology point which will address this, but I am sure if someone puts their mind to it, they will come up with a solution, after all we can detect when women are ovulating and which ovary is producing an egg, so why not, anything is possible.
To maintain good health, we do need to be balanced on all levels of our existence, there are a lot of people out there with a lot of problems associated with sexual repression, guilt, anxiety etc. Which does have an effect on the whole person.
it seems that what you are describing is more of a mental/emotional rather than a physical problem and reflexology seems to give more physical responses to what is going on in the body, though yes a physical manifestation can have and often does have mental/emotional undercurrents.
I would say they are the same thing, and by quoting Reich himself who was all about reuniting the mind and body:
"The body's outward appearance is an accurate reflection of what's happening inside." Reich said.
This idea is also the major part of the Alexander technique. When you change your thoughts you will physically change too.
Like in my case, the mental memory actually was causing the physical pain and very bad posture, they were the same thing/problem. As I came to terms with that memory of the raw pain I experienced as a child, in other words learnt to think of it without flinching, holding any part of my body, my posture and muscle structure changed dramatically. (I used reflexology to help me do this too).
In reich case, he had to release the mental pain from his mum having an affair and his father dying, both when he was a kid. When he finally 'released' this mental anguish and came to terms with it his body physically changed for the better too.
I think many who go through alot of reflexology therapy will notice these types of changes too ???
Reich wanted a full-body emotional response to life. 'If you cover yourself up, may deaden pain, but also rob yourself of full joy.'
When someone inhibits an impulse they feel tension. Inhibited libido is tense muscles, sexual charm is relaxed muscles.
Reich described the 'Functions of muscular armour':
-Keeps potentially explosive emotions in
-Wards off emotions of others.
-Reich noticed men have trouble taking away armour because they are so accustomed to suppressing feelings and emotions.
-An armoured person does not feel their armour as such. Reich believed that mind-body work is necessary for people to rid themselves of this armor.
- Body armour and character armour are essentially the same. Their function is trying to protect yourself against the pain of notexpressing things that society says you may not express. Muscular armour is character armor expressed in body, muscular rigidity.
- Armouring is the sum total of the muscular attitudes which a person develops as a defense against the breakthrough of emotions, especially anxity, rage, sexual excitation. Character armour is the sum total of all the years of the muscular attituded that have also been incorporated in the persons character.
Character armour can be reflected in life patterns.
Karen Horney, reflecting on Reichs work, noted that people may arrange their lives to fit their character armour. Thus a severely introverted person may find an apartment in a building that is so configured that he or she need not meet or interact with neighbours, and shop at impersonal stores where minimal contact with others is necessary.
A reflexologist should be able to sense the amount of body armour or character armour within someone by the state of their reflexes.
Yes, we work an the principle that the body listens to the thoughts and responds in an appropriate manner, change the thoughts and the physicality will also alter to apply the new positive thought patterns.
However this is a little outside of the remit of reflexology, reflexologists generally do not get taught this sort of thing, so it is not surprising that they do not make use of it.
We do this type of work through our Gaia-Now energy healing and personal development, using the reprogramming part of the modality, this works directly on a mental/emotional level of the healee, utilising mindfulness within the oneness to directly change negative self limiting thought patterns and beliefs into positive ones within the Now.
Reflexology will be able to monitor the changes as they happen, but on its own reflexology can't bring about the changes, for mental changes to occur requires something to either directly change the way someone thinks as we do, or to work as a catalyst to stimulate the way someone thinks.
on its own reflexology can't bring about the changes, for mental changes to occur .
Leaving the orgasm issue at the side for a second,
do you think reflexology can bring mental changes by default? as in, by stopping the physical problem, emotional releases come will with it?
That is a possibility if the person giving it is mindful of the connections, but to just address the physical issues without first removing the underlying problem, will often just result in the physical manifestation of the inner conflict reforming, or manifesting as something else.
This is the problem with an allopathic approach to health, it only addresses the manifestation often to the detriment of the person.
Brilliant post. I have read all contributions and have found the so interesting. As I am a newly qualified reflexologist I am still feeding my need for knowledge. Thanks.
I've only quickly skimmed over this thread as I'll be going out soon, but there is much food for thought.
Is there a mention of the ‘orgasm reflex’ in reflexology?
Is there a spot on the foot that represents the ‘orgasm reflex’?
I've not read anything about this before. I'm unsure on the term, will need to do research, but is the orgasm not a muscle response to stimuli?
I can't imagine there being a reflex that relates to the orgasm apart from the reproductive area.
I can relate to the body amour theory, I feel my chakras open and chi ripple through by body and leave my feet after an orgasm.
Maybe I've mis-read this thread, I'll have to return when I have more time.
Interesting thoughts and I'm sure that repression of any aspects of free expression has an effect on our bodies and health. (Ref: Hay)
As a reflexologist we dont necessarily need to have deep pyschological knowledge of a clients problems, just know there is a blockage somewhere and work in a general manner which should help.
As the recipient of countless calls (often at 1am) from seekers of sexual services, (what do they think reflexology is), I would not dream of putting anything with a sexual connotation on my leaflets or website. Its time consuming enough finding out what male callers really need (or want).