Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ College Experiment with Orgone Energy

While attending college, Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders is said to have created a device intended to harness what some believe is a sexual life force energy, releasing it in the form of intense orgasms, according to a new book scheduled for release on Tuesday.

In “Bernie for Burlington: The Rise of a People’s Politician,” author Dan Chiasson claims Sanders became interested in the theories of Austrian psychoanalyst and sexologist Dr. Wilhelm Reich during his early twenties. Chiasson describes how Sanders allegedly channeled “orgone” energy by building a five-foot-long prayer mat made of spiked copper wire and using it for sleeping purposes. Reich theorized that this energy is universal and strongly connected to sexuality.

Reich’s work also linked sexual repression with broader political issues, suggesting that overcoming such repression could contribute to political liberation. Chiasson notes Reich’s idea that profound orgasms could lead to significant societal transformation.

Moreover, Reich developed an “orgone accumulator,” a structure designed to capture this energy from the environment, which he believed had the potential to heal various ailments, including cancer. This device was controversial; in fact, Reich was imprisoned for two years after violating an FDA injunction against the sale of these accumulators.

Reportedly, during his time at the University of Chicago, Sanders was influenced by the ideologies of figures like Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx. He read their works to grasp the complexities of capitalist society.

While at university, Sanders also contributed an article to the college newspaper titled “Sex and Single Girls – Part 2.” This piece took inspiration from feminist author Helen Gurley Brown, discussing the school’s housing policies that restricted female students from living off-campus and limited male visitors in dormitories. Sanders criticized these rules as an “oppressive moral code” leading to “enforced chastity.”

Lastly, Sanders faced considerable backlash during his presidential campaign for some of the provocative statements made in his earlier writings about gender roles. These included controversial claims regarding women’s fantasies and their implications, which drew intense criticism from various quarters. As of now, Sanders’ team has not responded to inquiries for comment on these revelations.