The SHN #44: I Made Something, Wilhelm Reich, and Character Armor

Welcome back to The Synergetic Health Newsletter! 

In this edition, I’ll talk about my new, short e-book— “Accelerated SELF-Development.”

After that, a deep dive into scientist Wilhelm Reich.

Then comes a great selection of other things to check out, from baking soda as a health aid to the history of modern medicine to a Tarot app I’m using.

Enjoy!

Joe Burt

I Made Something

Over the past few months, I've been putting together what I call an "Accelerated Model for Self-Development" – a kind of blueprint or roadmap for personal growth that goes beyond the surface-level stuff we often focus on in the world of self-help and wellness.

Don't get me wrong – I'm all for optimizing our physical health and wellbeing. I've spent years in the trenches of the fitness industry, and I've seen firsthand the benefits that come from taking care of our bodies and minds. But I've also come to realize that if we really want to become truer versions of ourselves, we need to dive a bit deeper.

That's where this model comes in. It's a framework I'm using for my own process of self-discovery, drawing on insights from philosophy, spirituality, psychology, and my own lived experience. And while I don't claim to have all the answers, I do believe this approach can be valuable for anyone who's feeling the call to explore the bigger questions of life and existence.

What I can personally attest to, and is the main feature of this model, is the exponential potential of the work. The non-linear nature of the practices contained within offer opportunities to quite literally become a new, upgraded version of yourself. This new person isn't some scary proposal but is actually who you really are but who remains obscured.

At its core, the “Accelerated Model for Self-Development” is about shifting our focus from the external to the internal – from trying to change our circumstances to exploring the nature of our own being. It's about cultivating a sense of curiosity, wonder, and open-minded inquiry into the fundamental questions of who we are, why we're here, and what it all means.

Through a series of practices and perspectives – like philosophical inquiry, connecting with nature, doing the inner work of self-reflection and shadow integration, engaging in embodiment practices and creative expression – this model is one of self-discovery and transformation.

This isn't some kind of quick-fix solution or magic bullet. It's a collection of tools, ideas, and practices that I am using myself and I think could be valuable for others as well.

If any of this resonates with you, check out the e-book version of the Accelerated Model for Self-Development.

At the end of the day, I believe we all have a call to connect with something greater than ourselves – to understand our place in the grand scheme of things and to live in alignment with our true self. And while the path of self-development is a highly personal one, I hope the ideas and practices in this model can serve as a catalyst and a guide for you.

So if you're feeling the call to dive a bit deeper and explore, give it a read! 

*I also have created a “Resources” page, which is free, to accompany the e-book, so check that out too!

*If you want the e-book for free just reply to this e-mail and I’ll send it to you.

👨 Wilhelm Reich (1897-1957) was an Austrian psychoanalyst and multidisciplinary scientist. He began his career as one of Sigmund Freud's respected pupils, working to further develop Freud's theories on human sexuality and neuroses.

However, Reich's work soon deviated from mainstream psychoanalysis as he developed his own unique ideas and research into biological energy fields. His work on bioenergy and the intelligence of the human body provides valuable insights:

1) Recognition of life force energy: Reich was one of the pioneers in recognizing and studying a universal life force energy, which he termed "orgone" energy. He saw this bioenergy as the fundamental driving force behind all living beings and natural processes. By attuning to this primal energy within ourselves, we can tap into a deeper source of vitality, creativity, and connection with the nature.

2) Mind-body integration: Reich's work emphasized the integration of the mind, body and life energies. He saw neuroses and emotional blockages as disturbances in the free flow of bioenergetic charges within the body. His insights reveal that true psychological health and enlightenment require recognizing and harmonizing the mental, emotional and physical aspects of our being.

3) Unlocking somatic intelligence: Reich developed therapeutic techniques like vegeto-therapy and character analysis to help people release chronic muscular armorings and tensions that restrict natural biological pulsation. By learning to free the bodily constraints, we can access deeper reservoirs of instinctual knowledge often suppressed by civilization.

4) Embracing natural sexuality: An integral part of Reich's work focused on helping people overcome fears, shame and repression around sexuality. He saw natural sexual expression as vital for physical and psychological well-being.

5) Cosmic perspective: Ultimately, Reich saw the human as a microcosmic vortex of the same universal life energy found throughout nature and the cosmos. His work points the way for individuals to experience their essential unity with these primordial, cosmic forces through bodily awareness.

Reich’s work drew controversies, and he faced censorship and persecution, with his books burned by the U.S. government on charges of distributing pseudoscientific material.

Despite this, Reich's groundbreaking theories on mind-body connections, sexual repression, character analysis and biological energy continued to gain a cult following. His unconventional ideas influenced generations of thinkers across psychology, bodywork therapies, anti-authoritarian politics and New Age spirituality movements.

More Reich exploration coming up in 5….4….3….2….1….

🛡️ Character Armor

A concept brought to existence by Reich, character armor revolves around the idea that individuals develop psychological defenses to protect themselves from emotional pain and distress. These defenses manifest physically and psychologically, influencing both body and mind.

Reich proposed that character armor forms as a response to trauma, serving as a barrier between an individual and their emotions. This armor is believed to be evident in various physical characteristics and behaviors, such as muscle tension, shallow breathing, rigid posture, avoidance of eye contact, and certain movement patterns.

The character armor concept suggests that individuals adopt these defensive mechanisms as a means of self-protection, particularly in response to past experiences of abuse, neglect, or other forms of trauma.

However, while character armor may initially provide a sense of security, it can also restrict emotional expression, limit interpersonal connections, and impede personal growth and fulfillment.

Reich's work emphasized the importance of recognizing and dismantling character armor to facilitate emotional healing and self-discovery. Through awareness, therapy, and a multitude of practices covered in this newsletter, individuals can gradually release the emotional barriers erected by their character armor.

Indeed, there are numerous ways to characterize what essentially amounts to the same phenomenon. Our emotional baggage and past traumas linger within us, finding distinct expressions in our physical experiences. Unless we make a conscious decision to confront these unconscious 'parts' of ourselves, they will persist in influencing our lives.

🧑🏽‍⚕️ Modern Medicine Needs Help

This passage is from the book “Secret Teachings of All Ages”, written in 1928 by Manly P. Hall:

“The philosophers of all ages have taught that the visible universe was but a fractional part of the whole, and that by analogy the physical body of man is in reality the least important part of his composite constitution. Most of the medical systems of today almost entirely ignore the super-physical man. They pay but scant attention to causes, and concentrate their efforts on ameliorating effects.

Paracelsus, noting the same proclivity on the part of physicians during his day, aptly remarked: ‘There is a great difference between the power that removes the invisible causes of disease, which is Magic, and that which causes merely external effects to disappear, and which is Psychic, Sorcery, and Quackery.”

Paracelsus died in the 1500’s, and he had already seen the trend that has continued with alarming pace to this day— that we now only treat the physical body and believe everything else to be “quackery”, when in fact, we may have it all backwards.

It’s almost like modern medicine doesn’t know wtf they’re doing? Who makes money when people have chronic diseases 🤔 

𝕏 Thread of the Week

💊 How Medicine Became Monopolized: This sobering video explains how the power brokers ranging from the American Medical Association (AMA) to John Rockefeller effectively monopolized the medical field. This led to the allopathic (Western) medical model taking hold as gospel and the smear campaign against holistic, “quack” practitioners around the country. Modern medicine is a scam of unimaginable proportions and you must take individual control of your health.

⚱️ Vegetable Oils Are A Hard NO: You may or may not be aware of the crusade against the consumption of vegetable oils. While this isn’t the majority opinion, as some still believe they are heart-protective, I lean heavily to the side that it’s best to remove these oils from your diet as much as possible. This article does a good job explaining why. So does this tweet thread. And so does this article.

💡 Blue Light Exposure Damages Your Health: This study from February of this year has concluded that “our lighting environment has drastically changed in the last few years with consequences for our retina, our circadian rhythm, and for the flora and fauna.” Continuous exposure to artificial light disrupts the integrity and performance of your retina, impairing its ability to efficiently process light, the primary signal that directs brain function. Striving for bright days and dark nights reduces the negative health impacts of artificial light.

🏋🏻‍♂️ Exercise is More Effective for Treating Depression than SSRI’s:

🔗 One Hitters

🎴 The Tarot app I’ve been experimenting with- Voyager (App Store)

🎉 How to greatly improve your social life (Tweet)

☀️ Effects of light viewing on health and physiology (Video)

🧂 Salt is good for you (Tweet Thread)

📅 My Scheduling Page: Go here to book a 15-minute free call to chat.

✔️ That will do it for this time! Hopefully you got some value out of it. If you have any questions/comments/things you’d like to learn more about please don’t hesitate to reach out.

🔗 If you know anyone who loves learning about these types of topics, send them this link!

📰 To read all past newsletters, go here.