A PRELIMINARY REPORT

Improvement in a case of intermediate, dry, age-related macular degeneration in 83-year-old female patient associated with an unconventional modality

ABSTRACT

An 82-year-old female patient, now 83 years old, was referred by her ophthalmologist to a vitreoretinal surgeon and macular disease specialist for evaluation of, and treatment for, intermediate stage dry macular degeneration both eyes (OU); drusen OU; posterior vitreous detachment OU (April 2021). She also had minimal cataracts. The patient’s treatment plan is standard for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with one variable—an unconventional bioenergetic treatment developed by Wilhelm Reich, MD (1)

INTRODUCTION

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the retina and leads to a progressive loss of vision. AMD is the main cause of irreversible blindness in those over age 50 in the Western World. In the United States, some form of AMD affects an estimated 20 million. AMD is predicted to increase dramatically in the West, rising to about 288 million worldwide by 2040. (2)

Drusen are yellow deposits of lipids and proteins that alter the physiology of the external retinal layers. Dry AMD is morphologically defined by the accumulation of drusen without neovascularization. They do not cause AMD but are associated with an increased risk of the disease. Drusen enlarge the space between the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and Bruch’s membrane. It is well-known that drusen themselves worsen visual acuity. Drusen directly relate to the disease state. Their amount; location behind the macular region of the retina; and size all determine AMD severity.

Drusen are a mechanical source of damage to the intricate architecture at the choroid-pigment border. Drusen alter planar distribution of photoreceptors which may contribute to visual distortion. Drusen also may be regarded as a consequence of more primary alterations of the pigment epithelium. The morphological regression of drusen is associated with improvement in AMD.

CASE

The patient was in overall good health; taking no medications; exercised regularly; never smoked; drank wine with dinner occasionally; had normal blood pressure, cholesterol levels and weight. She was treated successfully for breast cancer at age 67 and ovarian cancer at age 33.

The initial Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) macula images confirmed the presence of intermediate dry AMD in both eyes. Later tests showed that AMD was not progressing. The patient’s images from October 2022 and January 2023 revealed resolved drusen and RPE changes right eye (OD) and resolving drusen and RPE changes left eye (OS).

At first, the retinal images documented that in 2021 AMD was not progressing. In 2022, the first signs appeared that the patient’s condition was improving. By October 2022 and even more so in January 2023, significant improvement was revealed by the retinal images taken. Continued improvement was evident in retinal images taken in April 2023 and even more so in July 2023. Such positive results cannot be attributed to the over-the-counter products (AREDS-2 or Macu-Guard) being used by the patient at the clinician’s suggestion.

There are cases where the body reabsorbs drusen, revealing damage to adjacent tissue. In such cases, AMD may be worsened, making the elimination of drusen not always desirable. However, in this patient, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images show not only the regression of drusen, but improvement in the health of adjacent retinal tissue, making the resolving of drusen desirable.

DISCUSSION

With no effective treatment to offer patients, a wide range of approaches are being employed by clinicians and researchers in the treatment and study of AMD. The literature includes reports on the use of various nutraceuticals; nutritional and lifestyle modification; and even intercessory prayer. (3)

The patient described in this report used a form of bioenergetic medicine pioneered in the 1930s and 1940s by Wilhelm Reich, MD. Reich originally thought he was dealing with “bioelectricity,” but his laboratory and human experiments revealed the existence of a non-electromagnetic specific biological energy, which he termed orgone energy. Reich was a 20th Century Western physician-scientist whose experimental work made bioenergy demonstrable, measurable and usable. (4,5) Concepts such as prana in Ayurvedic medicine; chi in Traditional Chinese medicine; and elan vital and entelechy in vitalist traditions are inklings of the existence of such a specific biological energy.

Reich’s work was not accepted in his own time, but times change. (6) It is not unusual for new knowledge that challenges the status quo to be marginalized or rejected. It was not until 75 years after his death that Newton’s work was accepted, for example. And it took 80 years for quantum mechanics to move from hypothesis to practical use. Now half the world’s economy depends on quantum science. Reich’s approach is little known today but is used worldwide by physicians in many nations.

Reich was not alone in his era in studying bioenergy. Experimental work in bioenergy has a long history: from the late 1930s by HS Burr and FCS Northrop at Yale; to Wilhelm Reich in the 1940s and 1950s; followed by Reich’s student Dr. Bernard Grad at McGill in the 1950s to the 1990s; to Robert O. Becker in the 1970s and James L Oschmann in the 1980s and 2000s; to present work by Prof-Dr Jorgos Kavouras in Germany. There are many other examples that could be cited.

Fritjof Capra, PhD, a physicist, systems theorist, and deep ecologist has a more accurate assessment of Reich: “Wilhelm Reich was a pioneer of the paradigm shift. He has brilliant ideas, a cosmic perspective, and a holistic and dynamic worldview that far surpassed the science of his time and was not appreciated by his contemporaries.” (7)

Bioenergetic Technique Used

With electricity, it is well-known that some materials are insulators and others are conductors. With the non-electromagnetic bioenergy, metal attracts the energy but immediately repels it. Organic materials attract the energy but bind it. A flow of physical, non-electromagnetic energy is created through the use of alternating layers of organic and metallic materials, with the outer layer being organic and the inner layer metallic. (8)

The patient uses a funnel made of galvanized steel. The outside of the funnel, which must be magnetic, is wrapped with the layered organic-metallic material.
The patient uses three alternating layers of cotton and steel wool. The alternating layers create a flow of energy toward the inside of the funnel.

When the funnel opening is held up to the eyes, one at a time, the energy can be felt as heat or warmth. This subjective impression can be confirmed objectively by using technology such as thermal infrared imaging cameras. (See Figures 1-2)

For the first 9 months or so, the patient held the funnel close to the eyes, one eye at a time, for one minute at a time, once daily. During this period, her condition was stable. From that point on, she began using the funnel one eye at a time, for one minute at a time, twice daily. This approach coincided with increasing improvement in her condition evident at each subsequent visit to the retinal specialist.

She has been doing this regularly since the diagnosis of AMD was made and confirmed in April 2021. However, in July 2023, she returned to using the funnel one eye at a time, for one minute, once daily. This was done at the suggestion of her retinal specialist who thought that, because the drusen were gone, less irradiation of the eyes with orgone energy might be necessary. Future retinal scans will reveal what impact this change has on the patient.

The OCT macula images included in this report clearly show that, as of July 2023, the drusen are resolved in both eyes. (Figures 3-5) In Figure 6, the April 2023 image shows three small drusen that have been reduced to just one even smaller drusen by July 2023. The drusen apparent in both eyes in April 2021 are resolved in both eyes.

In addition, the patient’s images show that the retinal tissue is healthier in later images than in the earliest ones.

The patient has followed a standard treatment regimen with one major variable: the use of a bioenergetic technique that assists the body’s natural healing functions. It seems likely that this variable in treatment accounts for the improvement in her condition.

CONCLUSION

At present, there are no effective treatments for dry AMD. We are reporting a case where a form of bioenergetic treatment appears to be associated with an initial regression of, and subsequent disappearance of, drusen as assessed by standard technology. There has also been an improvement in the health of retinal tissue. Further use of this approach could reveal novel insights into dry AMD, possibly bringing about improved treatment.

The results presented here indicate that this approach could be of significant value for many patients with dry AMD. The use of this bioenergetic technique seems to be preventing further progression of dry AMD in this patient as well as bringing about improvement in the patient’s condition. A pilot study seems warranted in light of the significant disappearance of drusen and improved quality of vision in this patient.

This form of treatment is easy for patients to self-administer; has no harmful side effects; and is remarkably inexpensive. In addition, it does not require that the patient forego any other treatment presently recommended.

The major obstacles in the way of considering further research into this approach are not medical. They arise from our Western worldview in general; the assumptions of contemporary mechanistic-reductionistic biomolecular medicine in particular; and a near-complete lack of knowledge about bioenergetic functions in the human organism. What can remove these obstacles? An open mind; scientific curiosity; and a desire to improve the health and lives of millions of patients.

Figure 1. Jon East, at the time with BBC, with bioenergy device (orgone energy accumulator) at Agema Infrared Systems Ltd, UK which provided the physics lab for his use.

Figure 2. Image on real time color monitor taken by Thermovision 900SW (shortwave) & TE (thermoelectrically cooled) infrared camera. (Sensitive to 0.1 degrees C). Blue color is cold; yellow is room temperature; red is hot. Present with Jon East were a physician in general practice; an infrared camera engineer; and two physicians who specialize in using infrared cameras for medical purposes. White shape on left is the hand of a healer being tested in the BBC segment. The white shape on right is Jon East holding the red funnel which is at least 4C hotter than the ambient room temperature with no heat source present to account for the high temperature. The infrared image shows the energy radiating from the hand of the healer, and also, from the funnel. The visible radiating energy is an example of what is occurring energetically when the patient uses the bioenergy funnel on her eyes.

Figure 3. Retinal Image 1: Top image was taken July 2022; bottom image is from Jan 2023

Figure 4. The top figure is from July 2022. The bottom figure is from October 2022.

Figure 5. Retinal Image 2. Top image was taken July 2022; bottom image is from January 23, 2023.

Figure 6. The top image is from April 2023. The bottom image is from July 2023. The drusen are essentially gone.

References

1. Reich, Wilhelm. The Orgone Energy Accumulator—Its Scientific and Medical Use. (Orgone Institute. 1951)
2. Bright Focus Foundation facts and Figures (2023)
3. Case report of instantaneous resolution of juvenile macular degeneration blindness after proximal intercessory prayer (C Romez, K Freedman, D Zaritzky, JW Brown – Explore, 2021 – Elsevier)
4. Reich, Wilhelm. The Function of the Orgasm (Orgone Institute Press. 1942)
5. Reich, Wilhelm. The Cancer Biopathy (Orgone Institute Press. 1948)
6. Mannion, Michael. Historical Perspective Wilhelm Reich, 1897–1957. Alternative and Complementary Therapies. June 1997.194-199
7. Capra, Fritjof. The Turning Point (Random House Publishing Group. 1982)
8. Reich, Wilhelm. The Orgone Energy Accumulator—Its Scientific and Medical Use. (Orgone Institute. 1951)