radio-activity

[triveni93]

I noticed that Bertiaux's concept of "radio-activity" is mentioned quite a bit in Grant's Cults of the Shadow, starting on page 174 and throughout the two chapters on Cult of the Black Snake (ch.'s 9 & 10). I know that bits and pieces of information were given about it, but I'm not sure I was able to get a firm sense of what the term itself means. Would anyone care to elaborate on this for me?

[Nalyd Khezr Bey]

In Cults of the Shadow Grant himself seems to be equating the term to Reichenbach's "Odic Force" which was an earlier term for what Wilhelm Reich came to call "orgone", i.e. life force or life energy. Grant actually calls it "astral magnetism". Sexual radio-activity implies sexual radiation which sounds to me like another colourful name for Kundalini.

[N0T 2]

Jul 24, 2015 21:59:02 GMT triveni93 said:

I noticed that Bertiaux's concept of "radio-activity" is mentioned quite a bit in Grant's Cults of the Shadow, starting on page 174 and throughout the two chapters on Cult of the Black Snake (ch.'s 9 & 10). I know that bits and pieces of information were given about it, but I'm not sure I was able to get a firm sense of what the term itself means. Would anyone care to elaborate on this for me?

"Radio-activity" or radiation simply means a force that proceeds from or radiates from one or more points, eg. like light rays emitted from a source. At the time of writing, nuclear physics was still novel on the planet and the ongoing discovery of biological mutations resulting from it suggested or fits the notion of similar spiritual phenomena, making "radioactive" a neat poetic term to indicate a spiritual force that emanates (radiates) from one or more sources, causing on its trajectory "mutations" or unexpected changes along the way similar to or analogous to those catalysed by actual physical radioactivity.

[triveni93]

Thank you so much, NOT 2. This is very helpful.

[Raj Don Yasser]

Grant seems to be referring to what Reich termed "orgone" energy (see Reich's Function of the Orgasm). This blue-hue could be observed in his orgone accumulator (Albert Einstein verified having observed this phenomenon). While Reich had no interest in "occult" topics, many themes found in Grant's books can also be found in Reich's works (orgone, UFO's).