Reich’s Map of Body Armor: Ocular Segment

 

In my last blog post, I discussed the general concept of somatic armoring including character armoring. I will hone in now on Reich’s map of the body and what he called the segments of armoring. There are seven segments delineated and I will cover them over a series of posts.

As Reich defined various character types, he also outlined how these various defensive styles manifest as blockages in the body. His schema of blockages started with the eyes and head, and ended at the pelvis, correlating the segments with how energy circulates from top down.

We all have different energy levels, body types, and genetics so there is not one idealized version of the body to follow. The functional approach of Orgonomy considers how to maximize our unique systems by opening all the segments. When we study the body/mind, we can see that the various blockages inhibit our natural reservoir of capacity. Orgonomy goes about freeing the character so it can react with spontaneity, flexibility, sensibility, and creativity in all situations. To accomplish this goal, we also need to free the body, as that is the instrument of expressed capacity.

The first segment includes our eyes and head. Our eyes are our point of contact with others and our instrument of perception of the world. When we have ocular armor, our vision can be skewed and distorted, and we misinterpret, feel more fear and confusion, experience blurred vision at times, miss cues, and can create an entire world-view based on unclear perception. Our eyes can look and feel dead; the light is muted. With ocular armoring, we can feel closed down to others, have chronic trust issues, and become suspicious, hyper-vigilant, and controlling. We may dominate others as a way to feel secure. In relationships, we have difficulty making contact, creating space in our eyes for the other, and looking directly with an open and genuine expression. These are some of the symptoms of an ocular block.

Our head can feel chronically stuffy, tense, and contracted, and we may experience painful headaches, hot pain in the lower back of the head, or a tight skullcap over our entire cranium. Our forehead can be constricted, and immobile, and we may lack fluidity of expression. We can appear to have a tight mask on our forehead and eyes.

As we experience Orgonomic bodywork, our eyes can become light, lively, bright, and wide open again. We can express the feelings of sadness, excitement, fear, and anger bound in our head, forehead, and eyes. Through exercises that help the movement of the eyes, penetrating massage of the area, and release of pent up feelings, our eyes can become clear and mobile. Then they become a vehicle for our clarity and spirit, as the eyes are the “windows to the soul”.

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This Post Has 14 Comments

  1. Thank you for this. I have a great deal of early birth trauma (born 4 months early) and have suffered migraines and insomnia throughout life. In adulthood, my third eye feels like it is constantly being squeezed. I am a trained somatic therapist in character structure and body armor and have worked with a lot of practitioners therapeutically. However, many feel perplexed at the amount of tension between my eyes. I sense that Organomic bodywork and in particular, Ocular work, could be helpful for my situation. Do you have any referrals in the Massachusetts? I am in Western Mass, but would travel if needed. Thank you.

  2. Over the past two years, I have experienced involuntary eyelid closure.
    Initially it was diagnosed as Blepharospasm, nut after a second opinion sought, having had Botox (with horrific effects and no benefits) it has been confirmed as a progression of PTSD

    I can no longer drive because of this and am no further in getting treatment for the traumas, which have also left me with physical disabilities and Functional Neurological Disorder (all confirmed as trauma-related)

    I’ve been told that if the root cause is treated, these conditions will go away – Getting the treatment is nigh on impossible. I need somatic-based and Vagus System works initially to calm the heavily damaged CNS before even starting the trauma work.

    As you may appreciate, not being able to drive is of a huge detriment.

    How may I potentially regain/release the Ocular tension so I may form some quality of independence and freedom again?

    Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

    Many thanks

    A

    1. Alayni, I am happy to provide a referral so you can work on your situation. Not being able to drive is a liability and I understand you want your independence back. Please check out my book, Whole Therapist, Whole Patient: Integrating Reich, Masterson, and Jung in Modern Psychotherapy, available on Amazon: https://bit.ly/amazon-wholetherapistwholepatient

      Thank You!

  3. Since a very young age, I felt like a veil covered over my eyes. The outer reality gradually became less clear and more like a dream. The head feels full as if it has been filled up with some stuff. After doing body scan meditation, these stuffy feelings sometimes dissolve and my vision becomes clearer. Yet, this energy keeps coming back through my feet, along the spine into my head, cluttering up my perceptions. Any suggestions on how I could work with these symptoms? I live in the UK. I would appreciate any advice, thank you.

    1. Your symptoms make perfect sense to me and it is very difficult to clear up one’s ocular holding on your own.
      You have been trying though and that is admirable. I have a wonderful clinician I am training in the UK. If you send me an email
      at pfrisch@me.com I can put you two together.

  4. I recently chanced upon armoring and the work or Reich and Lowen. The theories prove that armoring causes the body to twist and tightens this is definitely the reason for the development of idiopathic scoliosis. And I have experienced that releasing these emotional armors releases the body armor. My scoliosis has definitely improved since I healed my trauma.

    https://mindkindmom.com/your-eyes-control-your-mental-physical-balance/
    https://mindkindmom.com/scoliosis-your-protective-body-armor/
    https://mindkindmom.com/scoliosis-fear-shame-and-your-tight-spinal-cord/

    1. I am pleased you have had good results from the work. Yes it is important to release deep holding
      so the body can breathe and unwind.

  5. Thank you for this post. I have a strong tension/pulling/knot in the rear segment of the ocular nerve in the base of the skull where it meets the spine and neck. This is all posttraumatic and has become more intense after I started doing bow and arch positions. The whole face is tense and rigid. I am worried that this will cause damage in the ocular nerve. Please, can you help? What exercises to do to unlock this tension at the base of the skull? Thank you.

    1. This is a typical place of tension as we hold in our head, move our head forward in odd angles with our devices and hold energy there as we squint our eyes. I first of all recommend you do some sessions with an Orgonomist.

      If that is not possible I would find a gentle roller at first to roll that area while lying down. Then you can find a stiffer roller as your skin habituates to the pressure. Try relaxing your face. Another exercise that is helpful is to roll your eyes so they stay mobile. Move them slowly in a circular and don’t let them jerk around. Thank you for your interest.

  6. Hello,
    Can ocular/oral armoring effect your facial asethics? Examples?

    Can releasing the ocular/oral armoring make your eyes look more vibrant/alive?

    Can cervical armoring cause your voice sound nasally/congested?

    Thanks.

    1. Thank you for your comment. Here are my responses to your questions:

      1st question:
      If there is armor around the eyes they may appear slightly closed, less vibrant and effect the facial look. Same with closed lips or hanging lips —reveal a less attractive expression.
      2nd question:
      If you release the armor aliveness can come through in the entire face.
      3rd question:
      Cervical armoring creates a raspy, tight and congested sound.

      Thank you,
      Dr. Frisch

  7. in some 5 system typologies
    the schizoid type is associated with the traditional Chinese medicine water type..
    it is associated with hearing …..
    I have a speculation about a connection with an ocular block

    the onset of the schizoid state as starting with its hearing
    even in the womb ..picking up the emotional issues from sounds
    which preconditions perhaps not to want to see the world
    that it already senses to be rejecting of its spontaneous self

    in the Chinese character types water is linked with the fire element
    giving two types ..shao yin ..and tai yang
    ..shao yin the small receptive type …
    also water is associated with kidney/bladder…. and fear issues

    the tai yang big active energy … and would be the opposite of shao yin in many ways
    and the classic rigid/gental ..self assured type
    but there is a school of thought that this power positive social assuredness
    often comes with a cost …an unrecognized loss of a sensitive heart
    tho fire is associated in the Chinese system with the heart

    I intend to look up later the positive negative polar energies of fire
    and once I have refreshed on such ..try to perhaps show
    how the rigid type might more often than not
    be fooling itself about its right and happiness…
    in a very narcissistic fashion

    back to the ear eye aspects of schizoid…
    as often involving a loss of good hearing
    and near sightedness..where they look within
    and done want to SEE what is out there….

    also the schizoid in some systems
    seems to match the chronic depressive
    focus on intellectual analysis

    a book ]
    EASTERN MIND, WESTERN BODY
    speaks of the intellectual capacity of the schizoid of being highly developed
    and i think the book suggest often more so than the oral type…

    1. Thank you for your question, Jakob – I’m sorry for my delay in responding. My book titled Whole Therapist, Whole Patient: Integrating Reich, Masterson, and Jung in Modern Psychotherapy is scheduled to be published in April 2018. You’ll find more about the book here. In it, you’ll find a detailed description of the 7 segments. You might also research the segments in Elsworth Baker’s Man in the Trap.

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