"The Characterological and Somatic Armor: How the Self Organizes in the World" 

In this talk I explore Wilhelm Reich’s theory of character and somatic armor, emphasizing the identity between psychological character structure and chronic muscular contraction. Armor, in this context, is the embodied suppression of emotion— a literal holding or contraction that becomes unconscious over time and forms one’s personality or character. It blocks both the expression and experience of emotion, leading to stagnated energy, which can manifest as anxiety, depression, isolation, or dissociation.

Therapeutically, the goal is to bring awareness to this armor—not only cognitively, but experientially—by inviting movement and breath that allow new emotional and somatic experiences. Change happens through sensing and feeling, not just insight. As armored structures soften, vitality and truth return, albeit often with the re-emergence of long-suppressed emotions like rage, grief, or fear. The path of healing is through the resistance, not around it.