| Dear Friends and Followers of the work of Dr. James DeMeo,
My name is Tom DiFerdinando. I was a close friend and part time lab assistant of Dr. DeMeo's for well over twenty years.
As many of you already know, sadly, Dr. DeMeo has died. While his death has been no secret, there has been no official public announcement of his passing until now. The delay was due to safety, administrative and other practical concerns.
Sometime in the Fall of 2021, Dr. DeMeo discovered something wasn't right, and in Feb of 2022 a scan showed he had developed a colon cancer. The condition was more serious and more advanced than he realized and got out of control. He died on April 3rd, 2022. I was with him at the end, over the last two weeks of his life, and will in time write up the full and tragic details of the situation.
Just to head off any potential questions or misunderstandings, as many have naturally asked, there was no evidence of foul play of any kind. Like I said, I was with him nearly every moment over those last two weeks. He had simply gotten seriously ill, and while tending to too many other important matters in his life at the time, things got out of control and he died. Numerous measures were taken to try and ameliorate the process, but it was too late. It was truly heartbreaking.
At his direction, I was left in charge of administering his estate, and taking over the directorship of the Orgone Biophysical Reseach Lab (OBRL). My main responsibilities were to keep Dr. DeMeo's many excellent books in print, and to protect and eventually make available to the public and interested scholars his extensive archives.
The responsibilities related to the OBRL were part of the reason for the delay in my official announcement. After he died, the number one concern was the safety and security of Dr. DeMeo's lab and archives. Outstanding as his work and research was, it is also no secret he had enemies, as do many workers in the field of orgonomy, Wilhelm Reich's science of the biological, armospheric and cosmic life energy.
My first task was to secure the lab and move the archives to an undisclosed and protected location. Next was to administer the estate, and take the legal steps necessary to make official my new leadership role at the OBRL. In the upcoming weeks, I will post more detail concerning the future of the organization. It is certainly not dead and the work is already continuing.
The focus of the new OBRL will obviously shift, since Dr. DeMeo is gone. However, neither the standards, integrity nor full-on committment to the authentic work and discoveries of Dr. Wilhelm Reich - and now Dr. James DeMeo - will be compromised in any fashion whatsoever. Dr. DeMeo and I were very much on "the same page" in nearly all matters. It was one of the reasons I developed a working relationship with him in the first place. And while he was certainly the senior authority, there was a deep and mutual respect and heartfelt appreciation between us up until the very end.
One last thing I will mention. While his main concern was that his books be kept in print and his archives preserved, Dr. DeMeo pretty much left it up to me as to what I wanted to do with his West Coast lab. He was even ok with me shutting it down; after all, it's main function was to support him and his research.
In the last days of his life, I proposed to move a small version of the lab East, since I live on the East Coast. I said the central goal of the new OBRL would to be to find and inspire a future generation of workers in orgonomy - many of the past leaders and true workers in the field are already gone, and the majority of those who remain are not getting any younger. For that, he gave me his blessing.
Realstically speaking, that "new generation" likely means only a handful of individuals - maybe even only one or two. As history shows, there are few in today's world who have the passion, energy, and deep appreciation for this amazing but challenging science and what it has to offer a troubled humanity. The work is controversial, can provoke emotional challenges within the workers themselves, and is not easy. It is also the only science that links the emotional health of the scientist to the success of the research. As Dr. DeMeo himself pointed out, students of orgonomy tend to be among the best and the brightest.
Reich's science is life-changing. It is amazing, truly exciting and profoundly moving. When working with the life energy one is in essence working with the full reach of our humanity, our creativity and our capacity to love. There is no doubt there are new generations who would love and embrace it, if they only knew it existed! Even though much of the world is armored, malnourished and confused, when not being environmentally poisoned or getting drugged out of emotional contact, orgonomic truth can touch and begin to reaquaint one with one's biological core. Core contact is the key. So the outreach, educational and research functions of the OBRL will absolutely continue, and are already growing and developing.
To that end, I will also be asking those of means who are equally excited about this work and its future potential, and who are moved to help support and contribute to our efforts, to make any substantial contribution they can. Bequests are also a big help, and are part of what supported Dr. DeMeo's work and the growth of his lab over the years. Any amount truly helps. If you are a person of means, please seriously consider to support our work and research by making a substantial donation at the bottom of the OBRL homepage ( orgonelab.org ). Any amount is deeply appreciated.
More information to come.
My deepest condolences to those on this list who actually knew Dr. DeMeo, and to all other of his many supporters. He was a major, charasmatic and productive force in orgonomy, and is profoundly missed. My apologies for the long silence. It was truly in the name of preserving and protecting Dr. DeMeo's work and legacy.
Tom DiFerdinando Director, Orgone Biophysical Research Lab | 
