tion, and he gave few public talks.
But when the storm did erupt late in 1937, the bio-electric experiments were one
of the targets. Various rumors circulated in the press, the most pernicious of which was that
Reich wanted to use mental patients as subjects in studies of sexual intercourse, A particu-
lar kind of condensation was at work here. Reich didwant to study mental patients and, as
noted, Hoffmann carried out some studies with such patients. Reich also wanted to investi-
gate bioelectrical changes during sexual intercourse with normal subjects, but the technical
difficulties we have noted precluded this experiment. (There may well have been social
obstacles, too. Studies of masturbation and of a nude couple kissing were bold enough steps
for the 1930s!)
Hoffmann’s experiments and Reich’s plan were telescoped into the oftrepeated
story that Reich did study, or planned to study, sexual intercourse between mental patients.
The conception of Reich’s experiments involving “crazy” sex orgies would pursue him to
the end of his days, as would the dual criticism that he entered fields where he lacked knowl-
edge and that he failed to design his experiments properly or in replicable form.
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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