ing, thereby releasing bionous particles. He tried to convince Einstein of the urgency of his
discoveries, which could help in the treatment of cancer and with the victims of war.
Working alone, it would take Reich decades; with Einstein’s support, a major breakthrough
could occur much sooner to the benefit of mankind. He could understand if Einstein, pre-
occupied with other matters, did not wish to invest time and energy in Reich’s work. But
there was the added danger that word might get around that Einstein had “controlled”
Reich’s work and come up with a negative conclusion. The world, scientific and lay, would
accept that as the final judgment. Reich still was very grateful to Einstein for taking the pains
that he had, no matter what his future decisions.
Reich’s near-desperate efforts to keep Einstein’s support—his anxiety that Einstein
would withdraw, or worse, that his negative interpretation would irreparably damage Reich’s
work in the eyes of the world—all remind us of similar feelings when Freud refused to sup-
port Reich’s orgasm theory long before. Freud’s course of support and rejection had
spanned fourteen years, Einstein’s a matter of months. Once again, Reich had turned to an
older man whose work had stimulated him, both as a student and teacher, turned with the
idea of “continuing” Einstein’s work on energy and matter.
Not exactly bashful, Reich now pressed Einstein as he had pressed Freud. If far
more had been at stake personally with Freud, far more was at stake scientifically with
Einstein. It was a question of basic laws of nature, of a concrete energy concentrated in a
simple device that had healing potential. Reich was prepared to appear “pushy,” for, in one
of his favorite phrases, “we are not playing for peanuts.” There was nothing apologetic in
his stance toward Einstein; Einstein shouldfollow through on his initial enthusiasm, at least
to the extent of replicating Reich’s additional experiments. Although he left Einstein the
excuse of pleading other preoccupations, Reich was determined that the famed scientist not
be quoted as “refuting” Reich’s work. For Einstein had everything in terms of credibility in
the scientific and popular community, while Reich had next to nothing.
Einstein never answered Reich’s long letter or the several subsequent ones. When
rumors began to circulate about Einstein’s refuting Reich’s work, Wolfe wrote Einstein
directly,saying that it would be necessary to publish the full correspondence between the
two scientists in order to set Einstein’s “negative finding” in proper context^17. Einstein
responded angrily about having his name used for advertising purposes^18 .Reich in turn
reacted angrily,citing the damage done by incomplete stories about the encounter^19.
Einstein replied that he had not been the source of these stories, that he had treated with
discretion their written and oral communications, and that he hoped Reich would do the
same^20.
Reich’s final reply, never mailed, stated that he had requested Wolfe not to publish
anything on the subject^21. He was still puzzled by Einstein’s silence in response to his own
long letter about the additional experiments. Then Reich used a characteristic defense after
disappointment. He maintained that he himself had no interest in official confirmation of
his findings, but many of his colleagues wanted to have the discovery of orgone energy gen-
erally accepted. It was they who were pressing for publication^22.
21 : The Discovery of Orgone Energy: 1940 269