planned a party for him. Reich told workers at Orgonon not to attend. (This was the only
instance I know of where he issued an edict to his employees not to attend a social func-
tion.) I no longer recall his reasons, but I remember—with shame—that I for one did not
say I would attend no matter what Reich’s feelings. In any case, we were spared a final test
because Theo was so depressed by Reich’s attitude that Gladys called off the party^11.
The relationship between the two men must have improved somewhat because
Wolfe attended a business meeting at Orgonon in the late fall of 1951. On this occasion,
Wolfe and Reich disagreed about a minor issue; to make matters worse, Ilse sided with Theo.
The next day Reich called Wolfe in, bringing up the old allegations of an affair. That proved
the final straw. Wolfe resigned from the work on the spot, returning to Reich all the papers
he still had in his possession^12.
In April 1952, Wolfe’s doctors discovered he had an advanced tuberculosis. He gave
up his practice and, without Gladys, went to New Mexico in an effort to recover. Baker
arranged for Wolfe’s patients to be transferred to other therapists and some of the fees to
be sent to Wolfe, who by this point had practically no financial resources.
There is no evidence that Reich moved substantially to help Wolfe at any time after
the latter finally left. When Wolfe wrote Reich from New Mexico asking if he, Theo, could
be helpful in making atmospheric observations, Reich replied brusquely: Wolfe should do
what he wanted to do and not be dependent upon him. A few weeks before Wolfe’s death,
knowing that his illness was terminal and the end could come at any time, Theo again wrote
Reich and this time received a warm reply.
About this time, too, an important relationship between Theo and a woman in New
Mexico came to an end. In late July 1954 Wolfe was found dead by his friends, some pills
and a half-finished drink near him and a phonograph still playing. One speculation—certain-
ly believed by Reich—was that Wolfe had committed suicide.
Reich had endeavored to keep Wolfe actively engaged in the work; but once he saw
that Wolfe was no longer able to be fully involved, he, in effect, cut the strings. How can we
understand such ruthless behavior toward a man who had done so much for orgonomy? We
recall that Reich had failed to visit his younger brother Robert when the latter was terminal-
ly ill with tuberculosis (see Chapter 8).In Theo’s as well as in Robert’s case, Reich may well
have felt guilty toward a person who had done so much to help him. Once again Reich han-
dled guilt as he so often did, by throwing himself into his work and suppressing or repress-
ing personal considerations. He had always been a man in a hurry, and now—hounded,
ignored, but knowing that great discoveries still beckoned—he was in a relentless hurry.
Furthermore, Reich was now suffering from a heart condition. He had no time for persons
who withdrew from orgonomy.
Wolfe had not only withdrawn. He had got caught up in Reich’s fantasies about a
usurping man (tutor) and an unfaithful woman (mother). In Wolfe’s case, Reich’s competi-
tiveness with male colleagues is revealed with special vividness. He could relate to men well
only when they were clearly subordinate or when they were at a distance (Neill in England
and Raknes in Norway). With more independent, nearby men, Reich’s fears of being
362 Myron SharafFury On Earth