ters were few. His withdrawal from people was increasing.
Tom Ross was with him for only part of the summer; there were no longer funds
to pay for a caretaker. In addition, with the general decline of research activity there was less
need for his services. Reich had to scrape up money to pay legal costs, although the New
York physicians continued to help out. On June 21, Baker made a note: “Reich today called
to say he is selling WRF [Wilhelm Reich Foundation] assets to place in a legal fund ... to pay
counsel and fine.” Reich sold at least one fine Reichert microscope, as well as other pieces
of scientific equipment.
During the summer of 1956, Aurora Karrer was with Reich a good deal of the
time. However, there continued to be severe quarrels when she would leave unexpectedly
and stay away from him for several days. Reich experienced considerable anguish as a result
of these separations^8.
There were tense moments with others close to him, such as A. S. Neill. During the
summer of 1956, Ilse and Peter visited England, where they saw Neill often. At the time,
the twelve-year-old Peter was very much under the influence of his father’s beliefs in poten-
tial danger from Red Fascists and space ships. The boy also shared his father’s conviction
about the benevolent protection of the U.S. Air Force. Neill and Ilse’s brother Robert
Ollendorff(a physician deeply interested in orgonomy) were especially concerned when
Peter would say on sighting some U.S.A.F. planes above: “They are there to protect me; they
are looking after me.”^9
Neill wrote Reich that he found Peter too serious, too far removed from boyish
pleasures. At first Reich seemed to have taken this letter in stride, simply counseling Peter
later that the two of them were aware of things Neill was not. However, Neill’s reaction to
Peter—probably combined with other differences of opinion between the two friends—ate
into him. That October, Neill was visiting Norway where he saw Grethe Hoff. Reich wired
Hoff that Neill was no longer to be trusted.
With his usual integrity Neill wrote Reich on October i,saying how much it sad-
dened him that Reich no longer found him trustworthy. He went on to add that he was not
a disciple or an enemy but one of Reich’s few real friends. And he spoke his mind frankly in
expressing his concern about Peter^10.
It was not the end of their friendship. On October 15, Reich replied to Neill’s let-
ter:“Can you be patient for a while until I am free to talk to you? Do not worry.” It is unfor-
tunate that Reich did not get more letters like the one from Neill; he needed them.
There was only one close colleague, Ola Raknes, who suggested seriously to Reich
that his personal conflicts might be affecting his legal position. But Raknes’ advice came late,
after Baker had telegrammed him the news of Reich’s sentence. On May 29, Raknes wrote
Reich a letter, parts of which went as follows:
... I have on a couple of points had the feeling that your estimates were
not rationally founded. The documents published ... have not convinced me that
there is a “conspiracy”in the literal sense of that word (a “breathing together”).428 Myron SharafFury On Earth