72 Myron SharafFury On Earth
ally disturbed. Also, we might note that Reich’s fine distinctions regarding these variousill-
nesses make clear why in the early 1920s Paul Federn called Reich the best diagnostician
among the younger analysts^2.
A substantial section of the monograph is devoted to an elucidation of early child-
hood development of the impulsive character. Reich posited that impulsive persons often,
as small children, initially experienced considerable permissiveness. Then, suddenly, impulse
gratification was followed by a belated but “ruthless” and “traumatic” frustration.
The childhood sexual history of the impulsive character contained strong stimula-
tion, severe conflicts, and the development of weak or unstable ego defenses. According to
psychoanalytic theory, almost all patients have experienced castration threats and the wit-
nessing or overhearing of the primal scene. Reich argued that the impulsive character suf-
fered these events in an especially blatant form:
Impulsive characters have lived out their sexuality not only very early, but also with
fully conscious incest wishes.... Owing to a lack of supervision, such patients see
and grasp far more of adult sexual life than do the simple neurotics. The latency
period is activated minimally or not at all.... Puberty is ushered in with extreme
breakthroughs ofthe sexual drive. Neither masturbation nor intercourse, which are
taken up at a very early age, can afford relief, for the whole libidinal organization is
torn apart by disappointment and guilt feelings^3.We might consider here the significance of the similarities between Reich’s descrip-
tion of childhood factors in the development of the impulsive character and his own per-
sonal history: the combination of stimulation and indulgence, on the one hand, and harsh
punishment, on the other; the exposure to striking “primal scene” experiences; the absence
ofa latency period; and the conscious awareness of incest wishes in puberty.
These factors lead one to think there may have been strong inner reasons for
Reich’s choice of the impulsive character as subject of his first detailed psychoanalytic inves-
tigation. Reich could certainly act very impulsively and, on occasion, was given to unbridled
rages.To give but a few examples: Gisela Stein recalls him storming out of the Steins’ apart-
ment following a political argument in the early 1920s; Reich’s third wife, Use Ollendorff,
remembers his towering rages in the 19405 and 19508 when confronted with bills he con-
sidered excessive or insufficiently controlled by Use in terms of the quantity or quality of
work done; and I myself remember during therapy in 1948 his fury when I told him of cer-
tain criticisms made by a person he detested.
These outbursts were often provoked by various hurts and insults, but they were
often disproportionate to the cause. And whatever the justification in terms of external
provocation, it was also clear that at times Reich used such justification to rationalize his out-
burst much as he described the impulsive character explaining away his excesses. On other
occasions,he would be genuinely mortified after such an outburst and would immediately
apologize to the person he had abused.