concepts before a small group of analysts at Freud’s home. Reich presented the central prob-
lem of whether, in the presence of a latent negative attitude, one should interpret the
patient’s incestuous desires or wait until the patient’s distrust was eliminated. Freud inter-
rupted Reich: “Why would you notinterpret the material in the order in which it appears? Of
courseone has to analyze and interpret incest dreams as soon as they appear.”^21 Reich relates
that he kept trying to substantiate his point but could not persuade Freud. It was a special
disappointment to Reich because in private conversations about technique he had the
impression that Freud supported his approach. Freud’s position at the meeting further
strengthened the hand of Reich’s opponents, who “gloated over and pitied” Reich. Finally,
Reich was getting into trouble not only with senior analysts but with Freud himself.
Freud’s lack of support for character analysis presaged still more severe disagree-
ments that were to follow over Reich’s concepts of genitality and orgastic potency.
6 : Reich’s Early Work on Character Analysis: 1920-1926 87