Letter from wilhelm reich to his son, peter, aged, from prison, march 19, 1957. Dr reich moved his orgone institute and research enterprise permanently from new york to rangeley, maine in l949, and she lived there until l954, when she separated from reich. It takes very little educated foresight to anticipate that peter reichs attempt to resolve himself or his life in the footsteps of his father wilhelm would be a sisyphean task. I hereby specifically give, devise and bequeath certain bonds made out in my name, my son peter reich as receiver after my death, to ilse ollendorff in trust nevertheless, or in the event of her death to eva reich in trust nevertheless, to have and to hold the same and receive the income and profits thereof and pay out to peter the income. Austrian infantry 191518, wwi persecuted psychoanalyst who trained under freud. Reichs son peter released an admittedly touching memoir of his father the book of dreams, which was the inspiration for kate bushs song cloudbusting, arguably the best thing to come out of his quackery. In a tapestry of dreamlike memories peter reich relates his experience of something which, when he wrote this book in 1973, he was still struggling to comprehend. After first reading reich s, character analysis, robbins knew he had discovered the work of someone special. The story behind kate bushs cloudbusting video dazed. Wilhelm reichs cloudbuster was the inspiration for the 1985 song cloudbusting by british singer kate bush. Music video for kate bushs song cloudbusting about wilhelm reich. A book of dreams by peter reich truly scrumptious books.
The song is a fictionalized narrative from the perspective of peter reich, the son of wilhelm reich, and how his fathers arrest by the fbi changed the he viewed the world. Wilhelm reich was born in austria in 1897 as the son of a rather wealthy farmer and, as was common at that time, he was home schooled, first by his mother and later by a number of tutors. And its very unusual, beautiful book, written by this man through the eyes of himself when he was a child, looking at his father, and the relationship between them. Wilhelm reich infant trust it is sexual energy which governs the structure of human feeling and thinking.
In 1998, in a preface to a new edition of the book, peter reich wrote. In 1973, peter reich had written and published a memoir book of dreams about life with his father wilhelm, best known for his belief that an energetic connection he called orgone was shared by. Pattis song birdland is about wilhelm reich coming back for his son in a ufo, and is based, at least in rough outline, and particularly in the earlier sections, on a passage. Peters father, wilhelm reich, happened to be a famous and controversial psychoanalyst who was thrown in jail by the u,s. Wilhelm reich history and orgone facts interview with peter robbins sensational mis infotainment videos on orgone and orgonite are all too common. Kate bushs cloudbusting from the handmaids tale is story. Written by a guy called peter reich, and its called a book of dreams. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Biographical summary the text in this section is copied from an article in wikipedia. Jun 01, 2015 peter reich, son of the controversial austrian psychoanalyst wilhelm reich, who died in a us jail in 1957, was born in new york in 1944. That made his formative moment somewhat more complicated.
Reich spent his last days in prison falsely labeled a quack and a racketeer by the american government and the american medical system. A cloudbuster, bearing only a superficial resemblance to the genuine article, was designed and. Claimed that the release of energy at orgasm could be measured and used to. After his fathers death, he left the usa to study french at grenoble, eventually returning to take degrees at bates college in lewiston, maine, and at boston university school of public health. And wilhelm reich is just such an interesting person that i felt i had to share. The video for the song features donald sutherland as reich and bush as peter.
Peter reich is the son of wilhelm reich, one of the most controversial thinkers of the twentieth century. Reich leaves peter on the machine and returns to his lab. Reich senior was a controversial figure in the field of psychoanalysis. Theres a section in it where peter describes a birthday party. A book of dreams the book that inspired kate bushs hit. Peters father, wilhelm reich, happened to be a famous and controversial. Buy a cheap copy of a book of dreams by peter reich. Pattis song birdland is about wilhelm reich coming back for his son in a ufo, and is based, at least in rough outline, and particularly in the earlier sections, on a passage from peter reichs book a book of dreams. Wilhelm reich s lifeenergy discoveries and healing tools for the 21st century, with construction plans by james demeo, phd ordering details at the bottom of page 2010 revised and expanded edition. When my mother passed away recently from cancer, i fulfilled a promise i made to eulogize her at the memorial. Reich s son, peter, wrote in his autobiography, book of dreams 1973 about the pain this had caused him. Wilhelm reich infant trust reich in 1900 from i was born in a small village as the first son of not unprosperous parents from. April 25, 1973 it takes very little educated foresight to anticipate that peter reichs attempt to resolve himself or his life in the footsteps of his father wilhelm would be a sisyphean task.
For the first time, however, i decided not to write the tribute as i had for other friends and relatives id lost in the past. Oct 06, 2016 the lyric further describes wilhelm reichs abrupt arrest and imprisonment, the pain of loss the young peter felt, and his helplessness at being unable to protect his father. The author of several influential books, most notably character analysis 1933, the mass psychology of fascism 1933, and the sexual. Smashwords about ilse ollendorff reich, author of wilhelm. This article orgone energy, wilhelm reich and the threat to the men in power will describe how this little known scientist. The fortyfouryearold husband and father is a private person to whom this all happened a long time ago. The song was inspired by the book of dreams, the childhood memoir of peter reich, son of radical psychoanalyst wilhelm reich. Peter reich, son of the controversial austrian psychoanalyst wilhelm reich, who died in a us jail in 1957, was born in new york in 1944. How kate bush and patti smith immortalized wilhelm reich in. The leader of a rightwing german political party discovers that an illiterate woodcarver is actually the son of adolf hitler. Reichs son, peter, wrote in his autobiography, book of dreams 1973 about the pain this had caused him. Robert anton wilsons play, wilhelm reich in hell 1987, is about reich s confrontation with the american government. Wilhelm reich archives auricmedia blogmans wonderland. He reigned from 15 june 1888 until his abdication on 9 november 1918 shortly before germanys defeat in world war i.
A critic once said that wilhelm reich had grabbed truth by more than its tail. In the video, though, as wilhelm reich is taken away, his son peter runs back up the hill, turns on the cloudbusting machine and makes it rain. The song is about the very close relationship between psychologist and philosopher wilhelm reich and his young son, peter, told from the point of view of the mature peter. The song is about the very close relationship between psychologist and philosopher wilhelm reich and his young son, peter, told from the point of view of the son. He was a very small boy when his father died in prisons. The video features canadian actor donald sutherland playing the role of wilhelm reich, and bush in the role of his young son, peter. This book is his memoir of his father and those times. The music video, directed by julian doyle, was conceived by terry gilliam and kate bush as a short film. Quite often i refer chirpers on social media and elsewhere to reich s original works sometimes like a broken record.
Ilse left reich in 1954 and took their son, peter, with her, al though peter continued to see his father afterward and ilse and reich remained on rea sonably good terms and con tinued to. Mar 22, 2012 in 1998, in a preface to a new edition of the book, peter reich wrote. Dec 11, 2008 it describes psychologist wilhelm reichs arrest and imprisonment through the eyes of his son peter. Orgone energy, wilhelm reich and the threat to the men in. Written by peter reich and published in 1973, a book of dreams is an extraordinarily touching account of a father, one wilhelm reich, as seen through the eyes of his doting son. He is the child peter reich, who will grow up to write the acclaimed. Wilhelm reich, born march 24, 1897, dobrzcynica, galicia, austriahungary now in ukrainedied nov. The moment described in the song comes after the death of peter s father, and some of the elements are actually in the book. Susanna steig, the daughter of william steig, the new yorker cartoonist, wrote about being pressed so hard during reichian therapy that she had difficulty breathing, and said that a woman therapist had sexually assaulted her.
The author of several influential books, most notably character analysis 1933, the mass psychology of fascism 1933 and the sexual revolution 1936, reich became known as one of the most radical figures in. From 1954 on, reich would enlist his sons help in using the. His father, in the back of a car with police, is ecstatic. Wilhelm reich was born on 24 march 1897 in dobzau, galicia, now in ukraine. Wilhelm reich biography facts, childhood, family life. Peter reich writes from the perspective of his youth, as the son of wilhelm reich, participating in weather manipulation, war with aliens, and experiments with life energy. The song was inspired by peter reichs 1973 memoir, a book of dreams, which bush read and found deeply moving.
The music video, filmed in the english countryside, starred a shaggy donald sutherland as the misunderstood reich, bush herself as an eagertoplease bewigged son peter, a vast steampunk cloudbuster conceptualized by terry gilliam and a timetraveling copy of a book of dreams which kateaspeter briefly pulls out of daddys pocket. Wilhelm died in prison after being arrested for contempt of court. He weaves in and out of his childhood experiences through a series of dreams, hence the books title. After his fathers death, he left the usa to study french at grenoble, eventually returning to take degrees at bates college in lewiston, maine. Reich seems one of the few truly tragic figures of this century. Lunch with peter reich by christopher turner johnshaplin.
How kate bush and patti smith immortalized wilhelm reich. I met peter reich for lunch at his home in massachusetts, two hours outside of boston. At that time, galicia was part of the austrohungarian empire. The psychiatrist joel kovel places wilhelm reich among the fallen angels. Cloudbusting was inspired by a book that i found in a shop.
For the first time, however, i decided not to write the tribute as i had for other friends and relatives id lost in. Baker, reichs first assistant for the last eleven years of his life. Passion of youth wilhelm reich was born on march 24, 1897 in galicia, in the easternmost part of the austrohungarian empire, now ukraine. Peter reich wrote his fathers story in the book a book of dreams. Peter robbins was introduced to the books of wilhelm reich as a teenager. In fact when a strange girl joined him in bed and complained that she didnt know who he was, he answered im wilhelm reichs son. He is wellknown for his theories regarding the orgone energy and for starting the health fad surrounding accumulators. Peter was the son of wilhelm reich, a psychoanalyst who also used a machine called a cloudbuster to make rain.
Its just that peter s father, wilhelm reich, happened to be a famous and controversial psychoanalyst who was thrown in jail by the u. Released as the second single from the album on 14 october 1985. Wilhelm reich the psychoanalyst as revolutionary the. Peter, his son, shared with his father the revolutionary concept of a world where dream and reality are virtually indistinguishable, and the sense of mission which set him and his followers apart from the rest of the human race. Pattis song birdland is about wilhelm reich coming back for his son in a ufo, and is based, at least in rough outline, and particularly in. The short memoir is a series of memories from peter s secluded childhood at orgonon, a sprawling. Always liked this song, but after reading the wiki background the lyrics just knock you out.
Fads and fallacies in the name of science, dover publications, 1957, isbn. My son peter will need financial support for many years in his education to adult social activity. The video stars actor donald sutherland as reich and bush as his son, peter. In 1954 the fda ordered that wilhelm reich s books be banned and destroyed. The song describes reichs arrest and incarceration through the eyes of his son, peter, who later wrote the memoir a book of dreams 1973. He kidnaps the young man from a mental institution and prepares him to start the fourth reich. With bud cort, peter cushing, felicity dean, leo gordon. The video shows the two on the top of a hill trying to make the cloudbuster work. Wilhelm reich 24 march 1897 3 november 1957 was an austrian doctor of medicine and psychoanalyst, a member of the second generation of analysts after sigmund freud. While the main focus of this autobiographical memoir is a tender father son relationship, peter reich also provides an uncommon glimpse of enigmatic, controversial wilhelm reich at his 200 acre hilltop home in maine as he strokes the skies with his cloudbusters and suffers the indignation of seei. Wilhelm reich was a scientist and psychologist some thought him a crackpot who popularized the notion of orgone energy, among other things. The sexual revolution as a war veteran, reich was permitted to complete the sixyear course in four years, and he passed the 18 rigorosa in 18 medical subjects and received excellent ausgezeichnet in all the premedical subjects.
Peter reich is the son of wilhelm reich, one of the most brilliant and controversial thinkers of the twentieth century. A cloudbuster or cloud buster is a device designed by austrian psychoanalyst wilhelm reich. His father was wilhelm reich, the radical psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, who did in fact pass from the world of the living on november 3, 1957, supposedly from a heart attack, while serving a sentence in the federal penitentiary at lewisburg, pennsylvania. An internment reich did not survive, as he died of a heart attack a few days before his planned released. After his fathers death, he left the usa to study french at grenoble, eventually returning to take degrees at. Should the wilhelm reich infant trust fund fail of purpose, then my trustee after careful deliberation of the matter shall transfer all of the assets of the said trust fund to an appropriate agency designed and capable to handle such affairs. In 1950s oregon, reich and his son peter played by bush are trying to make his rainmaking machine work before the government agents arrive to arrest him. Peter reich is the only son of wilhelm reich, a famously strange pseudoscience philosopher active in the mid20th century.
New evidence on the persecution and death of wilhelm reich a selection extracted from the orgone accumulator handbook. Peter was the son of wilhelm reich, a contraversial psychiatrist and inventor who, in 1947, was imprisoned for his work and a year later died of heart failure while serving his sentence. Originally released on her fifth studio album hounds of love. Wilhelm reich history and orgone facts interview with. The writings of wilhelm reich 20 is a compilation album on which reich s writings are adapted to music. Wilhelm reich s research and study of biogenesis the origin of life.
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