Radically new ideas typically meet with irrational opposition in all fields of thought, including science. As a result, progress is slowed down and some ideas need to be rediscovered before they become widely accepted. Two examples are cited from the recent psychological literature: an extensive review of the role of muscle tension in personality theory failed to acknowledge Wilhelm Reich's major contributions; and a study of the personality of cancer patients failed to credit Reich's earlier work, although almost identical conclusions were reached.
References
1.
AmmonsR.AmmonsC.How to foster genius: McCurdy extended. Proc. Mont. Acad. Sci., 1962, 21, 138–144. (a)
2.
AmmonsR.AmmonsC.How to prevent genius: McCurdy revisited. Proc. Mont. Acad. Sci., 1962, 21, 153–159. (b)
3.
AmmonsR.AmmonsC.Psychology of the scientist: I. Introduction. Percept. mot. Skills, 1962, 15, 748–750. (c)
4.
BlumbergE.WestP.EllisF.MMPI findings in human cancer. In WelshG. S.DahlstromW. G. (Eds.), Basic readings in the MMPI in psychology and medicine. Minneapolis: Univer. of Minnesota Press, 1956. Pp. 452–460.
5.
GardnerM.Fads and fallacies in the name of science. New York: Dover, 1957.
6.
GoldsteinI.Role of muscle tension in personality theory. Psychol. Bull., 1964, 61, 413–425.
7.
GruenbergerF.A measure for crackpots. Science, 1964, 145, 1413.
8.
JonesE.The life and work of Sigmund Freud.Vol. 2. New York: Basic Books, 1955.
9.
LuchinsA.On some aspects of the creativity problem in thinking. In Fundamentals of psychology: the psychology of thinking. New York: Annals N. Y. Academy of Sciences, 1960. Pp. 128–140.
10.
McCurdyH.The childhood pattern of genius. J. Elisha Mitchell Scientific Soc., 1957, 13, No. 2.
11.
MunroeR.Schools of psychoanalytic thought. New York: Dryden, 1955.
12.
ReichW.The cancer biopathy. New York: Orgone Institute Press, 1948.
13.
ReichW.Character analysis. New York: Orgone Institute Press, 1949.
