Though I had been to many meetings over the years where Otto was present and we had exchanged a few words on a number of occasions, it was not until one evening after the speaker had concluded his talk at a meeting of the Minneapolis Theosophical Society and we had put out chairs in a circle to further discuss the topic of the evening that for the first time I heard Otto speak of length and express his views. At that moment I knew that the man I had shied away from was a man with an open mind. He was someone I could talk to.

When the discussion was over I went across the circle to him and told him what I thought of his comments. He came alive. We continued talking until they had to close the building. Before we parted, he invited me to his office the next day for a half hour session. That half hour session turned into 4 hours and ended with an invitation to join his class. That invitation extended out for 3 years during which time, I an architect who knew absolutely nothing about biophysics, met graduate students from all over the world, physicians, heart surgeons, research scientists, the head of the department of Health and Human Services from Washington, and whenever there was a lecture Otto planned to attend, I was invited to go along.

One time I asked him why he wanted me, an architect, in his classes: He left it for me to figure out. When I proposed that it was because I had broken out of the mold and therefore thought differently and had a different approach to problem solving and that he wanted them exposed to me, he did not disagree.

He thought enough of me to invite me to teach a class while he went off to Washington. The subject: "How to go to lectures while you are asleep." His wonderful lovely wife, Viola, sat in. Later someone would tell me what an honor that was to have a member of the Manhattan project attend my lecture. Everyone in the class bought the book I recommended, THROUGH THE CURTAIN, by Dr. Viola Neal. Otto also ordered a copy though I suspect he knew all about going to classes while he was asleep since over the years he had contacted colleagues around the world while he was asleep.

A few days after Viola had moved on to another dimension, a friend and I invited Otto to lunch. Because the four of us had become close friends who could share openly our experiences in the paranormal, Otto told us about waking up in the middle of the night to find Viola in his arms where she had always been when they were together. He went on to tell us that he had spent the previous evening talking with Viola at the dinner table. After this final goodbye, Otto was not the same man. We tried holding classes to keep him occupied sharing his ideas, but he was content to let others talk.

Finally it became necessary for him to retire to a nursing home. Friends and I would visit him regularly during the years he spent in the different nursing homes. He would joyfully open his arms and say to the members of the staff who were present, "These are very special people that you have got to meet."

Because of his long time friend and colleague, Frank Meyer, I was fortunate enough to be there at the nursing home with Frank the morning of the day of Otto's transition later that evening.

I shall always be grateful for those years of friendship I shared with both Viola and Otto.