But by now, von Daeniken had the law on his back. Just as he returned from an expedition to India, he was arrested by an over-zealous prosecutor on the pretext of municipal tax evasion. It was the beginning of a veritable witch hunt, ensnaring Erich in the web of an archaic judicial system, keeping him in jail simply on the grounds of circumstantial evidence. The year was 1968 and conservative elements, especially in Switzerland, were not about to have free thinkers like von Daeniken expound their theories.

Meanwhile, after more than 20 fruitless attempts, von Daeniken had finally found a publisher for his book. The first edition sold out in days and the next 50.000 copies were gone almost as quickly. ”Erinnerungen an die Zukunft” (Remembering the Future) hit the top of Europe's best-seller lists. Vitually over night, the author became a celebrity and a rich man to boot – “Daenikenitis” had broken out. All his debts had been paid by now, yet the Swiss authorities
still wouldn't release him from remanding custody. While in jail, he began to write his second book – solely from memory – since all of his notes had been confiscated. “Zurueck zu den Sternen” (Engl. Title: “Gods from Outer Space”) became a huge success as well. But Erich was forced to witness Wernher von Braun's triumph, the Apollo moon landing, from inside prison walls.

“Daenikenitis” had turned into a world-wide epidemic. Erich had impacted on the “Zeitgeist”. Under the title “Chariots of the Gods?”, his first book climbed the charts in the U.S., coinciding with von Daeniken's eponymous first film, which received an “Oscar” nomination and went on to become a huge box office hit.

Infuriated by the huge public outcry for his release triggered by the press, the prosecutor insisted on a psychiatric examination of the defendant, with the intent of having him declared mentally incompetent. But von Daeniken also mastered this part of the inquisition. Nevertheless, the trial ended with a harsh verdict: three and a half years imprisonment!