Mankind’s Origins by Stan Gooch
The Dream Culture of the Neanderthals: Guardians of the Ancient Wisdom

The Dream Culture of the Neanderthals explores the influence of Neanderthal man on the cultural and biological development of humanity. It traces the power of long-held beliefs and superstitions to the influence of Neanderthal lunar and dream-based traditions. This work offers a compelling vision of a unified humanity that can benefit from the gifts of both its Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon ancestors. The Dream Culture of the Neanderthals provides evidence that direct descendants of the Neanderthal race may still be alive in Central Asia. A number of long-standing beliefs and superstitions show how the ideas that dominated the lives of our ancestors still have a powerful influence on us today.

Contrary to current theories, Stan Gooch maintains that the Neanderthals were not destroyed by the younger Cro-Magnon culture but were incorporated into that culture through interbreeding. The blending of the disparate influences of the lunar, matriarchal-based Neanderthals and the solar, patriarchal Cro-Magnons may explain the contradictory impulses and influences that have generated human conflict for millennia. There is evidence that direct descendents of the moon-worshipping, dream-cultivating Neanderthal race are still living in Central Asia today. While their physical descendants may be almost extinct, the influence of Neanderthal occult wisdom remains strong and can be found throughout history among witches, kabbalists, the Knights Templar, Rosicrucians, and even in Christianity.

About the Author
Stan Gooch began his career as a highly regarded psychological researcher who studied the evolution and history of the brain in his books Total Man and Personality and Evolution. His research on paranormal influences and Neanderthal culture appear in his books The Double Helix of the Mind, Cities of Dreams, and The Secret Life of Humans. He lives in Wales.“Stan Gooch is a brilliant, bold, and original thinker.”

From The SHIVA Syndrome Trilogy

Walker moved down the rough walls of the hillock and worked his way along a game trail. A sudden, resounding roar from a ledge above made him freeze in place. Holding his breath, he raised his eyes slowly. Overhead, a huge, slavering cat’s head peered down, its lips drawn back, revealing four-inch long, scimitar-shaped teeth. He pressed into a niche in the rock wall, screwed his eyes shut, and tried to deny the reality of his situation.

Another thunderous roar confirmed its actuality. His eyes darted about wildly, searching for an escape route.

The sinister, striped beige-and-white beast appeared at the bend in the path. It sniffed the air as if relishing his scent, then moved closer. Slowly, gracefully, its sinewy body wound around the curved path. Its green eyes fixed on him, it dipped, coiling into a crouch, readying to spring.

A dark object shot out of a recess in the wall. The thick spear plunged into the cat’s side with such force, it was almost tipped off its feet. With a piercing screech, the cat writhed to free itself. Thick, steely arms forced it toward the edge, pushing it over the side, crashing into rocks below before it slammed to the ground.

Walker released the breath he held, but his relief was short-lived. A barrel-chested figure draped in animal skins stepped into view, holding the blood-slicked, stone-tipped spear. The hulking man watched him expressionlessly. Thick, protruding brow ridges sloped back to reddish-brown hair, merging into a scraggly beard that framed his crude features. Was that a glint of intelligence in the man’s deep-set eyes? He seemed as baffled by Walker’s appearance as Walker was by his.

Could he be…A Neanderthal !

He stepped away from the wall and held up his hands, showing empty palms. He forced a strained smile and pointed to himself. “Walk-er, Walk-er, Walk-er. I-am-Walk-er.”

The Neanderthal’s head tilted inquisitively as Walker spoke, his spear held in readiness. He listened intently, then tried to imitate Walker. He pursed his protruding lips and bellowed a loud, high-pitched, “W’gee! W’gee!” He moved closer and circled Walker carefully. “W’gee!”

The Neanderthal stretched his neck to sniff him, then tugged at his clothes. He reeked of body odor, foul breath, and sweat. Although Walker wanted to draw away from the disgusting stink, he remained still.

After a long moment, he held up his palm. The Neanderthal seized his wrist in a beefy fist. Walker grimaced in pain and dropped to one knee.

The empathic effect of the physical contact was immediate and powerful. His mind filled with intense sensations, images, and primal emotions. A verdant valley, others of his kind huddled around a fire pit, the burial of an ochre-covered child in a fetal position under a wildflower blanket, the deep pain of a wolf’s jaws locked
onto his forearm.

The man pulled him to his feet and, thankfully, released his wrist. He stared into Walker’s eyes, then slapped his great chest with his hand. “Ruh!” he exclaimed forcefully. “Ruh.” He struck his chest again.

Walker was confused. He forced a smile and shook his head, trying to convey his lack of understanding.

The Neanderthal watched Walker, as if he were attempting to work out the problem. Then his eyes gleamed with what seemed to be an insight. He reached out and tapped Walker’s chest with a thick index finger, pushing him back with his extraordinary strength. “W’gee.” The Neanderthal tapped him again. “W’gee.” He turned his finger toward himself and tapped himself twice. “Ruh!” He paused. “Ruh!”

Walker nodded his understanding. He pointed to himself and said “W’gee.” Then he pointed to the man and said “Ruh.” The man dipped his head and drew his protuberant lips back into what seemed to be a smile of acknowledgement. So, your name is Ruh.

Using short, shrill phrasings, Ruh pointed ahead and down, urging Walker to descend.

They soon reached the bottom. Walker’s captor pushed at his back, directing him toward the dead cat. Ruh moved around the animal cautiously, poking it with the spear.

Walker stopped cold. The creature’s front paws twitched in a death reflex. With a piercing scream, Ruh’s spear smashed into the animal’s skull, crushing it and showering himself and Walker with blood and blobs of brain tissue.

He took a finely chipped hand axe from a fur pouch at his waist and whacked at a long tooth until it broke away. With a guttural grunt, he offered the tooth to Walker.

Walker smiled and accepted it, then stuffed it in his pocket. Apparently satisfied, Ruh screeched a long and short burst that sounded like a command toward a nearby thicket.

Two figures appeared from behind the dense bushes and approached slowly.

To Walker’s surprise, the taller one had the proportions of a modern human. Exposed, drooping breasts identified her as female. She was slightly taller than the Neanderthal, with a narrow head, lighter skin tone, and dark brown hair. Unlike the Neanderthal, her brow did not protrude and she had a conspicuous chin. She remained at a distance, kneeling, avoiding Walker’s probing eyes.

A child hid behind her.

“They don’t belong together!” he gasped. “A Neanderthal male and a Cro-Magnon female?”

In National Psychologist (May edition, 2006) by Richard E. Gill Assistant Editor and Allan Cooperstein, Ph.D. (Alan Joshua).

Sounds absurd, but watching a film may not be for entertainment alone. It can be a type of therapy that enables the viewer to explore and experience deeper layers of one’s being by identifying with film character to develop mental strength and gain lost, forgotten or undeveloped inner resources. Exposing a patient to a film in which the character suffers similar symptoms or situations may catalyze healing by allowing identification with the character and thus move toward resolving problems, said Allan Cooperstein, Ph.D., a clinical and forensic psychologist. “Cinematherapy allows a person to gain awareness of deeper layers of themselves, to help them move toward a new perspective in their behavior as well as healing and integration of the total self. It’s possible for the person to connect with the film’s character to help resolve problems and to broaden the scope of meanings,” Cooperstein said.

Of the film-watching process, Cooperstein said, “Subconscious changes are intensified via the viewer’s sympathy and hope – attributes that make people human. The film is a perfect example of a man with unresolved PTSD and hidden pain who, unlike Viktor Frankl (see Man’s Search for Meaning) is trapped in horror of his past, Cooperstein explained. A patient suffering similar symptoms might be able to identify with the film’s character, empathize with him and, in watching, realize that he is undergoing similar symptoms never before made conscious or even denied.

Cooperstein, presently writing an article on A Christmas Carol, said Charles Dickens’ 19th century offering provides an extraordinary example of how Cinematherapy works. Taken on a tour through time by “spirits,” Ebenezer Scrooge, a Victorian anti-hero, becomes an observer capable of seeing his past shortcomings and missed opportunities. Although taking place in fantasy, reverie or altered consciousness, it demonstrates Scrooge’s reclamation through his experiential “mind movie” and leads to healing and a richer, happier life. The theme of conversion is prevalent among Dickens’ works, but nowhere is this more desired, welcome, beneficial and joyous than in this tale of a misbegotten life in which Scrooge’s dream has the suggestion of a form of hypnotic psychotherapy, offered Cooperstein.

One of the benefits of Cinematherapy is to have a person watch a film that expresses the type of mental distress they are experiencing. “By watching a film that has something to do with you, subject-object barriers between you and the story begin to break down,” Cooperstein suggests. Another example is a person who is extremely depressed. A psychologist would ask the person to watch a film in which the character is suffering from the same illness and had success overcoming it. The character’s road towards progress, while not necessarily the same as the patient’s, can offer exemplars that may generate others better suited to the patient’s life. “The patient could model himself after some of the character’s successes modify his own behavior but keep his own identity, allowing him to become the same individual who would be more effective… while developing inner strength and coping skills.”

It’s very important, Cooperstein said, to bring back into therapy what a person has discovered or learned from watching the film. Cooperstein likens the process to a hypnotic state in some susceptible patients and has even coupled the process to biofeedback to enhance the effect. During therapy, Cooperstein attempts to have the person model or try to implement some of the successes the character has demonstrated in the film.

Cinematherapy also can be used for patients who are mentally challenged (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?), or chronically ill (Whose Life Is It Anyway? and Bigger Than Life), or narcissistic (Schindler’s List) or have poor self-esteem (The Color Purple). It provides situations and role models to which they can relate, human constructs of which they may have not conceived before.

While somewhat outdated, Rebel Without A Cause still brings the same message of a troubled teen with ineffectual parents, as it did when James Dean burst into the public’s eye portraying an adolescent plagued by the troubles of youth and how he goes about resolving those problems. The film could be used today for a youth suffering similar problems. But, Cooperstein warned, although watching a film might help identify problems and potential solutions, they must be tailored to the individual’s dynamics and do not, however, tell the person fully how to resolve their personal problems or situations. “That’s where nothing less than a comprehensive therapeutic approach comes into play.”

Of the film-watching process, Cooperstein said, “Subconscious changes are intensified via the viewer’s sympathy and hope – attributes that make people human. The film is a perfect example of a man with unresolved PTSD and hidden pain who, unlike Viktor Frankl (see Man’s Search for Meaning) is trapped in horror of his past, Cooperstein explained. A patient suffering similar symptoms might be able to identify with the film’s character, empathize with him and, in watching, realize that he is undergoing similar symptoms never before made conscious or even denied.

Cooperstein, presently writing an article on A Christmas Carol, said Charles Dickens’ 19th century offering provides an extraordinary example of how Cinematherapy works. Taken on a tour through time by “spirits,” Ebenezer Scrooge, a Victorian anti-hero, becomes an observer capable of seeing his past shortcomings and missed opportunities. Although taking place in fantasy, reverie or altered consciousness, it demonstrates Scrooge’s reclamation through his experiential “mind movie” and leads to healing and a richer, happier life. The theme of conversion is prevalent among Dickens’ works, but nowhere is this more desired, welcome, beneficial and joyous than in this tale of a misbegotten life in which Scrooge’s dream has the suggestion of a form of hypnotic psychotherapy, offered Cooperstein.

One of the benefits of Cinematherapy is to have a person watch a film that expresses the type of mental distress they are experiencing. “By watching a film that has something to do with you, subject-object barriers between you and the story begin to break down,” Cooperstein suggests. Another example is a person who is extremely depressed. A psychologist would ask the person to watch a film in which the character is suffering from the same illness and had success overcoming it. The character’s road towards progress, while not necessarily the same as the patient’s, can offer exemplars that may generate others better suited to the patient’s life. “The patient could model himself after some of the character’s successes modify his own behavior but keep his own identity, allowing him to become the same individual who would be more effective… while developing inner strength and coping skills.”

It’s very important, Cooperstein said, to bring back into therapy what a person has discovered or learned from watching the film. Cooperstein likens the process to a hypnotic state in some susceptible patients and has even coupled the process to biofeedback to enhance the effect. During therapy, Cooperstein attempts to have the person model or try to implement some of the successes the character has demonstrated in the film.

Cinematherapy also can be used for patients who are mentally challenged (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?), or chronically ill (Whose Life Is It Anyway? and Bigger Than Life), or narcissistic (Schindler’s List) or have poor self-esteem (The Color Purple). It provides situations and role models to which they can relate, human constructs of which they may have not conceived before.

While somewhat outdated, Rebel Without A Cause still brings the same message of a troubled teen with ineffectual parents, as it did when James Dean burst into the public’s eye portraying an adolescent plagued by the troubles of youth and how he goes about resolving those problems. The film could be used today for a youth suffering similar problems. But, Cooperstein warned, although watching a film might help identify problems and potential solutions, they must be tailored to the individual’s dynamics and do not, however, tell the person fully how to resolve their personal problems or situations. “That’s where nothing less than a comprehensive therapeutic approach comes into play.”

Allan Cooperstein, Ph.D. writes fiction as Alan Joshua. His The SHIVA Syndrome Trilogy has received considerable praise:
Kirkus Review “Deft dialogue, crisp plotting, and a likable central figure make this multidisciplinary scientific adventure an exuberant and involving read.”
New Consciousness Review “A thrilling read”
Portland Book Review “Having the right amount of adventure and romance, this crisscrossing genre tale isn’t just a good read, but may also look great on a big screen.”
Self-Publishing Review “Any attempt to describe the book in a single statement is difficult, but the book mixes uncommon palettes and manages a masterpiece with it. If The Andromeda Strain was analyzed in four dimensions, The SHIVA Syndrome Trilogy might be the result…The book mixes uncommon palettes and manages a masterpiece with it. It is a surprising, suspenseful, and utterly superb read from start to end.”
Midwest Book Review “…highly recommended, indeed; especially for thriller and sci-fi readers who have become deluged with too much predictability and who seek cutting-edge action, believable protagonists, and action that is solidly intense throughout.”
San Francisco Book Review “Science fiction fans will love The SHIVA Syndrome Trilogy. Fans of paranormal fiction, psychological thriller, philosophy and fantasy will love it, too.”

Now in paperback, The SHIVA Syndrome Trilogy includes The Mind of Stefan Dürr, The Cosmic Ape, and The Interdimensional Nexus.
Editorial Reviews

• Kirkus Review  “A professor and parapsychology researcher discovers a key to mankind’s evolution or destruction…In the Russian city of Podol’sk, a project based on Walker’s work has gone horribly awry, killing thousands and leaving traces of mysteries that threaten humanity’s scientific understanding. Discovering what occurred, and how to prevent it from happening again, falls on Walker and his new friends…As secrets and revelations accumulate, the team’s combined knowledge and abilities may be inadequate to stop what’s coming…Deft dialogue, crisp plotting, and a likable central figure make this multidisciplinary scientific adventure an exuberant and involving read.” 
•  New Consciousness Review “A thrilling read” 
• Portland Book Review “Having the right amount of adventure and romance, this crisscrossing genre tale isn’t just a good read, but may also look great on a big screen.” 
• Self-Publishing Review “…the book mixes uncommon palettes and manages a masterpiece with it. It is a surprising, suspenseful, and utterly superb read from start to end.”
• Midwest Book Review “…highly recommended, indeed; especially for thriller and sci-fi readers who have become deluged with too much predictability and who seek cutting-edge action, believable protagonists, and action that is solidly intense throughout.” 

Readers’ Reviews