Alan Joshua - The Human Mind, The Final Frontier

As a clinical psychologist and parapsychologist, Alan Joshua is fascinated with the human mind and everything that makes it tick. He combined his extensive knowledge with his passion for sci-fi in his action-packed fiction trilogy The SHIVA Syndrome, which has received rave reviews and has already been nominated for several awards. As our author of the day, we chat with Joshua about the inspiration behind his book, the immense amount of research that went into it and whether or not the human mind is still evolving.

Please give us a short introduction to The SHIVA Syndrome Trilogy

A mind research experiment studying human consciousness goes horrifyingly wrong. Thousands are killed when a Russian suburb is mysteriously destroyed, leaving a mile-deep crater in its place. At the same time, a U.S. space shuttle vaporizes in orbit, and a Canadian mountaintop is ripped away.

One thing lies behind it all: The mind of Stefan Dürr.

Existence is dreary hell for Dr. Beau Walker. An embittered loner, he sleepwalks through life until the government virtually kidnaps him, hurling him into an incredibly menacing adventure beyond his wildest imaginings.

Coerced into joining a U.S./Russian scientific team, Beau searches for the cause of the disasters. Beginning with a treacherous, life-threatening exploration of the anomalous crater, where known scientific laws don't seem to apply, he is thrown into a world of unimaginable advanced biotechnology, biowarfare, genetics, paranormal research, and military intrigue.

The stakes are inconceivably high: Find and control the cause...or face worldwide annihilation.

What inspired you to use mind science as a theme in your book?

As a psychologist, the mind and its potentials are my field. Through education and personal experience, I developed a deep respect and awe for the paranormal potentials of human consciousness. In my personal experiences, I’ve explored possible reincarnation experiences using hypnosis, researched so-called “psychic” or spiritual healers, and investigated other areas of parapsychology. One of the few fiction books that delved deeply into this area was Paddy Chayefsky’s Altered States, a novel he researched for two years. Although the film that was made was relatively popular, few read the book that preceded it. Chayefsky’s venture into fiction, along with Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land among others books stimulated me to integrate science, science fiction, and the paranormal.

The Shiva Syndrome Trilogy is your debut work - what was the experience like?

To say it was arduous would be putting it mildly. My doctoral research was a cakewalk compared to the amount of time and effort that went into the book.
Fortunately, it seems to have paid off because many editorial reviewers said some very nice things about the uniqueness of the story and the characters. I’ve even been asked to write a sequel and prequel.
Here are some of the reviews. More can be found on my website at https://alanjoshua.com .

• “Deft dialogue, crisp plotting, and a likable central figure make this multidisciplinary scientific adventure an exuberant and involving read.” Kirkus Review
• “A thrilling read” New Consciousness 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.” Portland Book 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.” Self-Publishing 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.” Midwest Book Review

You believe that human consciousness is the final frontier - not space. Why?

We’ve explored only approximately 5% of our oceans, but understand far less about the human mind. Only a small fraction of our minds can process the information it receives through our senses. When we speak about the human mind, we have to consider the nature of human consciousness itself. To understand our world and the universe beyond it, we have to develop a fuller and deeper understanding of ourselves.

Why did you decide to mix science with spirituality in your book? Those two topics often don't see eye-to-eye.

As you write a book and you become immersed in the characters, I discovered that there is a strong tendency for the characters to lead the author in unexpected directions. Of course, you can resist those urges and images. I struggled with this and decided to go along with the flow of material as much of it seemed to be coming from beyond my conscious mind. At the end, I’m glad that I surrendered.

Beau Walker is a short-tempered, flawed character who also struggles with the duality of his heritage.  Why did you make your protagonist such a complex character?

Walker’s flaws make him quite human. He has many struggles, one of which is his heritage. However, who among us hasn’t struggled with questions like who am I, what am I here for, what is real and what is not? I hope that readers can identify with some of his conflicts.

As to why I made him so complex, I did not intentionally construct him that way. As I said earlier, as characters begin to take on greater dimensionality they exert a force that directs them in certain ways and causes them to act and react according to their natures.

Tell us a bit more about the title. Why The SHIVA Syndrome Trilogy?

SHIVA is a double entendre. Although it represents the Hindu God and his qualities of creation and destruction, it is also an acronym for the research project described in the book.

Does your book contain an underlying message? Something you wish to convey to the reader?

Absolutely! I get much pleasure when a reader truly “gets it.” There are many who read the novel and enjoy it but never quite grasp the deeper implications. My first drafts were largely science fiction. It was only after I became more deeply involved that I was able to grasp that there were deeper meanings that I missed earlier. So, while I’m very pleased when someone puts up five stars and talks about it being a thrilling book, I’m more satisfied when readers grasp the deeper issues.

The novel explores a lot of topics, among which are ESP and other paranormal abilities. Do you think the paranormal would ever be explained by science?

That’s a complex answer. I think that even now science is learning more about the paranormal. I prefer Dean Radin’s use of the term “supernormal.” Dean is a well-known parapsychologist who understands that what science considers to be a fringe and perhaps illegitimate line of research is in fact part of normal human functioning. In my psychology practice I’ve been astonished by the numbers of people who have reported supernormal experiences, from out of body to near-death to precognition. Many of them keep it very hush-hush. One young man saw me for emotional difficulties. I asked him to keep a journal. Weeks later, when I asked to review the Journal I learned that he had been having out of body experiences for years. I was only the second person who knew about this. His mother told him it was “the devil’s work,” causing him to hide the experience and believe that he was “sick.” After having him read Robert Monroe’s book Journeys Out of the Body, he was relieved to learn that he was not alone.

How much research did it require from you to write this book? What was the most interesting aspect of that research?

At least as much research – if not more – as was involved in doing my doctoral research. It was complicated because members of the scientific team in the novel each had their own specialties. If the book was to be realistic, I had to understand each of the sciences, have the characters relate their information in ways that were relevant to the science yet make it readable. All in all, it was quite an endeavor..

Do you believe that the human mind is still evolving? And would that be in a good or bad way?

That subject is dealt with in the book. The evolution of the human mind has evolved only in small ways over the past 5000 years. The primitive that lurks within us has shown itself in the increased intolerance and violence seen throughout the world over the last ten years and horrific genocides found in our history. I believe the next major breakthroughs that cause significant evolution will come from science, through genetic engineering for example. That is, unless humanity continues to be foolish enough to further damage the Earth, through war and/or pollution, creating an environment that causes devolution instead. Artificial intelligence, as Stephen Hawking and Bill Gates have warned, is another threat to be taken very seriously.

The Shiva Syndrome has the makings of an action movie.  Which actors would you like to see in the lead roles, should it ever get a movie adaptation?

You’re one of many who have seen a film developing from the novel. Strangely enough, it helped to me to write by envisioning a “dream cast” of characters. I saw Javier Bardem as Beau Walker, a bearded Jon Goodman as Burt Grimes, Morgan Freeman as Lincoln Carter, Anthony Hopkins as Karl Slezak, Diane Kruger as Leigh Kampmann, Jude Law as Allyn Gareth, and Meryl Streep as Julie Thorsten.

What are you working on right now?

At the moment, I’m incubating ideas for a prequel or sequel as well as a paranormal homicide

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

This was my first fiction novel, but I have many nonfiction publications that can be found by searching on my name. I would enjoy hearing from readers or potential readers with questions through my website at www.allanjoshua.com .