Minds Beyond Time: A Cosmic Colloquium

From the imagination of visionary (and somewhat eccentric) writer and artist David L. Laing comes Minds Beyond Time: A Cosmic Colloquium, a fanciful colloquy among some of history’s most notable minds.

What would happen if history’s greatest thinkers, philosophers, scientists, artists, musicians, writers, religious figures, political leaders, tyrants, and villains, along with a few deities, archetypes, and mythological beings for good measure, came together, beyond the confines of time and space, for just one day? Author Laing’s answer is Minds Beyond Time, an illuminating, entertaining and delightfully bizarre thought experiment from the depths of his wild imagination.

Imagine a school run by Professor Plato, where students like Freud, Mozart, Socrates, King Solomon, Da Vinci, Jesus, Buddha, and Shakespeare engage in a spirited classroom debate, while Ocar Wilde quips, Isadora Duncan dances down the aisles, and Bach serves coffee. In the courtyard, the “troubled kids” like Hitler, Stalin, Nero, Trotsky and Genghis Khan gang up with Satan to argue world domination strategies while Dali smokes a peace pipe with Black Elk and Hannibal rides an elephant. Imagine a school where the popular girls are Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Nefertiti, Catherine the Great, and Mother Mary, and the class clown is the literal embodiment of “The Fool” archetype.

This is a small glimpse into a day in the life at Plato’s Academy. Written in the form of a Platonic Dialog between these notable figures and many, many others, the magical realism in Minds Beyond Time allows each character to embody their most essential nature, and engage with other luminaries from different eras and corners of the world that would be otherwise impossible. The dialog and interactions that unfold give insight into each person’s life, as they explore their thoughts and theories, share their histories and notable quotations, and demonstrate their quirks and eccentricities.

Unbound from the constraints of time and space, they explore the nature of reality, mind, art, society, religion and the great mysteries of life together. Some inspire each other and expand their minds by sharing ideas. Some argue bitterly and attempt to discredit each other. Some dance, sing, create and laugh together. Some tease and bully and plot each other’s destruction. There’s no limit to what can happen in Plato’s Academy!

Laing invites the reader to suspend disbelief, embrace the impossible, and let your imagination and curiosity guide you through this one of a kind journey.