“Madness need not be all breakdown. It may also be break-through." - R.D. Laing

Gnosis Retreat Center is proud to present Mad to be Normal | The Los Angeles Premiere. Come Join us on May 26th and witness the story of R.D. Laing, the controversial hero of the 1960's counter culture movement and his radical experiment in the healing power of community at Kingsley Hall. Played by the talented David Tennant, R.D. Laing was a figure that captured imaginations the world over with his brilliant writing, deep compassion, and unconventional treatment methods. He opened for the Grateful Dead, was a guru to the Beatles and Jim Morrison, and took LSD with Sean Connery to help the actor with stress while filming a James Bond movie.

Mad to be Normal isn't just about Laing however, it is also about the famous experimental community which was the embodiment of his ideas, Kingsley Hall. Originally used to house Mahatma Gandhi when he would stay in London, Laing transformed Kingsley Hall in to a refuge for people going through psychosis. Despite the fact that Laing was a psychiatrist by trade, at Kingsley Hall there was no medication, and no treatment, just people living together in a supportive community where, as Laing said, "preconceptions were melted down in the nitty-gritty of living together.”

Best of all, after the film screening there will be a panel discussion featuring Michael Guy Thompson, Nita Gage, and Fritjof Capra, all friends and colleagues of Laing, and they will be available to answer any burning questions you have after seeing the film! There will also be a cocktail reception from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM before the film screening, so come early and join us for a drink!

You will find ample parking at the venue.

This event benefits Gnosis Retreat Center and supports sanctuary for people experiencing extreme states (aka psychosis)