In Understanding Time and Eternity, Vasile Ghiuta sets out on an ambitious journey to explore how humans perceive, conceptualize, and live within the realms of time and eternity. Drawing from a vast array of sources like Western philosophy, Eastern religions, Christian theology, modern physics, and psychology, he examines how time has been viewed through history and what it might truly mean. From ancient philosophers like Aristotle to contemporary scientific ideas about spacetime, and from Buddhist cycles to Christian eschatology, Ghiuta dissects and compares how cultures, thinkers, and faiths have tried to grasp these elusive ideas. A central thread running through the book is his personal thesis that time and eternity are not opposites but intertwined states of being that bleed into each other, influencing the fabric of our lives and identities.

Ghiuta writes with passion and a sense of awe, but sometimes it felt like he was trying to fit the whole universe into one bottle. There were times I was completely drawn in, like when he described time as an illusion we all share, or the theory of temporal and eternal “loops” intersecting in our souls. I found that idea beautiful and haunting. But other parts, especially those heavy with historical summaries or theological debates, felt academic. He clearly has deep respect for every tradition he references. That said, his sincerity shined through, and I appreciated that he wasn’t afraid to say when he disagreed with figures like Plato or Nietzsche. He wasn’t just retelling what others thought, he was wrestling with it all in his own voice.

What really stuck with me was how Ghiuta returned, again and again, to the personal side of time, how it shapes us, how it defines our memories and our fears, how it quietly holds hands with eternity in everything we do. His reflections on death, legacy, and the “timeless” qualities of love and kindness felt honest and moving. It’s not every day you read a book that jumps from astrophysics to Japanese cultural concepts like “Ma,” and still tries to land on the question of what happens when we die. That wild scope was the book’s strength. It made me think hard, and I never stopped being curious about where he would go next.

I’d recommend this book to people who like big questions and don’t mind taking the scenic route through philosophy, religion, and science to get some answers, or more likely, better questions. If you’re the type who likes to read slowly, underline a lot, and sit quietly with your thoughts afterward, you’ll find something rich here. It’s for seekers, wanderers, and lovers of deep thought, Ghiuta’s book might just shift how you think about your own clock, and what lies beyond it.

Pages: 492 | ISBN : 978-1-7775695-4-9