A Conversation With Jussi Jylkkä

Finnish philosopher and psychologist Jussi Jylkkä discusses the relationship between altered states of consciousness, metacognition, and metaphysical theories. He shares how non-pharmacological insights, followed by experiences with cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms, challenged his early physicalist assumptions and highlighted the gap between conceptual models and raw subjective experience. Jylkkä outlines his stance on metaphysical agnosticism, arguing that philosophical constructs like physicalism or idealism are secondary representations rather than fundamental reality. The discussion explores how models can obscure direct experience, the nature of mystical and non-conceptual states, and how metacognition allows individuals to observe their own mental constructs. In an appended follow-up section, Jylkkä further reflects on his personal background, the interplay between Christian symbolism, Zen philosophy, and rational thought, and the role of metacognition in human self-awareness.