About Author: Pekka Harju-Autti is a researcher, former ministerial advisor, entrepreneur, and novelist. He founded environmental initiatives like Envirate and TreebuddyEarth, which focus on global awareness and tree planting, including large-scale mangrove restoration in the Philippines. His debut novel, LoveVortex and the Drakor’s Curse, is inspired by a vivid dream and set in the Andaman Islands of 1751. The book explores mortality, fear, and the transformative power of love and awareness, blending philosophy, fantasy, and lived experience. He continues the series with LoveVortex and the Enlightenment of a Nameless Cat and is currently working on a third volume set in Tibet.
1. If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Dreamer, innovator, writer.
2. What first awakened your passion for the environment and nature?
I always loved nature. But it was Al Gore’s book “Earth in the Balance” which made me decide that I want to play a part in this game for the planet.
3. You’ve worked as a researcher, a Ministerial advisor, an entrepreneur, and now a novelist. What ties all these roles together for you?
Creativity and a feeling of doing something good.
4. With Envirate and TreebuddyEarth, you’ve aimed for planetary-scale change. What’s the most critical mindset shift people need to make to really “make peace with Mother Earth”
Motivation is the key. Awareness of who you are naturally leads you to a mindset with motivation to do good things, whatever they may be, within your reach.
5. TreebuddyEarth has planted lots of trees. Beyond numbers, what kind of personal or community stories stand out to you from this journey?
We need to see the big picture. Trees can play a crucial role in creating a healthier environment for the planet’s future. While planting locally has benefits, for a greater impact, it’s better to plant in the tropics, as trees grow much faster there. Especially mangroves, which serve as super trees for both CO2 reduction and biodiversity. The local villages we work with have a strong understanding of how important trees are for their community’s survival. For example, in the Philippines, the belt of mangroves acts as a powerful protector against hurricanes.
6. What makes you happiest: finishing a book, planting a tree, or inspiring someone else?
Inspiring someone else. Well, naturally, you can inspire others by planting a tree or writing a book.
7. If you had to describe your writing style in just three words, what would they be?
Inspirational. Joyful. Non-conventional.
8. What first inspired you to write LoveVortex and the Drakor’s Curse? The novel introduces a society where every person bears a tattoo of their date of death. How did you arrive at this concept?
The entire story was once lived through in a dream, which felt like a long movie. You know, sometimes dreams seem just as real as so-called real life.
9. Many readers call LoveVortex and the Drakor’s Curse both chilling and comforting. Which is it more?
The story might be chilling because humans tend to fear death. However, the book’s central message is very comforting and empowering. It encourages readers to think about what society would be like if everyone knew their exact date of death. The story also shows how knowing one’s death date would impact education, relationships, and personal goals. I wanted to explore both its positive and negative effects. Most importantly, I wanted the main protagonist to face this fear of death personally and do something about it in a transformative way. The story is definitely empowering.
10. What do you hope readers carry with them after finishing the book, beyond the adventure itself?
The book highlights the interconnectedness of humanity and all existence, while celebrating bold life choices. It also emphasizes the importance of cherishing moments with family and friends, conveying a powerful message about the potential of compassion and love to resolve conflicts. The main goal, however, was to write a book that would inspire readers to reflect on their mortality and potentially reduce their fear of death.
11. How did you avoid concerns about colonialistic and “White Savior” thinking?
The concerns you raised are important to acknowledge. In this book, the potentially tragic outcomes of colonial “success” and the Andaman Islanders’ deep understanding of death turn it from a colonial story into a work of notable psychological and philosophical depth, showing great respect for the Islanders’ culture. The narrative functions both as a fantasy adventure and a serious critique of Western assumptions, offering a thoughtful meditation on mortality and the costs of modernity.
12. Captain Julius and his 14-year-old son Peter serve as witnesses to this extraordinary culture. Why did you choose the Andaman Islands of 1751 as the setting for such a profound story? What does the relationship between Julius and Peter bring to the story, beyond the exploration of fate and mortality?
Ha, once I told my 14-year-old son Julius: “Son, let’s play a bit with a fantasy story, since Dad had an important dream that should be written down. You will be the captain of the ship, and I will be your son, Peter.” He thought it was cool to imagine when and where these extraordinary events would happen. We conducted numerous internet searches together, ultimately choosing the Andaman Islands, which fit perfectly into the story since they’re one of the most isolated places in the world. In 1750, Andaman islanders didn’t even have fire-making skills, which is extraordinary. They didn’t even have cats on the island, which is also remarkable.
The relationship between Captain Julius and Peter extends beyond that of a typical father and son: Julius serves as a mentor, life coach, and confidant in matters of emotions, friendships, and career.
13. How were you able to remember the dream so vividly?
I believe that if we value our dreams and recognize their incredible potential to enhance our self-awareness, our ability to remember them increases, and they can become a powerful tool. At the same time, we can eliminate nightmares. Good dream recall is possible for everyone. I have paid close attention to dreams since childhood.
14. What do you think causes nightmares in the first place?
I think they’re caused by either 1) unresolved matters from our past or 2) unlocked matters that enhance our future human potential. The way to overcome them is simple: face them.
15. What if the nightmare is far too terrifying to confront?
Let’s take an example: facing a terrifying dragon in a cave. A usual reaction would probably be to freeze in fear—or try to run. But then the monster would breathe fire at you. You’d die right there and wake up sweaty, saying ‘what a horrible nightmare’, and start your morning as usual. Then what the dragon represented would’ve remained unresolved. You wouldn’t have faced your fear of death, which had taken the form of a dragon. In this novel, the protagonist faces the dragon in full, but I won’t spoil here how it goes or what happens as a result.
16. Do you think that the dream just came to you as a coincidence?
I don’t think it was just a coincidence. In the dream world, we sail across a sea of endless possibilities, from which our consciousness chooses the things we’re ready to face. They might appear as frightening dream images, but if you can overcome the fear and confront the dream contents with a heart-centered approach, the things they represent will transform your waking life. That’s a very empowering way to enhance your human potential!
17. So, to find the best of our human potential, you suggest improving our work with our dreams. Can you tell us in practice how to improve our dream recall and find empowerment from our dreams?
Years earlier, I wrote down many of my dreams, which improved my recall and helped me distinguish between important and trivial ones. However, a fundamental transformation in my dream life only started when I realized that taking direct action in dreams is always the best approach. Fleeing from a disturbing dream is cowardly. Dreams should be faced head-on whenever possible. Now, each nightmare is one I would return to immediately upon waking. The practice behind this is explained in detail in the second book, LoveVortex and the Enlightenment of a Nameless Cat. The main character is a Japanese man who, despite being an ordinary person, excels at working with dreams.
18. Why did you choose in the next book the main guy to be a Japanese guy?
I wanted the main character to come from outside Western culture. Furthermore, there’s something I genuinely love about Japanese culture. In my limited experience, Japanese people often have vivid inner worlds and rich dream lives. Additionally, they are generally very kind. Kindness and politeness are great qualities that make me greatly respect their culture. These qualities reflect their long-standing cultural norms on how to live well. Very admirable.
19. Your next novel dives deeper into magical realism. What inspired the choice of a cat as a central, almost mystical figure?
Again, that book comes from the dream world – this time from three dreams that I experienced and then wove together with some lived reality experiences. Actually, aside from the cat, other animals play a significant role there, such as a spirit guide hawk, a mystical boa constrictor, and—again—the mighty dragon. That book is not human-centric. The animals there might possess more enlightenment than your average guru… so, prepare to have your brain bent and your spirit stirred!
20. The second story is partly about Finland being ranked the happiest nation. What does happiness mean to you personally?
Well, we all want to be happy. Freedom of thought and freedom from fear are essential for true happiness. Since the fear of death is the biggest fear in our society, I believe it’s worth trying to overcome that fear. The purpose behind Drakor’s Curse is precisely this—and in the next volume, we delve even further, illustrating how genuine happiness is rooted in a profound inner awakening.
There is no paradise on Earth, and Finland is no exception. However, this Northern country has many qualities that explain why it has been constantly ranked as the happiest country in the World. Clean nature, safe and equitable society, excellent education. I would add that the central role of a trust society is that people assume honesty in everyday life situations. Thus, it’s not a surprise that Finland also has the lowest amount of corruption. And of course, Sauna contributes to happiness.
21. Both books weave philosophy, fantasy, and lived reality. How do you balance these layers so that the story feels both magical and deeply human?
The layering is balanced through well-thought-of transitions—events of fantasy and philosophical insights are sparked by physical challenges, emotions, and relationships rather than delivered as lectures. This approach ensures the narrative feels magical yet deeply human: magic is elevated by real emotion, philosophy is not a mental exercise but lived experience, and the potential of the mystery always touches the reality.
22. You’ve said that writing brings you into an egoless state. Can you describe this more?
In my view, an author’s main task is to keep their own sense of “I” completely out of the divine process of creation. A sign of success in this is that writing feels very joyful, and ideas come effortlessly and surprisingly.
23. Are there any specific authors or books that have influenced your writing?
I would name two books: Murakami’s 1Q84 is a true masterpiece of layered storytelling—its skillful interplay of parallel realities, cultural criticism, touching love story, and the delicate interweaving of the mundane with the surreal have inspired how I construct narrative structure. Secondly, Nietzsche’s main work, Thus Spoke Zarathustra represents a sort of bridge between Western and Eastern thought, describing a moment when a person encounters their own greatest potential with supreme clarity and brightness, free from external influences and inner conflicts. I love that book.
24. Awareness, whether of mortality, happiness, or the planet, seems central to your work. Why do you think awareness itself is so transformative?
Well, as in Thus Spoke Zarathustra the so-called Noon Moment represents the pinnacle of self-awareness, where a person is fully present in the moment, aware of their own power and the significance of their life. It requires profound spiritual strength and courage, as it comes from transcending one’s separate self—a death of the ego. This awareness is truly transformative, as it leads us beyond the prisons of our egos to a relaxed, bright natural state of mind.
25. You’ve hinted at a third LoveVortex book. Without revealing too much, what questions or themes are you most eager to explore next?
The third book, once again, is set in a very different society, this time on the roof of the world, specifically on the Himalayan plateau in Tibet. Let’s see if we discover more awareness explorations there.
26. If someone wanted to reach out to you for a project or collaboration, what’s the best way for them to get in touch?
email: peccah@gmail.com; LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pekka-harju-autti-389a5184
Join us every first Wednesday of the month at 4:00 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. GMT) for a webinar where we discuss the topics covered here in a relaxed setting. Find more info at https://www.lovevortexbooks.net/ , or simply click the link https://meet.jit.si/LoveVortex and enjoy!
We believe in sharing knowledge with everyone and making a positive change in society through our work and contributions. If you are interested in joining us, please check our ‘About’ page for more information