From Celebrities to Shamans: Stars Who Embraced a Spiritual Path
The stories of celebrities who have left the entertainment industry to become shamans are generating buzz. Kim Joo-yeon, Bang Eun-mi, and Lee Geon-joo, who once worked as entertainers, are drawing significant attention by sharing their experiences of suffering from 'Shinbyeong' (spiritual sickness) and becoming shamans.
Kim Joo-yeon: From Half-Paralyzed by Shinbyeong to Shaman for 5 Years
On October 21st, the YouTube channel 'One Mic' uploaded a video titled '5 Years After Retiring from Entertainment to Become a Shaman... A Beautiful Comedian Met at a Restaurant.'
Kim Joo-yeon, a former comedian, shared her current life, working at her parents' restaurant and living as a shaman. Five years after leaving the entertainment world, she was living a completely new life.
Mother: "At First, It Felt Like My Daughter Had Gone to Another World"
Kim Joo-yeon's mother appeared on the show and shared her honest feelings about her daughter's initiation as a shaman.
"Now I am stable and have accepted it a lot. I can rest assured because my daughter is living without any pain."
The mother confessed that at first, it felt like her daughter was in another world. It must have been a difficult time accepting that her child was walking the path of a shaman.
But now, she respects her daughter's choice and is watching over her.
"She is a filial daughter who reads her mother's heart like a friend. She is kind and pretty."
The mother expressed her unwavering affection for her daughter and seemed relieved that Kim Joo-yeon was living healthily.
"I Was Frustrated by Comments Asking for Proof"
Kim Joo-yeon appeared on JTBC's 'Can't Be No. 1' in August and confessed that she became a shaman after experiencing half-body paralysis due to Shinbyeong.
At the time, some people did not believe that she had suffered from half-body paralysis.
"Show me the proof," "Bring a confirmation letter."
Kim Joo-yeon said that these kinds of comments were made. She expressed her frustration at being doubted about the pain she had experienced.
"I know I look fine now, so you can say that, but you can't do that to someone who is really sick."
Kim Joo-yeon expressed her feelings of injustice. It is unfair to deny her past pain just because she looks healthy now.
Surprisingly, she has not been sick even once since receiving the initiation. The fact that she, who had suffered from half-body paralysis due to Shinbyeong, completely regained her health after becoming a shaman surprised many people.
Riding the Jakdu (ritual blades): "I'm Scared Every Time and Want to Run Away"
Kim Joo-yeon also spoke honestly about the Jakdu, one of the symbolic rituals of shamans.
"I didn't know the blades were so sharp. Every time I ride it, I'm scared and want to run away."
Riding the Jakdu is a ritual in which shamans prove the power of the spirits, but it seems to be a terrifying experience for the person involved.
"It's a lie to say that it doesn't hurt at all. It feels like I'm standing on chopsticks."
Kim Joo-yeon explained in detail what it feels like to ride the Jakdu. It's not that it doesn't hurt at all, but it's at a level that she can endure.
"I was so scared that the knife would cut me when it was on my face, so I kept looking at it. I jumped up and looked at the sky, saying 'Oh my God.'"
Recalling the day she received the initiation, Kim Joo-yeon honestly revealed her fear at the time.
Unexpected Confession: "I Am a Christian"
Kim Joo-yeon also shared an unexpected story. She said that she is a Christian.
"You might think that there are many Buddhists who come to see fortunes, but Christians are the most."
It may seem contradictory to be a shaman and a Christian at the same time, but the two coexist for Kim Joo-yeon. It was also interesting that Christians are the most common people who come to see fortunes.
Bang Eun-mi: From 90s Fashion Model to Shaman
In addition to Kim Joo-yeon, there are others who became shamans after working as entertainers. Bang Eun-mi, a former model, is a prime example.
Bang Eun-mi appeared on MBN's 'Special World' in September and revealed the story of how she became a shaman. She was a fashion model who received a lot of attention in the early 90s, but she disappeared after only four years of her debut.
"When I opened my eyes in the morning, I had paralysis in my left face, shoulder, and arm."
Like Kim Joo-yeon, Bang Eun-mi also experienced physical paralysis due to Shinbyeong. She must have suffered greatly from the sudden, inexplicable symptoms.
A Choice for Her Son
The reason Bang Eun-mi decided to receive the initiation was her son.
At the time when she was suffering from Shinbyeong, she heard that something terrible could happen to her child if she did not receive the initiation, and she made a choice for her son.
It was a mother's choice to think of her child's safety before her own pain. Giving up her entertainment career and walking the path of a shaman would not have been an easy decision, but Bang Eun-mi chose that path for her son.
Lee Geon-joo: From 'Sundol' to Shaman
Lee Geon-joo, who was famous as the child actor 'Sundol,' is also a case of becoming a shaman. Lee Geon-joo talked about the process of becoming a shaman on MBC's 'Radio Star' and SBS's 'My Little Old Boy.'
According to what he has revealed on several shows, he suffered from severe depression due to Shinbyeong. The symptoms of Shinbyeong appear differently for each person, but in Lee Geon-joo's case, the mental pain was great.
Later, while performing a Cheondojae (a Buddhist ceremony for the deceased) for his grandmother, he received a bell and a fan from his spiritual father and accepted becoming a shaman himself.
It turns out that there was shamanic blood on his mother's side of the family. It is said that if there is a shamanic lineage in the family, the possibility of experiencing Shinbyeong is high.
What is Shinbyeong?
Shinbyeong (神病) refers to a special symptom in shamanism. It is a symptom that appears when a spirit chooses a specific person to be a shaman, and it is accompanied by physical and mental pain of unknown cause.
Like Kim Joo-yeon and Bang Eun-mi, some people experience physical paralysis, while others, like Lee Geon-joo, experience severe depression. It is characterized by the fact that the cause cannot be found even after examination at a hospital, and there is no treatment.
It is said that these symptoms disappear after receiving the initiation, and Kim Joo-yeon actually said that she has not been sick once since receiving the initiation.
Destiny, Not Choice?
Listening to their stories, becoming a shaman seems to be closer to destiny than choice. It was a process of experiencing extreme pain while suffering from Shinbyeong against their will, and accepting the initiation to escape that pain or for the sake of their families.
Giving up a glamorous job as an entertainer and walking the path of a shaman is by no means an easy task. But they are accepting the fate given to them and living a new life.
Beyond Prejudice
In Korean society, shamanism is still subject to prejudice. But it is meaningful that Kim Joo-yeon, Bang Eun-mi, Lee Geon-joo, and others are revealing their stories and confidently showing their lives as shamans.
They are honestly talking about the pain and choices they have experienced, and showing that shamans are also ordinary people. As Kim Joo-yeon's mother said, her daughter is just "a filial daughter who reads her mother's heart like a friend."
Cheering on Their New Lives
Those who have left the entertainment industry and are walking the path of shamans. We support the new life they have chosen, or been chosen for.
Kim Joo-yeon is living as a shaman while helping her parents' restaurant, Bang Eun-mi is walking the path she chose for her son, and Lee Geon-joo is working as a shaman, inheriting his mother's lineage.
Attention is focused on their future moves. We hope that they will find happiness and live healthily in their own way.
Source :https://blog.naver.com/roadtowrestling/224054703959
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