WEEKENDER Korean shamanism spreads far beyond its homeland
Andrea Kalff, a German practitioner of Korean shamanism, holds ritual items in this 2021 photo. Courtesy of Andrea Kalff
From cancer diagnosis to 'Naerim Gut,' how Andrea Kalff's shaman journey began
As Korea has taken its place among the world leaders in technology, many facets of its traditional culture also have found their way to a global audience. Through a series of appearances in media and popular streaming content, Korean shamanism has achieved a a new level of global awareness in recent years.
For some, the idea of Korean shamanism being a global entity began 20 years ago with the arrival of Andrea Kalff, a woman from Prien am Chiemsee, Germany, who became the very first European to become a Korean shaman.
Kalff was raised in a Catholic family in Bavaria, with little knowledge or interest in any kind of shamanism, let alone the Korean version. “Since childhood, I had experienced unusual dreams, intuitive perceptions, illnesses that physicians could not explain and psychological crises that correspond to what Korean tradition understands as 'sinbyeong',” she explained, referencing the "spirit sickness" that is thought to affect people marked to become shamans.
Initiation into world of Korean shamanism
At the age of 32, while in declining health, she was invited by a friend to attend an international shamanic event in Mondsee, Austria. She had no idea this decision would initiate a shift in worldview, setting her on a path toward building an entirely new life.
Kalff attended the opening ceremony where she saw introductions by the attending shamans, including Kim Keum-hwa, a famed shaman and designated holder of Korea's Important Intangible Cultural Properties related to shamanic rituals.
After the opening ceremony concluded, a man approached Kalff asking for her name and phone number, which alarmed her.
Understanding the awkwardness of the situation, the man told her, “We know what’s wrong with you,” and said that Kim would like to see her for a private conversation. He assured her that a translator would call her in the morning, and she agreed.
The meeting with Kim lasted for three hours. “We were basically asked nothing and we didn’t get a chance to tell anything,” Kalff said.
Kim told Kalff that she had vivid dreams about her prior to departing for Austria.
“She described my life and family in remarkable detail without asking me any questions,” Kalff said.
Kim also told Kalff that she was seriously ill with sinbyeong, and needed to be initiated as a shaman to be healed.
“Mapping out my path, she explained that not doing it would lead to my death,” Kalff said.
Although Kim wanted to conduct the initiation in a matter of days, Kalff explained that she could not commit so quickly due to family issues and other concerns. Kim told her, “I’ll give you a prayer to take with you … I know you’ll come to me.”
Andrea Kalff, left, attends a shaman event in 2008 in Schlosshotel Mondsee in Austria, with her teacher Kim Keum-hwa, second from left. Courtesy of Andrea Kalff
Four weeks after her return to Germany, Kalff was shocked to receive a cancer diagnosis. “For three days, I laid in bed and cried,” she revealed. “I needed time to get away from everything, time to meditate.”
After driving alone to Andalusia, Spain, she spent 10 days meditating and sleeping in her car before deciding to go to Korea for “Naerim Gut,” a shaman initiation ritual. According to Kalff, reflecting on her childhood and health, “Only after meeting Kim Keum-hwa did these experiences begin to make sense within the framework of Korean shamanism.”
Describing her arrival in Korea with her husband in December 2006, she said, “We arrived at the airport and as soon as we did, the cameras were there, too … suddenly I was the focus of the media, which I hadn’t expected at all.”
Goethe-Institut Korea provided a translator to aid in communication as she underwent 11 days of ritual preparation, testing, prayer and initiation.
Grandmaster Kim Keum-hwa, left, leads Andrea Kalff through a "Naerim Gut" initiation ritual in 2006. Courtesy of Andrea Kalff
“First, I was taken to the temple where the spirits and gods feel at home … We were introduced in prayer and shown what the sequence should be. The next few days, I was taken to the mountain and into nature, then to the sea, then to another special mountain and to the city. It was physically and emotionally demanding, but also transformative.”
After the Naerim Gut’s conclusion, Kalff was told by Kim, “Like the prophesies of the gods in the ritual, Andrea, go out and start working immediately. You will help many people. It is important to connect this with conventional medicine.”
“With this, I was dismissed," Kalff noted. “My apprenticeship formally began in 2006 and has continued throughout the past 20 years, because in Korean shamanism, learning never truly ends, like in life.”
Nineteen days after the ceremony, Kim — now considered Kalff's spirit mother — told her she needed to see a doctor, who informed her that the tumor had grown and she needed to undergo surgery. As the anesthesia began to take effect, she recalled understanding the need for the surgery. It was a success and the tumor was removed.
After the surgery and the initiation, she completely changed her life.
In 2007, the story of her journey appeared in the German media.
After her initiation, Kalff said she “lived primarily in Germany and Hawaii while traveling regularly to Korea for ceremonies, instruction and further training.”
“This required learning how to practice authentically within Korean tradition while living and working in Europe and the U.S. Also, Grandmaster Kim Keum-hwa always visited me in Germany and Hawaii,” she recalled.
Kim Keum-hwa, right, meets with Andrea Kalff, second from left, in Munich in September 2015, during Kim's final visit to Europe. Courtesy of Andrea Kalff
“This required balancing two very different cultural worlds. My ritual roots remained in Korea, while my practical work, research and clinical collaborations developed mainly in Europe. Rather than belonging to one country, I learned to live between three cultures,” she said.
Universality of Korean shamanism
As the first European initiated into the world of Korean shamanism, her situation was unique.
“I have come to understand Korean shamanism not simply as a ‘religious’ tradition, but as a highly sophisticated system of ritual practice, embodied knowledge and community healing,” she explained. “My work today focuses on building dialogue between traditional Korean ritual practice and modern psychology, psychiatry, anthropology and medicine.”
She added, “Rather than attempting to change the tradition, I aim to translate its concepts into forms that can be discussed respectfully within contemporary academic and clinical settings.”
Addressing her unique role as a European ordained in and practicing Korean shamanism, Kalff stated, “It is both an honor and a responsibility. On the positive side, I can introduce Korean shamanism to audiences that might never otherwise encounter it. The challenge is that I always have to represent the tradition respectfully while avoiding stereotypes or cultural misunderstandings. I try to speak carefully and from personal experience rather than presenting myself as speaking for every Korean practitioner.”
Yang Jong-sung, president of the Museum of Shamanism in Seoul, explained the significance of Kalff’s role in today’s shamanic world. “Andrea becoming a shaman means that shamanism is a world religion. Shamanism is communication with heaven, the moon, stars, natural things … it’s universal and related. We can find that shamanism is not only a Korean religion, but a universal religion,” he said.
German shaman Andrea Kalff, left, talks with Yang Jong-sung, president of the Museum of Shamanism, at the museum in Seoul in June. Courtesy of Andrea Kalff
“By universal shamanism, it’s referring to the experience of possessed shamans in a variety of cultures. Each may have its own language, shamanic ritual traditions, practices and symbols. However, it is the dynamic of summoning a god or spirit and the spiritual power awakened that makes a shaman. In this way, shamanism is a universal phenomenon.”
He added, “It’s the power that’s important.”
Liora Sarfati, chair of the Department of East Asian Studies at Tel Aviv University and co-chair of the Korean Religions Unit at the American Academy of Religion, explained, “Andrea’s case attests to the globalization of Korean shamanism and to the cosmopolitan potential of Korea’s spiritual traditions. As Andrea and other Korean shamans demonstrate, the spirits’ ideas and messages can be understood beyond the limits of conventional linguistics.”
From left, Yang Jong-sung, president of the Museum of Shamanism, Liora Sarfati and Andrea Kalff pose together during an event at Sogang University in western Seoul in June. Courtesy of Andrea Kalff
Sarfati added, “Andrea works mostly in America and Europe. Most of her clients are more interested in her spiritual and healing abilities than in the Korean tradition. In this manner, she demonstrates how transcultural flows can benefit people across the globe, and how spiritual practices move beyond national borders.”
Global spread of K-shamanism
The global popularity of Korean pop culture has brought Korean culture, including shamanism, to a broader audience both in Korea and around the world. Through Korea’s popular culture and even artificial intelligence (AI)-driven online shamanic services, people are encountering the tradition from new points of view.
When asked about the changes, Kalff stated, “I think it has increased visibility tremendously. Many people first encounter Korean shamanism through films, television or streaming platforms. This can create curiosity, which is positive. At the same time, entertainment should not replace an understanding of the living spiritual and cultural tradition and responsibility and training.”
Andrea Kalff delivers a talk on her initiation into Korean shamanism during an event at Sogang University in western Seoul in June. Courtesy of Andrea Kalff
The Korean wave has drawn public interest both in the context of popular culture and in Korea’s traditional heritage itself.
“Some people remain interested only in the aesthetic or dramatic aspects,.” Kalff said. “Others begin with popular culture but eventually develop a sincere interest in Korean history, ritual and religion. The important question is whether curiosity leads to deeper learning and responsibility for the destiny as a ‘mudang',” she added, using the Korean word for shaman.
A developing facet of modern Korean shamanism is the presence of AI-driven fortune-telling and shamanic services. When asked about their place in today’s ritual milieu, Kalff offered, “Technology is simply a tool. It can help people access information or communicate more easily. However, a genuine ritual is based on human presence, relationship, responsibility and lived experience. AI cannot replace the spiritual, emotional and communal dimensions of a traditional 'gut.' But I’ve also learned over the years the client doesn’t need to be present, which means the gut can be held while the client doesn’t attend.”
German shaman Andrea Kalff tends to a client in Eggstatt, Germany, March 2013. Courtesy of Andrea Kalff
Kalff continued, “Technology may change how people communicate, but the ritual itself remains the heart of Korean shamanism. As long as teachers continue transmitting the tradition responsibly, gut will remain its foundation.”
Sarfati added, “I hope that Korean shamanism maintains its positive effect on the lives of many, in Korea and abroad. I also hope that Koreans will maintain the face-to-face encounters with shamans and will not all move to online communication. I view direct communication between shamans and clients as a meaningful encounter in urban lives that tend to be often alienated and instrumental.”
Reflecting on her own practice, Kalff expressed hope that her “work contributes to respectful dialogue between cultures.”
“I do not see myself as changing Korean shamanism. Rather, I hope to help others appreciate its depth while exploring how traditional ritual knowledge can contribute to contemporary discussions in psychology, psychiatry, trauma studies, and intercultural understanding.”
Visit andrea-kalff.com for more information.