ShinsungHwa: Visualizing an Anonymous Cult Leader’s Spiritual Energy (2020)

What is ShinsungHwa?
ShinsungHwa is a unique form of spiritual art where drawings emerge through spontaneous, flowing movements. Artists tap into their subject’s energy and let Qi(氣) guide their hands, creating geometric patterns that serve as a universal language.

A Commentary on the ‘ShinsungHwa’ of an anonymous Cult Leader

Back in the ’70s and ’80s, this guy was everywhere in Korea’s spiritual scene. If you were part of what I’d call the mystical circuit—where spiritual seeking meets business opportunity—you knew his name. Well, his chosen name anyway. He ran a center, pulled in crowds of followers, and trained students who went on to start their own meditation groups. Those groups spawned even more organizations.

For a while, his star was rising fast. Then came the scandal. Something with a female student that became front-page news. Everything changed after that. He’s still around these days, running meditation programs under that same assumed name.

When I got the job of painting his ‘ShinsungHwa’, I sat with it for a long time before picking up my pen. The first thing that hits you is the energy pouring from his hands. Hands mean talent, ability. All those occult mysteries and supernatural experiences he claimed to master—they flow right through those hands. Sometimes you can spot human figures moving within those spirals and energy streams. I see this pattern a lot with religious leaders and meditation teachers who operate on a big scale.

There’s a Sanskrit word, ‘siddhi’, for these supernatural powers—the magical abilities that can show up on the spiritual path. Did this man actually have them? I can’t say. But here’s the thing: even if he did, any supernatural power that isn’t rooted in genuine awakening and love becomes a trap. Those spirals flowing from his hands? They end up being the very nets that catch him.

Astral projection, turning lead to gold, healing the sick—these things are separate from true enlightenment. So when someone talks about having these abilities, or even shows them off, don’t get swept up in it. But telling truth from illusion? That’s hard work. Your best bet is looking inside yourself. Clean up your inner world, pray honestly for guidance toward the right path, and that divine spark everyone has will point you in the right direction.

The stuff happening around us, the things we bump into, the people in our lives—they’re all mirrors of our subconscious. Instead of judging what’s wrong out there, we’re better off developing discernment and focusing on what you might call inner housekeeping. That’s where any real spiritual path has to start.