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Possessed Love is a spiritual-themed dating show on SBS. The participants aren't ordinary young men and women, but rather eight spiritual masters. They are all relatively young, coming from backgrounds as astrologers, shamans, tarot readers, and so on.
Unraveling the allure behind Possessed Love
These aren't moments of love at first sight. Nor are there any mandatory challenges that contestants must overcome to be together, like in typical dating shows. In this dating show, spiritual masters will get to know and date each other in an unconventional way.
With no drama between the girls, no gimmicks to attract views, Possessed Love emerged as a phenomenon because its participants included shamans, tarot experts, and even fortune tellers.
They will search for their soulmate through divination and the Four Pillars of Destiny (saju) – a type of astrology that determines a person's fate based on their birth date and time. In addition, the show features a series of unique scenarios such as a first date taking place at a temple, a girl demonstrating her ability to perform exorcisms, and a fortune teller reading the fortune of a tarot reader.
From the very first episode, Possessed Love opens with a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. The cast, consisting of 8 people (4 men, 4 women), uses psychic abilities to predict their destiny based solely on their birth date, month, year, and time. Viewers and commentators alike were surprised to meet these characters, referred to as "children of the gods." The cast features a lineup of handsome men and beautiful women appearing in trendy, youthful styles, contrasting with the audience's preconceived notions about fortune-telling.
Besides creating a unique game, Possessed Love also opens up a more open perspective on professions with spiritual, mysterious, and unusual characteristics such as shamans and tarot readers. And what would happen if players with different spiritual abilities "paired up" would be a novel experience for both those involved and the audience.
Before meeting, each person will look at information cards containing the birth dates and times of all participants, and based on their own energy, choose the most compatible match.
Not only attracting a large young audience and achieving massive viewership on online platforms, Possessed Love has also received praise from reputable cultural critics. This dating show opens up "new territory" for entertainers and offers an engaging form of entertainment, harmoniously blending traditional and modern cultural elements for everyone.
The player breaks away from the traditional image of wizards or fortune tellers often associated with mystery and old age.
Young people rely on spirituality to find love and money.
The appeal of "Possessed Love" partly reflects the reality that young people are increasingly interested in and seeking spiritual help in their love lives. Many young people believe in the existence of "destiny" and hope to find their "predestined" life partner.
The term "spirituality" itself is a multifaceted concept. Instead of defining spirituality as a transcendental world beyond human comprehension, young people today seem to believe more in "cosmic energy," which can influence their psychological lives. In other words, "spirituality" is being used more closely to mean "psychology," an inner universe mirroring an outer universe.
Young people are fascinated by the "predictions" from Tarot cards.
It's based on the principle of "like attracts like," meaning that what you focus on and believe in will materialize in your life. Many people believe that by focusing on positive thoughts about money, they will attract more money. They practice methods such as visualization, affirmations, and creating vision boards to attract wealth. The law of attraction is also applied to finding true love. It is believed that by visualizing their ideal partner and believing in love, they will attract the desired relationship.
Or, when faced with difficult pressures, young people often choose the "law of attraction" to draw positive things toward themselves.
Young people today face many pressures from studies, work, and personal life. Finding love is no exception. When facing difficulties in love, they tend to turn to spirituality as a source of faith and hope to alleviate anxiety, seek advice, and find solutions. People always have a need for connection, sharing, and empathy. Spirituality gives them faith in positive values, in the existence of an invisible "connection," helping them feel comforted and understood.
Belief in spirituality can give people hope for a better future and more luck in love. They hope to find a suitable life partner who will bring them happiness and success.
Spirituality isn't bad, but overuse can backfire.
However, seeking love through spirituality also needs to be viewed objectively and rationally. Spirituality can be a guide and helpful advice, but one should not rely entirely on it. Most importantly, sincerity, openness, and the effort of each individual in nurturing their own love are crucial.
"Possessed Love" is not just an entertainment program, but also a "mirror" reflecting a part of the reality of young people's search for love through spirituality. The program offers viewers fresh and interesting perspectives on love and the spiritual world. However, the search for love needs to be done wisely, combining spiritual beliefs with the efforts of each individual.
