Chapter 5: Korean Understanding of the “Maum” (Mind): Cultural Differences in Explaining the Causes of Illness

When talking about psychological concepts, we often use terms that, assumedly, can be commonly understood by the group we want to address. Sometimes the discussion involves theoretical constructs that can be understood in different ways, so that we need to define them first. For example: What are love, identity, and other concepts, by our understanding? Having provided these definitions, we can then pursue our initial quest. In the case of the Korean concept of Maum, it is not that easy (Jung, 2008). In this chapter, I will demonstrate that there are no proper terms in other languages to allow for an adequate direct translation of Maum. Even defining Maum is difficult, because our general understanding of the “core” of human beings and where this core can be found differs between cultures. Thus, our understanding will differ in the way it influences therapeutic approaches.