Mongol tribes have long believed in the spirit world as their shamans described it to them. Their cosmic view of the universe did not differentiate between the worlds of the living and dead, nor did they consider themselves any greater than other creatures in this or other worlds. Any imbalance between the human and natural world could cause calamity.
Shamanism is based around the shaman – called a bo if a man or udgan if a woman – who has special medical and religious powers (known as udmyn if inherited, zlain if the powers become apparent after a sudden period of sickness and apparitions).