How did shamans heal sick people in classic northern Asian shamanism?

In classic northern Asian shamanism, illness is fundamentally understood as a spiritual phenomenon caused by the influence of spirits or the loss of the patient's soul. To heal the sick, the shaman performs rituals while in a state of trance, which is typically induced by frenetic dancing accompanied by the music of a drum or string instrument.12

The specific methods used to effect a cure depend on the perceived cause of the illness:

• Appeasing Spirits: If an illness is caused by spirits, the shaman works to appease them. This may involve determining which spirit is responsible and performing necessary actions, such as animal sacrifice, to conciliate them.1
• Driving Out Spirits: If the illness is attributed to spirits entering the patient's body, the shaman cures the individual by driving those spirits out.1
• Soul Retrieval: In cases of soul loss, where the patient's soul has left the body and been captured or tormented by angry spirits, the shaman enters a trance to liberate the strayed soul and restore it to the patient.1

Throughout these ceremonies, the shaman utilizes elaborate, symbolic costumes and ritual objects—such as drums, mirrors, and staffs—to facilitate communication with the spirit world.23