Phi are ubiquitous and diverse. Some are connected with the
universal elements--earth, heaven, fire, and water. Many Lao
Loum also believe that they are being protected by khwan
(thirty-two spirits). Illness occurs when one or more of these
spirits leaves the body; this condition may be reversed by the
soukhwan--more commonly called the baci--a ceremony that
calls all thirty-two khwan back to bestow health, prosperity, and
well-being on the affected participants.