reporter: back in the ay untains, the spitutualuide yelena gamayun iisists hlers are more than rurall phenenenon reporter: back in the ay untains, the spitutualuide she sa her clits fromoscow uldn't g bylike her.ople in a country where reality is a painful experience fororany, russians cope by hoping for miracles. host: russians aren't the only ones who believe in higher popowers. so do people who practice voodoo -- an ancient religion rooted in western africa. believers pray to a supreme being and around 400 other spirits like the gods of thunder or water. benin the 16th century, thedle relilion spread the amecas with the s slave trade - -- particicularly brazizil, haitie dominican republic, and the u.s. state of louisiana. voodoooo has around d 60 milln adherents worldwide. in benin, around one in five people hold the belief. but some of the practices common in voodoo arare highly controversial. reporter: performiming a dance r the thundeder-god. she learned it while she wasew coconfinedo a a vood convevent.c fohoundedji,t was an agonizing threree years inin wh she had no contact with the outs