Taoist priests were also expected to perform various kinds of exorcisms and rituals for people who wanted to cure disease, resolve drought, etc. Such processes were detailed in Thunder Magic texts, which detailed which and when certain ritual items were needed and place such as placing a talisman on some rice. Such rituals were performed near or at temples and other pure areas away from the public eye and if the homeowners allowed it, the priests were able to enter their homes and establish a sacred place to perform the ritual. It is believed that the shortage of such texts from earlier periods were due to the high standards of the officials that approved them and the biased beliefs that these rituals were related to shamanistic ideas and rituals.