A Mushroom That Makes You See Elves, Fairies and Little Goblins
A variety of wild mushrooms is puzzling scientists since decades. On eating them people report seeing tiny elves, fairies and goblins.
Lanmaoa asiatica a species found in the forests of East Asia has gained attention for its special characteristic nature. Although traditionally enjoyed as a flavourful edible mushroom it allegedly produces vivid lilliputian hallucinations when consumed undercooked.
What distinguishes this mushroom from typical psychedelics is the concrete predictability of the experience. Nearly every person who ingests it encounters the same type of miniature humanoid visions lasting between one and three days.
Individuals report seeing dozens of tiny elf like people moving across surfaces and even appearing on tables, spoons and plates near them.
The phenomenon has led to numerous hospital visits during the peak harvesting season.
Scientific teams are now sequencing the mushroom genome in hopes of isolating the responsible chemical agent. Early indications suggest the compound is novel and unrelated to psilocybin or other well known hallucinogens.
Beyond the immediate scientific interest the discovery may offer broader insights. Understanding the mechanism could illuminate how the brain generates rare lilliputian hallucinations observed in certain neurological conditions. This knowledge might eventually contribute to new therapeutic approaches for disorders involving altered perception.
The mushroom Lanmaoa asiatica is found in Yunnan (southwestern China) and the northern Cordillera (Philippines), where it is known as Jianshouqing (Chinese: 见手青; pinyin: Jiànshǒuqīng 'see-hand-blue', as the flesh turns blue when exposed to air).
The mushroom may be less hallucinogenic when cooked thoroughly. Yunnanese restaurants cook them properly and induce ban on drinking alcohol along with them to minimise poisoning. The local government issues short warning messages during mushroom season to help people stay safe from poisonings.
Chemical and genomic analyses indicate that L. asiatica contains no known psychoactive compounds such as psilocybin or muscimol, which means that a hallucinogenic compound is involved that we don't know know anything about.
Reports of lilliputian hallucinations across several countries remain unexplained. In one Yunnan hospital doctors treat hundreds of such cases a year that manifest visions of tiny elves going under doors, climbing the furniture, and scaling walls.
It is considered a choice wild edible in Asia because of its highly regarded umami flavour.
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Ratna Srivastava
R BLOGS
Thinker | Author | Philosopher
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