Published: 2026-02-02
Updated: 2026-02-02
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"In China's Yunnan province, hundreds of people flock to hospitals each year complaining of seeing "little people" climbing walls and dancing on plates. The culprit behind these mass hallucinations is a local delicacy: the Lanmaoa asiatica mushroom."
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Not deadly but creepy
This mushroom, which usually grows at the base of pine trees, causes visual illusions that last 12 to 24 hours (sometimes up to a week) after consumption if not thoroughly cooked. Unlike other psychedelic substances, the effect of this mushroom is surprisingly consistent; almost every user reports seeing the same "elf-like miniature figures."
The New Focus of Science
The scientific community is searching for this mushroom because:
- Mysterious Molecule: Tests show that this effect is not caused by the known substance psilocybin. The compound within it has not yet been identified.
- Brain Mechanism: "Dwarf vision" syndrome (micropsia) is actually a rare neurological condition. Studying this mushroom could unravel how the brain perceives reality and the mechanisms of hallucinations.
- Drug Potential: Researchers believe that isolating this chemical could lead to the development of new treatments for neurological disorders.
Conclusion: For humankind, which currently knows only 5% of the world's fungal species, Lanmaoa asiatica is just a small part of nature's vast biochemical treasure waiting to be discovered.
