‘Tis the season for visions of sugarplums dancing in your head.
But if you started seeing visions of teeny-tiny people dancing around, you probably wouldn’t think of the classic Christmas carol and would call 911 instead.
While this sounds straight out of a fairy tale, it’s a normal reaction from eating a type of fungi that’s a little different than your typical “magic mushroom.”
Growing in southwest China and the Cordillera region of the Philippines, the Lanmaoa asiatica mushroom causes very specific visions for those who eat it.
Namely, it causes illusions of little people moving about, called lilliputian hallucinations — a rare, clinically defined psychiatric symptom named after the tiny people in “Gulliver’s Travels.”
This shroom is more closely related to porcinis than other hallucinogenic fungi.
Despite the weird and wild visual side effects, many people still eat it for its unique flavor — something former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen experienced firsthand.
But it turns out improper cooking can lead to poisoning, with several cases reporting behavioral and psychological changes, with visions of “little people” or “elves,” often dancing, jumping or marching around.
And with so many edible plants growing throughout the country, mushroom poisoning cases have become an issue in China.
Besides the visions of tiny dancers, the most surprising thing is that there are no known psychoactive compounds present, according to chemical analysis performed at the Natural History Museum of Utah.
The Chinese name, “jian shou qing”, translated literally as “see hand blue,” comes from one of its defining characteristics — the inner surface of the mushroom bruises and turns blue when cut.
While not the case for this particular ‘shroom, the health benefits of other types of magic mushrooms are endless, from improving Parkinson’s symptoms to providing long-term relief from chronic pain.
Psilocybin, the naturally occurring psychedelic compound produced by magic mushrooms, could be the key to living longer.
This same ingredient could alleviate depression for up to five years after just one dose.
