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  • fairytale-like visions: lilliputian hallucinations

    From JAB@here@is.invalid to misc.news.internet.discuss,sci.misc on Fri Jan 23 09:49:28 2026
    From Newsgroup: sci.misc

    'They saw them on their dishes when eating': The mushroom making
    people hallucinate dozens of tiny humans

    Only recently described by science, the mysterious mushrooms are found
    in different parts of the world, but they give people the same exact
    visions.

    Every year, doctors at a hospital in the Yunnan Province of China
    brace themselves for an influx of people with an unusual complaint.
    The patients come with a strikingly odd symptom: visions of
    pint-sized, elf-like figures - marching under doors, crawling up walls
    and clinging to furniture.
    ...
    ...
    But it's not psilocybin that's giving the L. asiatica mushrooms their lilliputian effect, says Domnauer.

    https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260121-the-mysterious-mushroom-that-makes-you-see-tiny-people

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  • From Retrograde@fungus@amongus.com.invalid to misc.news.internet.discuss,sci.misc on Sat Jan 24 10:47:14 2026
    From Newsgroup: sci.misc

    On Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:49:28 -0600
    JAB <here@is.invalid> wrote:

    'They saw them on their dishes when eating': The mushroom making
    people hallucinate dozens of tiny humans

    Interesting. I know an older person with dementia who frequently sees
    little elves/dwarves running around. It's apparently a not-uncommon consequence of dementia. Wonder if this is related in brain chemistry
    somehow. Then, I wonder what evolutionary process led to something
    like this existing.
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  • From JAB@here@is.invalid to misc.news.internet.discuss,sci.misc on Sat Jan 24 12:04:25 2026
    From Newsgroup: sci.misc

    On Sat, 24 Jan 2026 10:47:14 -0700, Retrograde
    <fungus@amongus.com.invalid> wrote:

    older person with dementia who frequently sees
    little elves/dwarves running around

    Lewy body dementia - is a progressive, incurable neurodegenerative
    disease caused by abnormal protein deposits (alpha-synuclein) that
    disrupt brain function. It is the second most common neurodegenerative dementia, characterized by fluctuating cognitive impairment, visual hallucinations, Parkinson's-like movement issues, and severe sleep
    disorders. Symptoms often start after age 50 and worsen over time. =======================

    Off hand, I would say L. asiatica mushrooms act in a similar manner by disrupting the brain's function(s).

    I'm not aware of psilocybin disrupting the brain's function(s), but I
    have not researched this topic.

    For years, US law has restricted medical research on mind alterning
    chemicals.

    In any event, medical research could evaluate what L. asiatica
    mushrooms do, and maybe find a relationship to Lewy body dementia
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  • From Eli the Bearded@*@eli.users.panix.com to misc.news.internet.discuss,sci.misc on Wed Jan 28 23:54:10 2026
    From Newsgroup: sci.misc

    In misc.news.internet.discuss, Retrograde <fungus@amongus.com.invalid> wrote:
    On Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:49:28 -0600 JAB <here@is.invalid> wrote:
    'They saw them on their dishes when eating': The mushroom making
    people hallucinate dozens of tiny humans

    Interesting. I know an older person with dementia who frequently sees
    little elves/dwarves running around. It's apparently a not-uncommon consequence of dementia. Wonder if this is related in brain chemistry somehow. Then, I wonder what evolutionary process led to something
    like this existing.

    It happens in people who have gone blind or nearly blind, too. Oliver
    Sacks covered it in detail in his book "Hallucinations":

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucinations_(book)

    I wonder what's going on with the mushrooms.

    Elijah
    ------
    the brain is a mysterious thing
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  • From JAB@here@is.invalid to misc.news.internet.discuss,sci.misc on Wed Jan 28 19:39:37 2026
    From Newsgroup: sci.misc

    On Wed, 28 Jan 2026 23:54:10 -0000 (UTC), Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> wrote:

    It happens in people who have gone blind or nearly blind, too.

    Seeing people would have sight memories....even with dreams we can/may
    see human forms.

    I wonder what's going on with the mushrooms.

    I'm not familiar with brain cells, but logic might suggest
    increased/decreased cellular activities in different locations,
    and/or, various "transmission" pathways affected with L. asiatica
    mushrooms. Something to do with visual brain areas, I would suspect

    Experiences with THC/LSD chemicals vary, and depend upon various
    factors (set/setting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_and_setting)

    I suppose MRI/PET/CAT scans could see what's happening.

    "Brains on Trial with Alan Alda"

    As brain scanning techniques advance, their influence in criminal
    cases is becoming critically important. An innovative two-part series,
    BRAINS ON TRIAL WITH ALAN ALDA, explores how the growing ability to
    separate truth from lies, even decode people's thoughts and memories,
    may radically affect how criminal trials are conducted in the future.

    https://www.youtube.com/@pbsbrainsontrial/videos
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  • From JAB@here@is.invalid to misc.news.internet.discuss,sci.misc on Wed Jan 28 19:53:09 2026
    From Newsgroup: sci.misc

    On Wed, 28 Jan 2026 23:54:10 -0000 (UTC), Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> wrote:

    the brain is a mysterious thing

    https://www.kpbs.org/news/arts-culture/2013/09/09/brains-trial-alan-alda


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  • From JAB@here@is.invalid to misc.news.internet.discuss,sci.misc on Thu Jan 29 04:29:40 2026
    From Newsgroup: sci.misc

    On Wed, 28 Jan 2026 23:54:10 -0000 (UTC), Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> wrote:

    I wonder what's going on with the mushrooms.

    It would be interesting to know if "Set and setting" plays a role

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_and_setting

    Animals on Psychedelics: Survival of the Trippiest
    Do animals do drugs? Every chance they get.

    https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-playing-field/201012/animals-on-psychedelics-survival-of-the-trippiest

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  • From Retrograde@fungus@amongus.com.invalid to misc.news.internet.discuss,sci.misc on Thu Jan 29 21:36:42 2026
    From Newsgroup: sci.misc

    On Wed, 28 Jan 2026 23:54:10 -0000 (UTC)
    Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> wrote:

    I wonder what's going on with the mushrooms.

    Elijah
    ------
    the brain is a mysterious thing


    Theory: the brain *is* a mushroom. Well, that would be an interesting
    turn of events now, wouldn't it!

    Clearly I'm suffering from something as well - I see stupid people.
    Everywhere. They don't even know they're stupid.
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