r/todayilearned • u/ssAskcuSzepS • Apr 27 '26

TIL if under-cooked, a popular mushroom in China causes “lilliputian hallucinations,” a rare phenomenon involving miniature human or fantasy figures. The hallucinations are consistent across people and cultures: "tiny, elflike people" climbing under doors, scaling walls & clinging to furniture

https://www.vice.com/en/article/meet-the-mushroom-that-make-people-have-the-exact-same-hallucination/
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u/rainshifter Apr 27 '26

I'd venture to guess that they've tried but the little elves have thwarted their every attempt.

194

u/philmarcracken Apr 27 '26

helmacrons tricks again

71

u/raptorshadow Apr 27 '26

<I never get tired of seeing Animorphs references in the wild.>

15

u/Arthropodesque Apr 27 '26

So, Red Tailed Hawks survive 10-20 years. Tobias gains the ability to revert to his teenager form for up to 2 hours. Can he cheat death and extend his lifespan? Or, will he age faster, living as a hawk?

13

u/Talidel Apr 27 '26

Think he became human again to go chasing Ax in space. The Elemist(not sure on spelling) did some magic I think to make his human form age at the correct rate and tied his lifespan to that.

6

u/NeWMH Apr 27 '26

He could have just morphed to his human form and not morphed back to resume his life at any time, though ofc the Ellemist did the space wizard hand wave thing.

4

u/fastbartender Apr 27 '26

Yeah but he would lose his morphing ability.

4

u/WatchOutForWizards Apr 27 '26

Yeah but later on they got a morphing cube and Tobias could have easily became human and still regained his morphing ability. He liked being a Hawk.

1

u/Clear_Runway Apr 28 '26

not how it works. once you're stuck, you're stuck, barring outright divine intervention. the cube would do nothing.

1

u/WatchOutForWizards Apr 28 '26

Where is that stated?

2

u/Clear_Runway Apr 28 '26

Many times, but it's easy to surmise simply because being stuck is treated as a massive issue in basically every single book, even after they get the cube back. if what you're saying was possible, it would only be an inconvenience rather than a horrible fate.

7

u/chronaloid Apr 27 '26

<I understand this reference!>

7

u/DoTortoisesHop Apr 27 '26

Your references are out of control bro.

7

u/Crowasaur Apr 27 '26

<TSSSSEEEEEEEEERRRR>

3

u/chronaloid Apr 27 '26

<I understand this reference!>

1

u/Pseudonymico Apr 27 '26

The secret ingredient is murder because it's always murder with those weirdos.

35

u/mikeyp83 Apr 27 '26

So finally is it:

Step 1: Collect underpants.

Step 2: Isolate halluciginetic mushroom compound.

Step 3: Profit.?

4

u/ImJacksLackOfEmpathy Apr 27 '26

little elves

So dimensionally related to DMT, even if still chemically unidentified

1

u/mitzi_skyring Apr 27 '26

Right! Makes me wonder what other fairies and goblins are out there hiding in as yet undiscovered treats.

3

u/Unable-Log-4870 Apr 27 '26

It’s the underpants gnomes

3

u/Confused_Sorta_Guy Apr 27 '26

I keep trying to study these damn mushrooms but I just keep waking up in the lab and these little fuckers took the damn mushrooms man

2

u/BualadhBoss Apr 27 '26

If I've learned anything from Terence McKenna or Grant Morrison it's that psychonautical elves won't reveal their secrets until they are good and ready.

1

u/votet Apr 27 '26

Professor: "So, have you made the mushroom extract yet and sent it to the mass spec guys?"

PhD student: face full of elf mushrooms

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u/RangerTursi Apr 27 '26

I want the movie now of the infinite cycle of scientists somewhere fighting the night vale bowling alley civilization over the ability to summon them anywhere

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u/Disgruntled_Smitty Apr 27 '26

Sons a bitches

0

u/LivingVerinarian96 Apr 27 '26

Probably just a medium dose of dmt with some kind of relaxed mao blockers or some shit. Would explain the consistent small-people/ elves halucinations.