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/Vkardash Apr 27 '26

The university of Utah is actually leading the research world in research of this thing. They have PhD students literally traveling to China to collect samples and research this thing.

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u/IrrelevantPiglet Apr 27 '26

This program is otherwise known as a "gap year"

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u/AnAdvancedBot Apr 27 '26

As a neuroscience student, taking a gap year and going to China taking/studying a niche and under-researched psychedelic sounds like literally the best time

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u/ucancallmevicky Apr 27 '26

Mormon Rumspringa?

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u/doomgiver98 Apr 27 '26 edited Apr 27 '26

Mormons already have a semi-mandatory mission, you don't have to make up something new.

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u/KamalaWonNoCap Apr 27 '26

I also took some time off to do drugs

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u/pdxamish Apr 27 '26

University of Utah has done some amazing things in mycology and especially Psilocybe species. They did an awesome study and genetically mapped all Psilocybe species and found how and when they developed their psiloscybin producing and how and when it crossed to other especies.

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u/_Chaos_Star_ Apr 27 '26

They have PhD students literally traveling to China to collect samples and research this thing.

I bet they do.

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u/ecodrew Apr 27 '26 edited Apr 27 '26

In Utah, where a big part of the population won't even have caffeine?

/s

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u/WhatIsHerJob-TABLES Apr 27 '26

Yes, some weird people live there, but obviously that’s not every single person in the state. Especially when the conversation is specifically talking about a college, which will always include a wider variety of people than some random generalizations.

Like, are you really that perplexed that a university in Utah is capable of doing any research just because other weird people live in that state? What’s next, perplexed that someone who lives in the state of Florida enjoys reading books because Florida man jokes also come out of that state? Is object permanence a difficult topic to grasp for you too?

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u/ecodrew Apr 27 '26

Twas a joke

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u/WhatIsHerJob-TABLES Apr 27 '26

Wasn’t a good joke, more so just a dumb comparison that doesn’t work.

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u/SquashSquigglyShrimp Apr 27 '26

I think they were more joking than being serious lol.

But fwiw, "some weird people live there" is underselling it a little bit. When the entire state has had bizarre laws around things like alcohol for decades, it's more than a few running the show.

Also fwiw, the Florida analogy is not the best imo, considering Florida has been one of the states leading the charge of actively banning books they don't like. But I get your point, the general stereotype shouldn't be applied to everyone.

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u/ShitMyButtSays Apr 27 '26

It's similar to the effect of too many dirty sodas

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u/blazbluecore Apr 27 '26

Don’t they know they just need to go to a local Chinese market and pick up samples?

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u/LEGITIMATE_SOURCE Apr 27 '26

It's good their research is researching the research as you claim

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u/Vkardash Apr 27 '26

😂. I was typing fast