Strange Edible Mushroom in China Triggers Repeatable Hallucinations of Tiny People

A relatively common edible fungus in parts of China, Lanmaoa asiatica, has been linked to a striking and repeatable visual phenomenon: many people report seeing countless tiny, elf‑like figures crawling on surfaces and climbing walls after eating it. Reports and ongoing investigations — including work by University of Utah researcher Colin Domnauer and coverage by the BBC — suggest the effect is culturally known in Yunnan province and is more consistent than typical psychedelic experiences.

What The Reports Say

Lanmaoa asiatica is prized in some Chinese cuisine for its umami flavor, but diners and medical professionals in Yunnan say the mushroom can cause vivid hallucinations. At some restaurants that serve it, servers reportedly warn customers to wait a set time before eating to reduce the risk. Local hospitals treat hundreds of cases a year in which patients describe seeing ‘pint‑sized, elf‑like figures’ on every surface.

Clinical Timeline And Symptoms

According to available reports, symptoms typically begin 12–24 hours after ingestion and can last up to three days. Episodes can be severe enough to require hospitalization. The hallucinations have been described in consistent terms across many patients, a pattern that sets these cases apart from the highly variable experiences usually associated with psilocybin and other classic psychedelics.

“When I lifted the tablecloth higher, the heads came off and stuck to the bottom of the cloth and the bodies kept marching in place… they were [one inch] high,” a Yunnan professor recalled in an account collated by Domnauer.

What Scientists Have Found So Far

Lanmaoa asiatica was formally named in 2015, but its unusual psychoactive profile remains poorly understood. Chemical analyses to date indicate that these mushrooms do not contain psilocybin, the compound responsible for classic magic‑mushroom trips. In laboratory tests, extracts produced stupor-like states in mice, but the precise molecules driving the distinctive ‘tiny people’ hallucinations have not yet been identified.

Historical And Cross‑Cultural Context

Descriptions of miniature people appearing during altered states are present in academic literature and ethnographic accounts — often labeled “liliputian hallucinations” or described as ‘elusive little people.’ Reports from Papua New Guinea and other regions show similar motifs, motivating researchers to ask whether a specific compound or set of compounds produces this remarkably consistent visual symptom across cultures.

Why Researchers Are Interested

Unlike typical psychedelic experiences, which vary substantially with dose, mindset, and environment, the Lanmaoa asiatica‑linked visions are unusually consistent across individuals. That repeatability makes the fungus an intriguing subject for neuropharmacology: identifying the active compound could reveal new mechanisms of perception and visual processing.

Safety note: Given the delayed onset, long duration, and frequency of hospitalizations, medical experts recommend caution. Researchers, including Domnauer, have avoided ingesting the mushroom themselves while investigations continue.

Lanmaoa asiatica serves as a reminder that even familiar, market‑sold mushrooms can harbor unexpected biological effects — a nexus where folklore, culinary tradition, and modern laboratory science meet.