In 1934, scientists heard reports of mushrooms causing visions of tiny people; in 2026, DNA linked the phenomenon to one species in China and the Philippines
Lanmaoa asiatica is a popular edible mushroom species sold in Yunnan that induces Lilliputian hallucinations when undercooked. In 1934, Western scientists first heard reports from Papua New Guinea of wild mushrooms causing visions of tiny people, a phenomenon called “mushroom madness.” Nearly a century later, DNA sequencing has confirmed that a single, identical mushroom species…
