This Mushroom Makes People See Tiny Gnome-Like Figures — and Scientists Don't Know Why
A wild mushroom sold in markets across southwestern China is producing a hallucination unlike anything else on record — and scientists still have no idea what's causing it.
A new study published in the journal Mycologia sheds light on Lanmaoa asiatica, a bolete mushroom known locally in Yunnan, China, as jian shou qing. When eaten raw or undercooked, the mushroom reliably triggers vivid visions of tiny people — a rare, clinically recognized condition known as Lilliputian hallucination, named after the diminutive characters in Jonathan Swift's 1726 novel Gulliver's Travels.
A Hallucination Unlike Any Other
Typical magic mushrooms contain psilocybin or psilocin, compounds that take roughly 30 minutes to take effect and produce well-documented psychedelic experiences — heightened color perception, pulsing objects, shifting geometric patterns, along with physical effects like dilated pupils and elevated heart rate.
Lanmaoa asiatica does none of that. According to University of Utah researcher Colin Domnauer, those affected typically remain clear-headed and largely unaffected otherwise, with one striking exception: the appearance of hundreds to thousands of small, brightly dressed figures resembling elves, gnomes or clowns. Domnauer told Live Science that the visions tend to surface 12 to 24 hours after ingestion and can persist for several days.
The tiny figures aren't passive. "The little people are said to typically like teasing, playing with or harassing the person seeing them," Domnauer said. Reported behavior includes the figures crawling under doors, diving into soup bowls and making mischievous gestures.
Researchers Found No Match to Known Hallucinogens
To investigate what's behind the effect, Domnauer and fellow University of Utah mycologist Bryn Dentinger sequenced the genomes of 53 mushroom samples spanning the broader Lanmaoa genus. The team specifically examined the biosynthetic pathways responsible for producing psilocybin and ibotenic acid, two of the best-understood hallucinogenic compounds found in other mushroom species.
They came up empty. "Biosynthetic gene mining of the L. asiatica genome found no close hits with any genes known in the production of mushroom psychoactive compounds," the researchers wrote in the study.
Domnauer said the absence of a known genetic match suggests an entirely undiscovered compound may be responsible. "There weren't even any known psychoactive compounds, so it seemed like this must be some new hallucinogenic compound waiting to be discovered, because there's nothing that matches anything in our database," he said.
A Mushroom Hiding in Plain Sight
Lanmaoa asiatica is a type of bolete mushroom native to pine forests in southwestern China and the northern Philippines, where it has long been wild-harvested and sold in local markets for culinary use. Despite decades of anecdotal reports linking it to hallucinations, the species wasn't formally described by science until 2015.
Yunnan hospitals reportedly treat dozens of cases tied to the mushroom each year, mostly during summer mushroom season, with roughly 90% of affected patients reporting the tiny-people visions. Other documented effects include dizziness, auditory hallucinations and physical illness.
Despite the risks, the mushroom remains popular in the region. "Everyone knows that this mushroom has this property and can make you see little people, but they'll continue to eat it anyway, because they're just not afraid of that effect," Domnauer said.
What Comes Next
The genome sequencing work has already turned up two previously unidentified species within the Lanmaoa genus, including one named Lanmaoa carbonilivor. Researchers say the genomic data could support future drug discovery efforts and deepen understanding of how the brain processes such a specific and unusual hallucination.
Early testing in mice has narrowed down a handful of candidate compounds, though researchers say they remain a ways from confirming which one is responsible — or whether it would produce the same effect in humans.
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