Scientists Investigate Mushroom That Causes Visions of Tiny People Across Three Continents
- Gauri Khanna
- Dec 15, 2025
- 4 min read
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A mushroom sold in Asian markets causes remarkably consistent hallucinations of miniature people in 96% of affected individuals, a phenomenon documented independently across China, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines
DNA sequencing confirmed that the same species, Lanmaoa asiatica, produces these effects in geographically distant regions, ruling out cultural fabrication and suggesting a shared chemical mechanism
Chemical analysis has found no known psychoactive compounds in the fungus, indicating researchers may be on the verge of discovering an entirely new class of hallucinogenic molecules
In the summer of 1934, outsiders reaching Papua New Guinea's Western Highlands documented a perplexing phenomenon: local people consuming a wild mushroom called nonda would undergo sudden behavioural changes, appearing temporarily deranged. Subsequent accounts revealed something more specific: those affected reported seeing tiny people dressed in elaborate clothing, moving autonomously through their environment. The phenomenon earned the clinical designation lilliputian hallucinations, named after the diminutive inhabitants of Jonathan Swift's fictional island.
For decades, this remained an anthropological curiosity. Scientists attempted to identify the mushroom species and isolate its active compounds, but both questions defied resolution. The mystery deepened when, thousands of kilometres away in Yunnan, China, similar reports began surfacing with increasing frequency. People consuming a popular edible mushroom sold openly in markets (known locally as jian shou qing, meaning "turns blue in the hand") described identical experiences.
Consistent Hallucinations Across Cultures
Hospital records in Yunnan document that 96% of patients affected by this mushroom report seeing an abundance of miniature people or elves, often dancing, marching, or interacting with real-world objects. One professor recounted examining beneath his tablecloth during dinner to find hundreds of tiny figures marching in formation. When he lifted the cloth higher, he observed their heads detaching and adhering to the fabric whilst their bodies continued marching in place. He measured them at 2 centimetres in height.
The consistency proves noteworthy. Unlike the highly variable experiences reported with classical psychedelics such as psilocybin: where individual psychology and environmental context shape perceptions considerably, this mushroom produces remarkably uniform visions across different individuals and cultural contexts.
The species remained taxonomically unidentified until 2014, when mycologists purchased specimens from a Yunnan street market where they had been sold for decades and performed DNA sequencing. The analysis revealed a species new to science, formally designated Lanmaoa asiatica. Intriguingly, genetic analysis places it closer to common porcini mushrooms than to any known hallucinogenic species: suggesting its psychoactive properties evolved through an entirely different biochemical pathway than classical psychedelic fungi.
A Global Pattern Emerges
Colin Domnauer, a doctoral researcher at the Natural History Museum of Utah, encountered reports of identical phenomena from a third location: indigenous communities in the Philippines' Northern Cordillera. There, a wild mushroom called sedesdem occasionally produced visions of ansisit: their term for little people. Local knowledge characterised it as a valued edible mushroom that, when undercooked, generated the unusual psychological effects.
Domnauer travelled to these communities in 2024 to collect specimens. DNA sequencing revealed the Philippine mushroom was Lanmaoa asiatica: the identical species found in Yunnan, separated by over 2,000 kilometres of ocean and mountain ranges. This discovery effectively ruled out cultural transmission or coincidental folklore. Three geographically isolated populations, with no historical contact, independently documented the same unusual hallucinations from consuming the same fungal species.
The pattern extends deeper into history than modern accounts suggest. A 3rd-century Daoist text references a "flesh spirit mushroom" that, when consumed raw, allows one to see a little person and attain immediate transcendence. Whether this refers to L. asiatica remains speculative, but the description aligns remarkably with contemporary reports.
The Search for Novel Compounds
Chemical analysis conducted at the Natural History Museum of Utah has detected no traces of known psychoactive compounds in L. asiatica. The mushroom contains neither psilocybin nor its related tryptamines, nor muscimol or ibotenic acid found in Amanita species, nor any other documented hallucinogenic molecules. This absence suggests researchers may be approaching discovery of an entirely new class of psychoactive compounds.
Laboratory experiments with mice administered chemical extracts from the mushroom demonstrate measurable behavioural changes compared to controls. By systematically fractionating these extracts, separating them into component parts, and testing each fraction, researchers are progressively isolating the bioactive molecules responsible. The work proceeds methodically, as identifying novel natural compounds typically requires extensive analytical chemistry.
Domnauer's research has expanded to encompass all known Lanmaoa species globally, discovering four species previously unknown to science in the process. Full-genome sequencing has mapped the genus's evolutionary relationships for the first time, revealing that L. asiatica's closest relative grows commonly in North America. Whilst no reports document psychoactive effects from the American species, the possibility exists that such properties have simply escaped notice.
Implications for Neuroscience
The phenomenon raises fundamental questions about perception and consciousness. Lilliputian hallucinations represent a rare psychiatric syndrome, distinct from the visual distortions characteristic of classical psychedelics. Understanding how a fungal compound reliably produces such specific perceptions: miniature autonomous figures rather than geometric patterns or emotional shifts, could illuminate previously unknown aspects of human visual processing and perception.
The discovery also highlights how traditional knowledge systems preserve observations that formal science takes decades to validate. Communities in Papua New Guinea, Yunnan, and the Philippines maintained detailed understanding of this mushroom's effects for generations before taxonomists identified the species or chemists began searching for its active compounds.
As research continues, Lanmaoa asiatica exemplifies how fungi continue yielding compounds and mechanisms that challenge existing pharmacological frameworks. Whether the responsible molecule finds therapeutic applications remains speculative, but its very existence (producing such unusual and consistent psychological effects through unknown mechanisms) suggests the chemical diversity of fungi retains surprises even for species sold openly in markets and consumed regularly as food.