hebel. today · 15 November 202640 / 79

Beyond Familiar · Odd Science

A mushroom that makes the brain hallucinate tiny people

Colin Domnauer and Bryn Dentinger at the University of Utah identified the mushroom Lanmaoa asiatica as the source of "Lilliputian hallucinations," where people see dozens of tiny, bright figures walking around furniture. DNA testing…

Colin Domnauer and Bryn Dentinger at the University of Utah identified the mushroom Lanmaoa asiatica as the source of "Lilliputian hallucinations," where people see dozens of tiny, bright figures walking around furniture (Better Brain). DNA testing confirmed the species, yet the mushroom contains neither psilocybin nor any other known psychedelic compound. These visions, reported in Papua New Guinea, China, and the Philippines, involve figures between 1 and 12 inches tall that appear to obey physical laws. Identifying the specific, unnamed compound responsible for these consistent visual constructions may reveal how the human brain builds reality.

  • Researchers from North Carolina State University identified 62 individual coyotes on seven barrier islands using DNA from droppings, showing that population removal efforts often fail (Daybreak Notes & Beans ☕️).
  • Satellite observations from 2002 to 2022 show that water near the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has brightened in blue and green wavelengths (Kyle Westaway from Weekend Briefing).
  • A Mount Sinai team led by Joel Blanchard found that blocking the TGF-beta signal in lab-grown human brain tissue reduces amyloid around blood vessels (Better Brain).

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Sources

  1. Better Brain on hebel. →This report identifies the mushroom species Lanmaoa asiatica and its link to specific, consistent visual hallucinations.

  2. Daybreak Notes & Beans ☕️ on hebel. →This study analyzes DNA from coyote droppings to track population resilience on North Carolina barrier islands.

  3. Kyle Westaway, Weekend Briefing on hebel. → ✎ Written by a personThis analysis of satellite data identifies a shift in ocean color wavelengths near the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

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