What Caused Patients to See Tiny People?
Nature's Master Chemists
Some flowers contain small amounts of caffeine in their nectar.
Studies suggest the compound may help bees remember a flower's scent, making them more likely to return in the future. For the flower, that can mean more pollination.
Other plant and fungal chemicals found their way into coffee, medicines, and, in several unusual cases, hallucinations so strange that numerous patients reported remarkably specific, similar experiences.
Chili peppers take a different approach.
Many mammals experience the burning sensation of capsaicin. Birds are far less sensitive, allowing them to eat the peppers and carry the seeds elsewhere.
Peppers are surprisingly selective about who gets to eat them.
Then there is a wild mushroom found in southwest China.
Doctors have documented numerous cases involving patients who reported seeing miniature people walking across tables, climbing furniture, and moving through rooms after eating the mushroom.
Scientists identified the species as Lanmaoa asiatica, but the mystery remains.
Researchers still do not know exactly which compound causes the unusual hallucinations or why so many patients reported seeing remarkably similar tiny people.
The mushroom has been identified. The tiny people have not.
Curiosity is its own kind of current. Keep following it at VeryCoolFacts.com.
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