Researchers investigate unique psychedelic effects and mushroom-induced hallucinations

New scientific studies are exploring the diverse ways psychedelic substances affect human perception. Researchers from Maastricht University in the Netherlands conducted a study involving healthy volunteers to examine how psilocybin and LSD affect men and women differently. The preprint study suggests that women may experience certain effects of these substances more intensely than men, though the specific reasons for these selective differences remain unknown.

Separately, researchers at the University of Utah have identified a biological cause for a long-standing phenomenon known as Lilliputian hallucinations, where individuals see tiny human figures. Using DNA sequencing, the team identified the mushroom Lanmaoa asiatica as the source of these visions in Southwest China and the northern Philippines. Interestingly, the mushroom does not contain known psychoactive compounds like psilocybin, suggesting it may contain an entirely new hallucinogenic substance.