Decades before psilocybin captured global attention, anthropologists in Papua New Guinea reported a bizarre phenomenon known as “mushroom madness.” Locals consuming a specific wild bolete mushroom experienced distinct “Lilliputian hallucinations”—realistic, three-dimensional visions of tiny people, elves, and creatures interacting with the physical environment. In this course, PhD researcher Colin Domnauer takes you on a global scientific journey from the remote forests of Papua New Guinea to the bustling mushroom markets of Yunnan, China, and the northern Philippines to unravel one of mycology’s most enduring mysteries.

Unlike the well-known gilled psychoactive mushrooms (Psilocybe and Amanita), boletes diverged evolutionarily over 150 million years ago, pointing to an entirely unique, yet-to-be-discovered psychoactive chemistry. Students will dive into the taxonomic challenges of identifying morphologically convergent “cryptic” species, exploring how modern DNA sequencing finally pinpointed the primary culprit behind these multi-day hallucinatory trips: Lanmaoa asiatica. The course explores the historical timeline of this phenomenon, including the 1960s expeditions of mycologists Gordon Wasson and Roger Heim, the failed chemical isolations by legendary psychedelic chemist Albert Hofmann, and intriguing references to “flesh-spirit mushrooms” in ancient Daoist texts.

Finally, the course examines the cutting-edge pharmacology and clinical data surrounding these heat-sensitive mushrooms today. Through recent clinical hospital data in China and behavioral studies involving mouse models and chemical fractionation, you will see how modern science is closing in on an elusive, novel bioactive compound. Join us to explore the taxonomy, ethnomycology, and neurobiology of these obscure fungi, and uncover the profound questions they raise about the uncharted chemistry of the natural world and the mysteries of human perception.