According to statistics, every Yunnanese has a friend who has been poisoned by mushrooms. But even though there are incidents of fungus poisoning every year, it still can't stop Yunnan people's enthusiasm for eating "poisonous mushrooms" because the poisoning experience is so magical and unique.

For example, some are dancing and laughing wildly, and some are like traveling to Lilliput and seeing various little people dancing. Some saw colorful jellyfish all over the sky, like fireworks, and then fainted. In addition, some people from Yunnan saw their parents sitting on the sofa and rowing a boat.

But please don’t worry too much. Poisoning is usually caused by improper consumption. For example: uncooked, served cold, or microwaved after being cold.

In any case, the joy that Yunnan people enjoy eating "poisonous mushrooms" is really magical. So how did these "poisonous mushrooms" evolve into hallucinogenic substances that are not very lethal and can even produce fun? Woolen cloth? Shouldn’t routine operations in nature directly produce highly toxic substances?

Before revealing the answer, let’s first take a look at what hallucinogenic mushrooms are divided into. Hallucinogenic mushrooms can be roughly divided into different families based on their active ingredients. One major category is Amanita, the main components of which are muscimol and ibotenic acid. The most famous of these is Amanita muscaria, which is classic Mario’s favorite mushroom. It kind of ruins childhood to say it. The reason why Mario grew bigger and stronger was just an hallucination caused by poisoning.

There is a banker and mycology enthusiast in the United States who has experienced the feeling of eating Amanita muscaria: in this half-asleep state, color hallucinations appear. After waking up, the mood is aroused and the state of excitement can last for 3 to 4 hours. At this time, I feel that my strength has increased and I can lift heavy objects easily.

Another type of hallucinogenic mushroom family is even larger, and its main active ingredient is psilocybin. Psilocybin, also known as psilocybin, psilocybin, and psilocybin, is a neurotoxin with neuropsychedelic effects.

They include four genera: Gymnocystis, Pleurophyllum, Trichocystis and Gymnocystis. The secret behind the hallucinations of Yunnan mushrooms is mostly that they contain this substance. For example, there is the smiling fungus Orange Naked Umbrella with a "smiling half-step", and the Jianshouqing "seeing a villain" and so on. These are also the fungi that Yunnan people love most.

Psilocybin is similar to the most famous hallucinogen, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). When psilocybin enters the human body, it is quickly metabolized and converted into dephosphorylated psilocybin. This type of structure activates 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors, a neurotransmitter related to pleasure, thereby affecting many biological processes and neural activities in the human body. Other studies believe that it can affect the prefrontal cortex of the human brain, thereby interfering with body metabolism and achieving hallucinogenic effects.

Compared with LSD, which also acts on 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors, its action time is relatively short and its effect is smaller. Therefore, the symptoms or hallucinations caused after taking them generally vary. Research shows that 100 mg of psilocybin is as effective as 1 mg of LSD.