Can food make you hallucinate? 7 foods with seriously weird side effects
To some people, the question of can food make you hallucinate might seem like it has an obvious answer. After all, mushrooms already have quite a notorious reputation in this regard.
However, beyond trippy fungi, it turns out that there are actually plenty of edibles that can have an unusual effect.
Can food make you hallucinate? Yes it can
For several reasons, there are certain foods that can be as psychedelic as they are satiating. The symptoms can range from mildly distorting to a full-blown acid trip.
Read More: Common foods that can have a seriously strange effect on your body
Needless to say, if you don’t know what might be coming, dinner can come as quite a shock. Here are a few foods that can actually make you hallucinate.
Can food make you hallucinate like this? Credit: Pixabay
1. Rye Bread
It might be more fashionable than your standard white sandwich loaf, but rye bread can pack a hidden punch.Very occasionally, a rye crop will become contaminated with a fungus known as ergot.
The ergot fungus, as described by Bon Appetit, is “known to thrive on rye and...contains chemicals similar to LSD." So powerful is the effect that it is believed by some to be the chief cause of the hysteria surrounding the Salem witch trials.
2. Mulberries
More associated with nursery rhyming than hard drug use, mulberries are another ingredient that’s full of surprises.
If eaten before they are ripe, mulberries can produce powerful, mind-altering hallucinations that, according to the author Tom Brown, can cause “shadows to become animated, and colours strange”, as well as induce vomiting and hysterical laughter.
3. Honey
It might be mostly used to take your toast to the next level, but not all honey is created equal. Grown in the mountains of Turkey, the appropriately named “mad honey” has been known to cause everything from mild lightheadedness to a fully-fledged trip.
In fact, so potent is the honey that it was once used in battle to befuddle and ultimately defeat an invading Roman army.
4. Nutmeg
Best known for bringing a touch of sophistication to your mac and cheese, nutmeg is an ingredient that can do a whole lot more than spice up your cooking.
Thanks to a chemical known as mysticin, large quantities of nutmeg are capable of causing an LSD-like trip that can last up to two days.
Nutmegs can make you hallucinate - Credit: Pixabay/scym
5. Chillies
The famous Simpsons scene where Homer completely loses his mind after attempting to tackle Chief Wiggum’s ferocious chili con carne might be a joke, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a grain of truth to it.
Some diners have reported experiencing euphoria and disorientation after eating a particularly hot curry. In fact, in some cases, hot pepper challenges can actually lead to full-blown trips.
Credit: Pixabay
6. Stilton
Whether or not eating cheese before bed has any effect whatsoever is a subject of some debate.
There have been many compelling reports of stilton-induced nightmares and lucid dreams, making it a prime candidate for this list. Although scientists dispute the claims, the circumstantial evidence is as strong as the cheese.
Credit: Pixabay
7. Fish
It might be known for producing some of the tastiest seafood on earth, but the Mediterranean is also home to a highly unusual edible resident.
Sarpa salpa, which is known in Arabic as the “fish that makes dreams”, might look fairly nondescript, but its flesh packs a serious psychedelic punch. This is thanks to the toxic and hallucinogenic algae that grows on its skin.
Ordinarily, drugs and dinner are unlikely to be the tastiest combination. But, as with anything, there are always going to be exceptions to the rule.
As this list proves, hallucination doesn’t have to mean going hungry.