Yunnan Man Saved After Mushroom Hallucination Almost Causes 27-Story Fall

A Yunnan man ate mushrooms with alcohol, hallucinated, climbed from his 27th floor, and was saved by a neighbor. He later fell into a coma but recovered.

Tags:

• Yunnan
• Wild Mushroom Poisoning
• Jianshouqing Mushrooms
• Hallucination
• Alcohol Interaction

A man in southwestern China narrowly avoided a fatal fall after eating wild psychoactive mushrooms with alcohol and hallucinating that he was seeking immortality.

The man, identified by his surname Xue, lives in Yunnan province, a region famous for its wild mushrooms. After eating self-cooked jianshouqing mushrooms at home, he began experiencing severe hallucinations. He later said he believed his family was calling him to “cross the tribulation and become immortal,” a phrase often associated with Chinese fantasy novels.

While disoriented, Xue climbed out of the window of his 27th-floor apartment and attempted to descend using a water pipe. He injured his stomach during the climb, but was fortunately heard by a friend living on the 26th floor, who quickly pulled him back inside and saved him from a possible deadly plunge.

Xue was first taken to a nearby hospital, but his condition worsened and he fell into a coma. His friends then transferred him to the Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, where doctors carried out emergency gastrointestinal cleansing. He took several days to regain his strength.

Doctors believe the poisoning was likely caused by undercooked mushrooms, especially because Xue had eaten leftovers from the previous day without reheating them properly. He had also consumed alcohol, which can trigger dangerous toxic reactions when mixed with certain wild mushrooms.

Jianshouqing mushrooms, whose name refers to the blue colour they develop when bruised or cut, are a type of wild bolete mushroom known for causing hallucinations if not cooked thoroughly. 

They are popular in Yunnan, especially during the June-to-August wild mushroom season, but can be dangerous without proper preparation.

After the frightening incident, Xue said he had decided to quit alcohol, wild mushrooms and smoking, even though they had once been his three favourite things.

Source: https://www.scmp.com