Man ‘sees’ cats playing chess after eating wild mushrooms in Yunnan Province

With the arrival of the rainy season, droves of locals and people from all over China are making their way to Southwest China's Yunnan Province for the annual "mushroom eating season." However, many daring food enthusiasts have their own cautionary tales of falling ill from bacterial poisoning after indulging in wild mushrooms.

On July 20, 2024, a peculiar incident occurred in Kunming, Yunnan, where a man experienced hallucinations after consuming wild mushrooms, according to local media outlets.

He claimed to see his two cats sitting with crossed legs playing chess, with their mouths moving as if they were talking. Shortly after leaving the house, the man began to vomit, but his condition improved shortly after, media reported.

Eating mushrooms has become a collective memory among the people of Yunnan and more adventurous eaters flocking to Yunnan. It has even been internalized as a special regional culture through diet.

Similar incidents are not uncommon during the mushroom season in Yunnan. Stories of mushroom poisoning include someone "seeing" the Chinese famous Huangguoshu Waterfall on a calendar come to life and feeling water droplets splashing on their face, another person "witnessing" subtitles in both Chinese and English appearing above a friend's head while they were talking, and yet another person inviting a friend over to see a live Transformers robot in their house, only to reveal a powerboard inside the box.

A Wuhan-based doctor, Wang Fangfang, who works in an emergency department explained that consuming poisonous mushrooms can lead to gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, not just hallucinations. Initial symptoms may include varying degrees of gastrointestinal inflammation such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, as well as dizziness and auditory hallucinations. Severe cases can result in acute liver damage, acute kidney failure, rhabdomyolysis, hemolysis, and even death.

Medical experts advise the public to avoid consuming wild or improperly sourced mushrooms, and not to be tempted by curiosity. It is important to purchase mushrooms through proper channels and cook them thoroughly, avoiding raw consumption. If poisoning is suspected, it is crucial to induce vomiting immediately and receive appropriate treatment and prognosis assessment from professionals.