The salema porgy, a fish found in the Mediterranean area, has surprised people with its ability to make you see things that aren't there for many days.
This has sparked interest in understanding more about this fish and what happens when you eat it.
The hallucinogenic fish can make you trip for days
The salema porgy is a type of marine fish belonging to the sea bream family, and occasionally, it can produce terrifying hallucinogenic effects.
This fish is commonly found in the Mediterranean region and along the coast of East Africa.
It is often served in restaurants along the Côte d'Azur in France.
While most consumers do not experience any adverse effects, unfortunate individuals may have intense hallucinatory experiences that can last for up to three days.
The phenomenon of hallucinations caused by consuming the fish is known as "ichthyoallyeinotoxism," a rather unique term.
Why do people have hallucinatory experiences when eating this fish?
Interestingly, scientists have discovered the cause behind this phenomenon.
The salema porgy contains a hallucinogenic compound called dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which can affect the nervous system and induce symptoms similar to other hallucinogenic substances like drugs or mushrooms.
However, not everyone experiences these hallucinatory effects after consuming the salemone.
Several factors can influence the intensity of DMT's effects in the fish, including preparation methods, the amount of DMT present in the fish, and individual susceptibility.
This explains why some individuals do not experience any adverse effects after consuming this fish.
In reality, only a handful of reported cases exist.
One documented incident involved a family in Marseille who consumed the fish without removing its internal organs, resulting in visions of aggressive animals that lasted for approximately ten hours.
Another case occurred in 1994 when a tourist in the French Riviera ate the fish at a restaurant and subsequently experienced symptoms such as blurred vision, nausea, and muscle weakness.
This individual even reported hallucinations of giant insects and spiders attacking their vehicle when attempting to drive to the hospital.
Fortunately, the symptoms subsided after 36 hours, and the person made a full recovery with no recollection of their experience.
The most recent case involved a 90-year-old man in St Tropez in 2002.
He cooked and consumed the salema porgy at home and soon found himself tormented by visions of screeching winged animals for three consecutive days.
