Ohio Man High On Mushrooms Rips Penis Off, Barely Dodging Death; Effects Of Hallucinogens On The Brain
Ohio police officials say a psychedelic mushroom trip was to blame for a 41-year-old Columbus man ripping his penis off last week.
On Monday, Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department representative Sgt. Geoff Fox said deputies responded to a burglar alarm at the Ypsilanti Middle School. Fox said the unidentified man was kneeling outside of the school, drenched in blood from the waist down with severed extremities on the ground, the Detroit Free Press reported.
"He really wasn't saying much at all - a lot of yelling and screaming. He wasn't making sense," Fox stated. "They couldn't really communicate with him in terms of constructive conversation." The man eventually informed authorities that he had ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms, or Psilocybin mushrooms, earlier that day.
Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly referred to as "shrooms," are a type of fungi known for its psychoactive effects on the central nervous system. Although the substance is not considered addictive, a bevy of health concerns can arise from ingesting a certain amount, including dizziness, mouth numbness, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, and a spike in blood pressure.
A study conducted back in September 2011 determined that one strong dose of psilocybin mushrooms can alter someone's personality. Researchers claim study participants who ingested a certain dosage of the substance seemed to have a more "open" personality characterized by an expansive imagination and curiosity. Perhaps this man's curiosity is what led to his unfortunate set of circumstances.
The man is currently being treated at University of Michigan Health System after being transferred from St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. Fox said the man's condition was near fatal when he was brought in, but that doctors are doing everything they can to keep him stable.
"In terms of vital signs, they were as low as they could go without being dead - I could only assume due to the blood loss and the shock and trauma to the body," Fox added.
"We've sent his blood off for further analysis to see if there was anything else, if the mushrooms could have been laced with something."