There's a common kitchen spice sitting in your cabinet right now that can trigger intense psychedelic hallucinations lasting up to 24 hours. Most people sprinkle it on holiday drinks without realizing they're handling a powerful hallucinogenic drug.
Nutmeg isn't just a harmless baking ingredient - it contains compounds similar to MDMA that can cause vivid visual and auditory hallucinations. Just two or three whole nutmegs can send someone on a terrifying psychedelic trip that emergency room doctors call "nutmeg poisoning."
The active compounds are myristicin and elemicin, which your body converts into chemicalsthataffect the same brain receptorsas street drugs. The effects can include seeing things that aren't there, hearing voices, completedisconnection from reality, and severe paranoia.
What makes nutmeg particularly dangerous is how long the effects last. While most hallucinogens wear off in hours, nutmeg trips can persist for 12-24 hourswithno way to stop them once they start. Victims often end up in psychiatric emergency departments becausethe hallucinations are so intense.
The spice has been used recreationally for centuries by people looking for a legal high, but most don't realize how unpredictable and dangerous it can be. Unlike controlled substances, nutmeg is completely unregulated despite having similar effects.
Hospitals occasionally see casesofaccidental nutmeg overdoses from people who consumed large amounts while cooking or took it as a home remedy. Some folk medicine traditionsrecommendlarge doses of nutmeg for various ailments, not knowing about the psychoactive effects.
The hallucinations aren't pleasant. Users report terrifying experiences including feeling like insects are crawling under their skin, seeing shadowy figures, and losing complete sense of time and place. Unlike recreational drugs, nutmeg trips are usually described as nightmarish.
Children are particularly vulnerable because their smaller body weight means even smaller amounts can trigger dangerous reactions. That innocent spice jar in your kitchen contains one of the most unpredictable and legally available hallucinogens in the world.