This March 2019 article from The Mirror claims ‘Black mould in your home can cause terrifying hallucinations of demons and ghosts’. The idea that naturally occurring conditions in haunted places could actually be the cause of said hauntings is always good to consider and explore, but in this case there’s just no evidence that this is true.
The article looks to be a PR stunt by a London-based domestic services company. They also seem to be behind the following scary headlines:
- Washing your hands using public soap dispensers could land you with a deadly flesh-eating bacteria
- Your post-Christmas oven could give you life-threatening food poisoning
- Your Toothbrush is Probably Covered in Poo
However, this isn’t the first time the claim that mold causes hauntings has been in the newspapers, so let’s examine some of the claims being made.
The idea behind it is quite simple. Mold is in your home and it could be making you have spooky experiences. However, for this to be the case, the molds that are common in households would need to be the type to cause hallucinations, and that doesn’t seem to be the case. The Mirror journalist responsible for this article, Jane Lavender (2019) writes ‘One of the worst-offending types [of mold] – Stachybotrys chartarum – is present in many homes in the UK, and the mycotoxins it produces can cause respiratory problems, inflammation of the skin, tiredness and nausea’.
What’s missing from that list of symptoms? That’s right… hallucinatory experiences!
Rye Ergot Fungus
The article goes on to state that ‘some types of fungus – particularly the rye ergot fungus – have a psychedelic effect when ingested, causing hallucinations and delusions’ (Lavender, 2019). This is a type of fungus which grows on rye crop, and not your bedroom walls. To experience the potential hallucinations caused by this mold, you would need to consume infected rye. The symptoms of doing so are quite serious, and include people convulsing, appearing manic, dazed & unable to speak, other forms of paralysis or tremors, and hallucinations and other distorted perceptions, (Schumann and Uppala, 2000).
It’s some serious stuff and a real risk factor… if you lived in the 1800s. The chances that consumers would be affected by this are slim when modern agricultural practices are taken into consideration. The food supply chain today is designed and managed in a way that limits the chances of the public consuming contaminated products like this. Those most at risk today are cattle, (Shumann and Uppala, 2000).
Sick Building Syndrome
The Mirror article then goes on to conflate the idea of hallucinogenic mold in your home with Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), stating ‘The phenomenon was first examined in 2007 by experts in Maryland, USA, who christened it ‘Sick Building Syndrome’, or ‘SBS’, and documented the effects in the journal ‘Neurotoxicology and Teratology’, (Lavender, 2019).
However, the research into SBS dates from the 1970s and the cause-effect relations of why people seem to develop symptoms association with SBS is unclear. Largely, SBS symptoms are blamed on air-con and heating systems in open-plan offices, or conditions in very old, converted buildings. SBS symptoms include: irritated/dry eyes, nose and throat, airway irritation, headaches, and skin irritation/rashes, (NHS UK, 2017).
Again, what is missing from this list? That’s right… hallucinations!
Direct Research Into A Moldy Ghost Link?
The Mirror article then mentions 2015 research said to directly investigate the link between ghosts and mold. Lavender (2019) writes that ‘a team of scientists from Clarkson University, New York, studied the links between hauntings and toxic mould.”
She continues, “Associate Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering Shane Rogers sampled the air quality in buildings associated with alleged ghost activity. He said: “Hauntings are very widely reported phenomena that are not well-researched. They are often reported in older-built structures that may also suffer poor air quality … We are trying to determine whether some reported hauntings may be linked to specific pollutants found in indoor air.”
Now THAT is interesting. Interesting until you realise that this research has not been published. We don’t know what the findings were or if the research was even completed. Maybe we will one day, but until then, it’s simply not possible to use this as evidence that mold can cause haunting experiences.
Remember to question everything – especially The Mirror.
References
Lavender, J. (2019) ‘Black mould in your home can cause terrifying hallucinations of demons and ghosts ’, The Mirror, March 2019 [Online]. Available at https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/black-mould-your-home-can-14125218?fbclid=IwAR0UuSUbKi-CcdQaCuUCcR6QkYKmESqrh9WBjIzbR2wpA4y7fty6UXtL3_g (Accessed 17.03.19).
NHS UK (2017) Sick Building Syndrome, NHS UK [Online]. Available at
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sick-building-syndrome/ (Accessed 17.09.19)
Schumann, G.L. and Uppala, S. (2000) Ergot of rye [Online], The Plant Health Instructor. Available at http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/lessons/fungi/ascomycetes/pages/ergot.aspx (Accessed 17.03.2019)