Homes where people see ghosts and other paranormal activities just need a good cleaning, according to American scientists. Researchers at Clarkson University have found that dangerous black mold can not only badly affect a person's well-being, but also cause depression and even hallucinations.
Black poisonous mold (or, scientifically, Stachybotrys chartarum) is a fungus that almost never occurs in the wild, but loves humid rooms very much: residents of houses, apartments or even ancient castles can find it under the wallpaper, in the bathroom or in basements.
Black mold is easily recognizable by color, but it is not only that distinguishes it from other types of mold that appear in the human dwelling. Stachybotrys chartarum releases very dangerous toxins that can cause skin inflammation, headache or nausea in humans, and fungal spores that enter the lungs with the air can lead to respiratory system diseases.
This creation of nature looks like this.
And in especially advanced cases, and so.
And close proximity to black mold can lead to a hospital. 29-year-old Englishwoman Emma Marshall moved to a new home five years ago and did not know that a dangerous mushroom had occupied the bathroom. A year later, the girl began to complain of memory problems, hair loss and weakness. And recently she developed eczema, which, according to doctors, was caused by black mold. The girl's malaise is also associated with the spread of this mushroom in the house, writes The Mirror.
Promotional video:
An Englishwoman before and during her illness.
And it seems that either a major cleaning or a move awaits Emma as soon as she finishes her treatment.
The fact that Stachybotrys chartarum can cause weakness in people and even affect the psyche was first established by experts from the University of Maryland in the United States in 2007. In their opinion, spores of some fungi, including black mold, can cause hallucinations and delusions.
Study author Richie Shoemaker studied the health status of people living in buildings with high humidity, and therefore mold. In humans, the functions of the nervous system have been impaired, as well as other diseases caused by exposure to toxins have been found. The doctor of medical sciences formalized his conclusions in the book Surviving Mold ("The Surviving Mold").
And ten years later, scientists from another American university, Clarkson (New York), came up with the idea to improve Shoemaker's research. They suggested that people who see ghosts are in fact exposed to toxins, and that anything they call paranormal is just hallucinations.
Researchers have taken to seriously looking for a connection between ghosts and black mold. They chose houses whose residents had observed paranormal phenomena, and took air samples for analysis - and a high concentration of toxins and Stachybotrys chartarum spores was indeed found there.
Maria Vlasova