In films, such as The Mind of a Cafe Waiter, absinthe stands out as a drink that causes serious hallucinations. Years later, Eurotrip features a character who had hallucinations after drinking absinthe. During those illusions he saw and spoke to the actual green fairy. Although this may seem a little farfetched, the idea of hallucinations has been baffling scientists for over a century. The truth is that it can be more realistic than we might think.
In the old days, absinthe was made from thujone. People believed that this chemical from the thuja tree could cause manic, even delirious behavior. According to the National Institute of Health, recent studies have associated “absinthism with a number of problems. Some of them are: auditory and visual hallucinations, epilepsy, brain damage, and risk of psychiatric disorder.
Effects Of Absinthe
Absinthe has a pretty high alcohol concentration which can affects even heavy drinkers. In tha past, people believed that drinking absinthe could drive them mad. A theory by Columbia University claims that the thujone element in absinthe was the reason behind the mania that absinthe could cause.
Thujone can remarkably slow reactions and impair a person’s ability to pay attention. It also may cause visual or auditory hallucinations. However, more recent research suggests that absinthe (containing wormwood oil) has a high alcohol concentration. This fact may be a more likely culprit for the side effects, rather than just thujone alone.
