Are there such things as parasitic organisms that take over their hosts brain in reality?

Question

for example...some flatworm that takes over a snails brain...

not talking about schizophrenia or some mental disorder...asking about some organism that takes over its hosts brain lfor instance this flatworm that takes a snails brain so it can get itself eatten by birds who then spread parasite eggs around in bird droppings for more snails to eat(poor snails ><)

Answer 1

Yes. In fact there is one kind of parasite that takes over a rat's brain, makes it behave erratically, so that the rat gets eaten by a cat, and then the parasite gets to reproduce that way.
In a metaphorical sense, there are ideas that act like viruses or parasites in human minds.

Answer 2

Yes, Dicrocoelium dendriticum, it is a sheep parasite but its intermediate host is an ant. It goes to the brain and causes the ant to climb to the top of a blade of grass and clamp its mandables there so it can be eaten by a sheep and complete the life cycle

Answer 3

yes there are many examples.

The following books are very interesting:
Parasites and the Behavior of Animals-Janice Moore
Parasite Rex-Carl Zimmer

and while i'm at it more fun parasite books are Who Gave Pinta to the Santa Maria? ,
Federal Bodysnatchers and the New Guinea Virus: Tales of Parasites, People, and Politics,
and
New Guinea Tapeworms and Jewish Grandmothers: Tales of Parasites and People
all by robert s. desowitz

Answer 4

So! You dare qest for me. I'll always worm my way out of this. Ah, it's like talking to a hole in the ground. I should know. For years your kind has scorned me. It's the half worm in the apple syndrome. Never mind, Dunghill, my kind have eaten your kind toime immemorial!

Answer 5

that would explain the voices in my head

Answer 6

Yeah, I think there are.