Caffeine and hallucinations

People who drink large amounts of tea and coffee may be more prone to hallucinations, according to a study of 200 students, carried out by researchers at Durham University. High caffeine users, those people who consumed more than the equivalent of seven cups of coffee a day, were three times more likely to have heard a person's voice when there was nobody there than low caffeine users who drank less than a cup a day. This could be because caffeine stimulates the release of the stress hormone cortisol, or because those students who are more prone to hallucinations use caffeine to cope with their experiences.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090113203901.htm