This is stated in a study by a group of scientists from the British University of Durham. The experiment involved 200 students. Those who drank more than seven cups of caffeinated drinks a day were prone to hallucinations. Sometimes they heard voices supposedly coming from the other world. Some of them even claimed to have communicated with the spirits of the dead. In the study participants who drank no more than one cup of coffee, no changes in consciousness were recorded. The study concerned not only coffee, but also other caffeinated drinks and products: energy drinks, tea, chocolate. With their increased consumption, the propensity to hallucinations among the participants in the experiment also increased.
“Hallucinations are not necessarily a sign of mental illness. Most people have encountered situations where they heard voices while alone, about 3% hear voices regularly. Many of them are good at it and live a normal life, ”- said lead author of the study Simon Jones.
Researchers believe that the higher frequency of hallucinations is related to the ability of caffeine to enhance the physiological effects of stress. Under the influence of caffeine, the body produces more of the “stress hormone” cortisol, which in turn may be associated with hallucinations.