Durham, England - A study conducted on 200 university students has linked high caffeine consumption to a higher tendency to hallucinate.

The study, carried out at Durham University in England and reported in a German magazine for physicians, asked students to outline the amount of coffee, tea, caffeine tablets and energy drinks consumed. Their stress levels and tendency to hallucinate were then recorded.

The study also showed that students, who drank more than seven cups of caffeine in instant coffee, were three times more likely to hear voices than students with very low caffeine consumption.

Researchers believe that caffeine is linked to higher secretions of the hormone cortisol, which in turn may promote susceptibility to hallucinations and hearing voices. (dpa)