Drinking coffee in moderation may be okay, but downing too much– say five or more cups of the beverage daily– can cause hallucinations, says a study. Researchers at La Trobe University have found that drinking five cups of coffees or more a day may be enough to increase one’s tendency to hallucinate because of caffeine in it, which is the most commonly used psychoactive drug. Coffee and other caffeinated beverages such as tea, soft-drinks and energy drinks access the stimulant and when taken in large quantities increase tendencies to hallucinate according to lead researcher Professor Simon Crowe.
In their study, the researchers measured the effect of stress and caffeine with 92 non-clinical participants. Five coffees a day or more was found to be enough to increase the participant’s tendency to hallucinate, said Prof. Crowe.
“High caffeine levels in association with high levels of stressful life events interacted to produce higher levels of ‘hallucination’ in nonclinical participants, indication that further caution needs to be exercised with the use of this overtly ‘safe’ drug,” he said.
