An offbeat, new study published in the journal Psychopharmacology indicates that "Magic mushrooms," commonly used by Native Americans and hippies to alter consciousness, appear to have similar mystical effects on many people, with more than 60 percent of volunteers given capsules of psilocybin saying they had a "full mystical experience."

Roland Griffiths, a professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Biology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore who led the study, says, "Many of the volunteers in our study reported, in one way or another, a direct, personal experience of the 'beyond'

King County in Seattle, Washington has made a list of 200 "chronic public inebriates" in the region that cost taxpayers the most to care for. Seventy-five of them were moved into their own new apartments where they are free to drink and be merry off the city streets.

The alcoholics are now allowed to drink in their rooms. And they do not have to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings

Contrary to popular belief, fat people are not more merry. A study found that obesity is strongly correlated with depression and other mood disorders.

The research does not provide whether obesity might cause these problems or is the result of them is not certain, reported the AP

A new study concludes that obese people are 25 percent more likely to suffer from a mood disorder.

The results show they are also 25 percent less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol

Researchers at Harvard Medical School in Boston have found that parental verbal aggression is likely to cause psychiatric problems in children in later life, possibly more than physical abuse.

All previous studies related to child abuse have focused on physical or sexual abuse and the effects of witnessing domestic violence; there has been very little evidence about the long-term effects of verbal abuse