Criminal charges were dropped against a man accused of smashing his way into a neighbor's house and chasing the woman with a large dagger after psychologists said he was temporarily insane from drinking jasmine tea.

Police said they found a wild-eyed Gilbert D. Walker, 43, outside the house in nearby Callaway yelling "I'm crazy" on Dec. 3 after he had broken a glass door with a brass duck.

Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet dismissed aggravated assault and burglary charges Wednesday after receiving reports from three court-appointed psychologists who agreed Walker suffered from psychosis induced by jasmine tea.

The herb commonly is taken to calm the stomach but also used as a love potion in satanic and cult rituals, defense lawyer Mike Hunter said.

Assistant State Attorney Mark Graham said that because of the psychologists' findings he did not object to dismissing the charges. One doctor wrote in his report that the psychotic episode was isolated and Walker should have no lasting problems.

Walker, a software designer and engineer for a government contractor, declined comment.

"It's bizarre,'' Hunter said. "At first I didn't think it was true, but the more research I did and the more experts I talked to I found this is absolutely true.''

Dr. Susan Rice, a forensic toxicologist, told him that certain jasmines can be hallucinogenic.

"It depends on what you use and what you mix it with,'' Hunter said. "Some chemicals act as a catalyst.''

Walker's former girlfriend gave him the tea, purchased from a specialty shop in Dothan, Ala., to settle his stomach and help him sleep. She never warned him against drinking more than a cup or two a day and he consumed up to 10 cups daily, Hunter said.

Walker started dreaming of biblical struggles between good and evil and posted notes on the walls, ceilings and doors of his town house, the lawyer said.

"Most of the notes were things like, 'God is good,' 'God is love' and 'Heaven protect me,''' Hunter said.

On the night Walker burst into his neighbor's home, he had hallucinated that a set of ceramic Chinese dogs were barking or talking to him.

"He says he's trying to keep these ceramic dogs from barking when he hears this crash," Hunter said. "He figures he's broken one of the dogs."

Instead, Walker had just thrown the brass duck through his neighbor's door. He then chased Loresa Davis from her house. She ran screaming down the street until a motorist stopped and gave her a ride to a convenience store where she called police.