Emily Chan
We all know that the full moon is said to draw out vampires and werewolves. People even point to the full moon as the source of bad luck and bizarre behavior.
Belief in the moon’s power is a time-honored tradition. Since ancient times, physicians and philosophers have blamed the full moon for people’s behavioral changes.
For instance, in the first century A.D., the Roman philosopher Pliny suggested that the full moon creates more dew, leading to increased moisture in the brain, which resulted in madness. Even today, the idea that the full moon causes people to go crazy is a strongly held belief.
According to a paper published in 1987, 80 percent of nurses and 64 percent of doctors believed that the moon influences behavior.
Police officers and hospital staff insist that crime rates skyrocket and emergency rooms are busier during the full moon. However, a 2004 study proved that the claim wasn’t valid.
Additionally, the word “lunatic” comes from the Latin word for moon, “luna,” stemming from the idea that changes in mental state had something to do with lunar cycles.
The possibility that humans could be affected by the moon’s phases isn’t totally without scientific basis.
The ocean’s tides, and even several marine species, are affected by the moon’s cycles, so it makes sense to think that humans could experience a similar effect, especially since our bodies are made mostly of water.
Scientists have studied the link between human behavior and the full moon for decades but haven’t found any evidence that the full moon is associated with more strange events than usual. Here’s what researchers do know.
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