Praying to the Moon

Throughout the years, humans have worshipped the moon, studied it, and used it to predict the direction of their lives and their state of health. The moon influences life on Earth and it’s natural ways that seemed pure and meaningful thousands of years ago. At full moon, corals release eggs and gametes in a reproductive frenzy. And the gravitational attraction between the moon and the Earth causes sea tides — the rising and falling of the sea. Since the moon influences such mechanisms of life on Earth, people have also believed that it can affect various aspects of physical and mental health.

More Crime During A Full Moon?

The answer to this question is not exact. A study from 1984 suggested that the rate of criminality was more likely to increase on nights with a full moon. The authors stated this might be because of “‘human tidal waves, caused by the gravitational pull of the moon.” More recent research in 2009, stated that psychiatric facilities admitted more people during the full moon than usual. This experiment looked at the records of 91 patients “with violent and acute behavioral disturbance,” and found that 23% of these admissions took place during the full moon. This “was approximately double the number for other lunar phases.” 

When Will We Know?

In 2019, researchers from Switzerland and the United States analyzed the data of 17,966 individuals treated at 15 different psychiatric wards over 10 years. This study found no evidence of a rise in aggression during the full moon phase. A lot of the studies seem to contradict themselves. You start to wonder if there’s a y-variable. The answer is still unknown…