How do the moon phases affect human life? How do the moon phases affect human life?

Since the mythical period, humans have worshiped the moon. Each civilization has created its own moon god and countless stories and legends. The waxing and waning of the moon can always cause fluctuations in people's hearts. Compared with the Chinese image of lovesickness, the moon in European civilization seems to be more "negative". A main theory is that changes in the moon phase will cause changes in people's behavior, induce negative factors in the human body, and then lead to madness or crime. Among them, full moon nights are particularly dangerous and can cause strange events such as suicide, murder, dog bites, car accidents, sudden phone ringing, and hockey game fights. We can also see that in many film and television works, the full moon is the moment when werewolves and vampires transform, their energy surges, and they even lose control. This belief in the moon is known as the "Moon Maniac Effect" or the "Transylvania Effect."

Follow me to see how the moon phases affect human life.

Since the mythical period, humans have worshiped the moon. Each civilization has created its own moon god and countless stories and legends. The waxing and waning of the moon can always cause fluctuations in people's hearts. Compared with the Chinese image of lovesickness, the moon in European civilization seems to be more "negative". A main theory is that changes in the moon phase will cause changes in people's behavior, induce negative factors in the human body, and then lead to madness or crime. Among them, full-moon nights are particularly dangerous and can cause strange events such as suicides, homicides, dog bites, car accidents, sudden phone ringing, and hockey game fights. To this day, if something strange happens at night, many people still say, "There must be a full moon outside." We can also see that in many film and television works, the full moon is the moment when werewolves and vampires transform, their energy surges, and they even lose control. This belief in the moon is known as the "lunar lunacy effect" or the "Transylvania effect."

Monoflax Cartography

1. Moon Sickness: Why the English word Lunatic represents "crazy disease"

This belief has lasted for a long time and has also enriched the related vocabulary. connotation. The English word "lunatic" means "lunatic". The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as: a person affected by madness, and this madness recurs with the changes of the moon. The English word appeared in the 14th century and was transformed from the Latin "Lunaticus" and derived from the name "Lūna" of the ancient Roman moon goddess. When it first appeared, it already had the meaning of disease, and later added the meaning of "madman", "stupid", "idiot" and "crazy". During the Elizabethan period, it was widely spread and often appeared in Shakespeare's plays. Scholars have found that the changes in the meaning of Lunatic well record the history of moon effect belief. In fact, before the fifth century AD, the Latin word "Lunaticus" (that is, the ancient Roman word) did not have the meaning of "madness" and was mainly associated with epilepsy.

However, the Greek language of this period had a word for "madness" related to the moon, namely μανα, which later evolved into the Latin word "maniacs" and the English word "madness". The ancient Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79) and the astrologer Vettius Valens (120-c.175) did sum up the role of the moon in psychosis: The brain is the human body The organ with the highest humidity is the most sensitive. Because the moon (especially the full moon) affects the water in the human body, the brain, which has the highest humidity, is most affected. Human behavior may become abnormal as the state of the brain changes. The ancient Greek physician Oribasius (c.ad 320–c.400) held a similar opinion and believed that the moon would cause excess brain fluid. The excess brain fluid would not turn into mucus, but would turn into black juice. . In the ancient Greek epic "Dionysiaca" (Dionysiaca), the moon goddess Selene introduced herself, "I am the moon, not only because I control the changes of the months in the kingdom of heaven, but also because I control fanaticism and inspire madness." She also has the ability to drive her enemies crazy.

Moon goddess Luna

By the second century, the Christian priest Origen (c.184-c.253) attributed both madness and soul possession to the moon. Unlike previous naturalistic explanations, it claimed that madness was influenced by the devil, an impure, deaf-mute soul who could observe the changes in the moon and move accordingly. Therefore, it is not the devil who is to blame, but the moon. God created the moon, but it (the moon) cannot cure madness. This statement is widely accepted, both in medical and non-medical settings.

Since then, many Greek works have been translated into Arabic and Latin, so astrological medicine has become widespread. As a mysterious nocturnal object opposite the sun, the moon was associated with the evil forces of the supernatural and demonic worlds. As a result, people with symptoms of madness were thought to be possessed by demons and came to be called "lunatics." By the Renaissance, the Swiss alchemist and physician Paracelsus (1493-1541) used the word to refer to Liber de lunaticis Theophrasti (Liber de lunaticis Theophrasti). He wrote, "Mania is characterized by the following characteristics: hectic behavior, irrationality, chronic irritability, and naughtiness. Some patients will become sick with the changes in the moon phase."

Artist Matt Cunningham creates collages inspired by the 1980s arcade game Moon Patrol

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the word "lunatic" (madman) is widely spread in the English-speaking world. The idea that the moon was the cause was widely accepted, not just in science but also in literature. In Shakespeare's work, Othello asserts, "It's all the moon's fault, she's so close to the earth that she shouldn't be, and it drives people crazy." (Shakespeare, 2001, V.2.110–112) In Othello's Others, it is suggested, attribute to the moon the unsettling power that causes mental illness. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, the moon's restless power affects three types of "fools": the lunatic, the lover, and the poet. They are all children of imagination. The ghosts seen in the eyes of a madman are so numerous that even the vast hell cannot accommodate them.

Likewise, Italian Renaissance literature also records this tradition. Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533) wrote in "The Mad Roland" that when Roland the Ranger knew that his lover Angelica was married, he went crazy and traveled all the way to Europe and Africa. Destroyed everything everywhere. The English knight Astolfo flew to the moon, where he could regain all the sanity he had lost on earth. He also found Roland in a bottle and restored his sanity.

French artist Gustave Doré created "A voyage to the moon" based on "Mad Roland"

In the seventeenth century, "lunatic" (crazy) began to be used Replaced by "moons truck". Showing a broad correlation with the irrational, primitive and dark characteristics of the moon and the brain. During this period, as Newton's universal gravitation explained the tidal phenomenon and the role of the moon in it, the "lunar hypothesis" reappeared in the discussion of the cause of epilepsy. The hypothesis is that lunar changes trigger pathogenesis in sensitive people. This statement has been circulating in the medical community and the public for a long time. An 1843 "Lancet" article analyzed that "during the full moon, epileptic attacks will occur under the touch of evil spirits."

During the Romantic period, Prussian scientific member Baron Karl Ludwig von Reichenbach (1788–1869) associated sleepwalking with special phases of the moon. He believed that this "lunar attraction" was a symptom of a primitive natural force, and he named this important law "Odic force".

Today, in many German and Eastern European languages, sleepwalkers are still called "lunatics" or other moon-related words.

American artist Beth Hoeckel created "Campground" (2013) inspired by "Moon Temptation"

However, in English, the word "lunatic" is just It refers to a mad person and does not mean epilepsy or sleepwalking. By the second half of the nineteenth century, the term "lunatic" had become widely accepted, both socially and medically. In North America, "Lunatic Asylum" was widely used, and after the 1870s, another term (Insane Asylum, which was related to legislation) was used. In British law, from 1821 to 1922, "lunacy" was included in the laws related to mental health, and the "Mental Treatment Act 1930" (Mental Treatment Act 1930) was changed to "mentally unsound person" ( people of unsound mind), "Mental Health Act 1959" (Mental Health Act 1959) was changed to "mental illness" (mental illness). Since then, the word "lunatic" has become incorrect, both politically and scientifically.

In fact, political and legal language changes later than science. In the second half of the 19th century, many scientists and doctors began to challenge the traditional association of madness and epilepsy with the phases of the moon. They use new scientific research methods and tools, such as epidemiological observation and data analysis, to study mental patients. The first scholar to emphasize the close relationship between crime and epilepsy, Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso (1835–1909), conducted a survey on mental patients in a hospital in Pavia in 1867. He studied different Trends in the incidence of epilepsy and madness under the moon phases, and concluded that although some cases occur more frequently during the full moon, this result is more likely to be caused by lower atmospheric pressure. However, most physicists assume that lower atmospheric pressure Associated with the moon phase changes. Thus, madness and epilepsy were once again associated, albeit incorrectly, with natural phenomena.

Lombroso and his research pictures and materials

So, how does contemporary medicine view this “crazy theory”? Research shows (Iosif & Ballon, 2005) that although mental health practitioners insist that full moons change behavior, this belief is not supported by scientific data. In fact, many Moon-related ideas have been repeatedly tested by research, such as the number of psychiatric hospital admissions, the number of emergencies such as emergency calls and emergency alarms, the number of community consultations for anxiety and depression, or various types of disorders, suicides and violent behaviors. wait. All the research results have been negative. In fact, the more interesting question may be, why do psychiatrists insist on believing that the moon affects their patients? In this day and age, some people repeatedly claim that full moon nights and insomnia alter the rhythm of mental secretion and may trigger psychosis, even though this statement is contrary to most research data. All we can say is that the influence of many ancient views and beliefs can still be seen in the study of psychiatry.

2. "Moon Effect": a medical legend that overshadows modern science

It can be seen that the subversion of modern science and medicine in the world has become the most important force in dismantling the belief in the "Moon Effect" . Regarding the statement that the moon affects human health and behavior, there have been many explanations from ancient times to the present, the most typical one is the water theory. Specifically, the moon affects the rise and fall of sea tides, and it can also affect human body moisture, because water is the most important component of the human body, and the brain is the organ with the most moisture in the human body. Fluctuations in moisture have the most obvious impact on the brain. Changes in the brain will also pass through Behavioral changes show up. This effect is generally considered to be negative.

A 1985 American survey showed that 50% of college students believed that people behave strangely during the full moon. A 1995 social survey in southern Kentucky, USA, showed that 43% of the 325 people surveyed believed that the moon affects people's behavior.

Among them, the proportion of mental health practitioners, including social workers, clinical psychologists, and nurses, is even higher, and 81% of mental health experts believe that the full moon will change personal behavior (Vance).

NASA photo: Earth rising (photographed above the moon)

Folklore is relatively rich. In popular belief, the moon's influence on the human brain is mostly caused by its gravitational effect. In fact, the reason why the moon can move the ocean (tide) is because it exerts gravitational force 12,8000 kilometers away. This gravitational force has no effect on a small area of ​​​​water, and its impact on the human body is probably greater than that of a mosquito landing on your shoulder. The weight difference is still small. Another important point is that this gravitational effect relies on the Sun-Earth-Moon alignment, not just the waxing and waning of the Moon. Another theory is that before the invention of gas lighting, human beings relied on moonlight for outdoor activities at night. Under clear skies, the full moon is 12 times as bright as the quarter moon, so people tend to sleep later or less. Although a few cases of insomnia may cause mania, a more credible explanation may be that for people with manic tendencies, sleep disturbances during the full moon are easily seen as related signals. Perhaps this is why full moons and madness were initially associated.

This picture comes from the paper A Structured Review of Relation between Full Moon and Different Aspects of Human Health. The content is about the relationship between sleep and moon phases.

Historically, William Blake of England Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780) was the first jurist to define "lunar madness". He believes that "crazy (lunatic) or mentally unsound (non compos mentis) people are sometimes sane and sometimes sane, and their conditions often change with the phases of the moon." German psychologist Ewald Hering ( Ewald Hering (1834-1918) said in his psychiatry course that "mania increases during the full moon."

To some extent, the main arguments about the "moon effect" have not changed much over the past two thousand years. Pliny the Elder's view (that dense dew would appear on full moon nights, causing abnormal moisture in the brain, causing madness or epilepsy) was echoed by American psychiatrist Arnold Lieber, who wrote in "How the Moon Affects You - -The book "The Lunar Effect: Biological Tides and Human Emotions" states: About 80% of the human body is liquid, and the moon's gravity can also affect the liquid in the human body just like it causes ocean tides. , called biological tides. Human cells are affected by magnetic fields, and the moon's magnetic field can also have an effect on the human body. Published in 1970, the book quickly became a bestseller and was reprinted many times. For the past fifteen years, he had been collecting data on the impact of lunar cycles on suicide. He believes suicide rates are highest during full and new moons, and the results for aggressive behavior are similar. In addition, the magnitude of gravity is directly proportional to the occurrence of violent acts. The stronger the gravity, the higher the crime rate of moral turpitude. However, his experimental results have never been replicated, and naturally it is difficult to have a widespread impact.

Chicago street art, Many Moons, is a collage of old magazines and photos

Continued enthusiasm for this field has scientists constantly trying new explanation. In the era of electric lighting, the impact of moonlight on human life has been greatly reduced, and other correlations have gradually been proposed and verified one by one, such as the ozone layer, geomagnetism, electromagnetism, climate, ions, and ultra-slow frequency waves. From the 1960s to the 1990s, a large number of research results related to the "moon influence" emerged, mainly concentrated in the fields of psychology and criminology. Their main task was to falsify the "Transylvania Effect" ".

First, in 1978, Campbell and Beets studied 16 patients with mental disorders caused by the moon and found that there was no correlation between the full moon and human behavior. Then in 1985, two other psychologists (Rotton and Kelly) conducted a quantitative analysis on 37 patients and found that the impact of moon phase changes on behavioral abnormalities was less than 1%, and the relevant evidence was irreproducible and statistically significant. The test fails and is unpredictable. From this, they designed a scale to assess the influence of the moon and found that belief in other anomalies was negatively correlated with people's logical abilities and not related to personality (such as social expectations, psychological control, and authoritarianism).

Next, two psychologists (Byrnes and Kelly) studied emergency calls and moon phase changes over the past two decades and found no evidence that specific moon phases caused a higher frequency of calls for behavioral disorders. Similarly, there are also studies proving that there is no connection between suicidal behavior and changes in the moon phase. Even if partial obvious results are occasionally obtained, they cannot be reproduced. Another study (Gorvin and Roberts) of 100 cases of mental development disorders over a four-year period proved that the moon phase change accounted for only 0.007%. In 1997, Amaddeo studied all mental illness incidences in the Italian province of Verona within ten years and found that there was no relationship with the synodic cycle. Another study in Sydney, Australia, also found that full moons were not associated with aggression and violence. In fact, this is not purely a matter of superstition. The United Kingdom has referred to relevant research to adjust police allocation.

Under the continuous strong siege of modern times, the "moon effect" has little room for survival. The only remaining people who believe in this argument will be considered to lack physics knowledge or have a psychological inclination ( Such as selective recall and selective acceptance), sensationalism or just for entertainment. Philosopher and poet George Santayana said, “People become superstitious not because they have great imaginations, but because they don’t realize they have some imagination.”

3. Humanistic Observation after Science

Today, fewer and fewer people mention the "moon effect". The main reason is that it is classified as a pseudoscience, along with astrology, aliens, phrenology, Feng Shui, etc. This quickly lost public attention and occasionally appeared in film and television works or artistic works. For example, the popular TV series "The Vampire Diaries" constantly showed werewolves and vampires transforming on full moon nights. In the 1960s when the counterfeiting of the "Moon Effect" was in full swing, the famous Creedence Clearwater Revival released a song "Bad Moon Rising", which quickly reached No. 2 on the Billboard and No. 1 in the UK. . "I saw the omen of the ominous moon climbing up into the sky, and I found that there was trouble all along the way. I saw the earth shaking and the sky full of thunderclouds. Today is definitely an ominous day."

However, historians have gradually become interested in related topics, especially scholars in the history of science and medicine. Their focus is not on whether the theory itself is scientific or whether the moon can cause madness, but on the spread of the theory. Cultural and social narratives in process. Right and wrong can never truly satisfy human needs. Even if there is no legend, there still needs to be a story.

Surrealist works by young artist Justin Peters

One of them is atmospheric tides. This discipline emerged and developed rapidly between 1700 and 1840. Its basic assumption is that the influence of the sun and moon on the earth is not only reflected in the sea (causing significant tidal effects), but also in the atmosphere (atmospheric tides). Atmospheric tides have an important impact on climate change and have effects on human health, such as mental disorders, epilepsy, and infectious diseases. Based on this causal role, scholars believe that people can predict and control the above-mentioned diseases through atmospheric tide research. Interestingly, both practitioners, advocates, and opponents of atmospheric tide science believe that this new science has many similarities with the previous pseudoscience-astrology, whether in terms of concepts. in terms of methodology, social and cultural aspects.

Atmospheric tide science is a pan-European cultural phenomenon that exists in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and other places. It is an important aspect of the emergence of contemporary science. At present, only the United Kingdom has conducted relevant research. Historians believe that relevant historical research can observe from a new perspective how official science appropriated and transformed "pseudoscience" to serve the Renaissance.

References

Campbell, D. E., & Beets, J. L. Lunacy and the moon. Psychological Bulletin, (1978). 85(5), 1123-1129.

< p> Rotton J., Kelly I. W., Much ado about the full moon: a meta-analysis of lunar-lunacy research. Psychological Bulletin, 1985, 97, 286–306.

David E. Vance, Belief in Lunar Effects on Human Behavior, Psychological Reports, 1995, Volume: 76 issue: 1, page(s): 32-34.

M.A. Riva, L. Tremolizzo, M. Spicci, C. Ferrarese, G. De Vito , G.C.Cesana & V.A. Sironi (2011) The Disease of the Moon: The Linguistic and Pathological Evolution of the English Term “Lunatic”, Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, 20:1, 65-73.

Related readings on how the moon phases affect human life:

How the moon affects our lives

The ancients often said: I hope that people will live long and thousands of miles*** moon. In ancient China, the moon was always a symbol of beauty and reunion. People are accustomed to placing their affection on the moon. But during the current epidemic, how will the moon affect our behavior and life?

During this time of staying at home due to the epidemic, it is so simple to gaze at the clear, pollution-free sky. In normal times, this seems to be something we forget. In fact, paying attention to the phases of the moon may bring unexpected benefits to all of us.

What are the phases of the moon? As the moon orbits the earth, the earth orbits the sun. As the moon rotates, the shape of the moon that people see is constantly changing. This is the change of the moon's phase, also called the moon phase. The moon's position relative to the sun determines its phases. Since the moon cannot emit its own light, we can only see it when the sun shines on it. Simply put, the shape of the moon we see is the moon phase.

Have you ever had a day when you felt like everything was going your way? Or are you feeling drained of energy one day but can't figure out why? This may simply be due to the cycles of the moon.

Often, we just take things as they come, thinking that whatever is going to happen will happen. But when we start observing the cycles of the moon, we check and push ourselves more. The more we become attuned to this natural rhythm and flow of the moon, the easier and easier life becomes.

The following tips will teach you how to use the moon cycles to make yourself more efficient!

Take time to reflect

Last Wednesday (April 8) was a full moon, so now the moon is starting to lose shape and not much of the moon is visible in the sky each night. This marks a time for reflection.

Take a moment of quiet time away from others and reflect on the last lunar cycle, which began on March 24.

Consider what has happened and the insights gained over the past few weeks. Ask yourself how you would face different situations. Record your thoughts. What is most important to you in your life right now? Is there anything holding you back?

Learn to Let Go

The half-moon is known as the weakened third quarter. This is a critical part of the lunar cycle because if we don't address the obsessions that are holding us back, we will keep repeating the same mistakes.

Think about the things that have held you back over the past few weeks. Do you lack confidence in yourself, or do you spend more time taking care of others instead of yourself?

Think of positive things to help you move forward, such as "I completely believe in myself" or "I am everything I need to achieve the goals of my dreams."

This is also the best time to "break away". You may want to control your association with certain people or things to feel your best, or let them go completely.

Give yourself a break

The final phase of the lunar cycle is the barely visible Dark Moon. This is the lowest energy point of the cycle. We invest ourselves emotionally and feel everything deeply. While this is often a difficult point in the cycle, it can guide us as to what changes to make. Maybe we start to realize we don’t like parts of the job we’re currently in, or hate the things our partners and friends enjoy. Take note of these and consider how you can improve them. But also be kind to yourself and take some time to rest.

Setting Goals

As a small sliver of the new moon begins to appear in the sky, a new lunar cycle begins. Now it’s time to finalize your plans for the next month. Choose an area of ​​focus that interests you, such as your physical health, work, hobbies, or relationships.

Write down your plans for this month. It could be spending more time doing things you love, or even something as simple as keeping a green plant. You may also want to set a larger goal, such as completing a new skill, which will take multiple lunar cycles to complete.

Take your chance

Now, half of the moon appears in the sky. During this stage, we often feel the energy of the universe is all around us. You think of someone and call them. Or you need to find some information, you can find the information easily. Now is the time to say yes to everything.

But please note that this is also the time when we are most prone to lethargy and self-doubt, making us feel like we are not enough to achieve the goals we set in the new month. During times like these, be aware of any moments of self-doubt so you can respond and process those feelings during the next cycle.

Unleash Your Energy

When the Moon is near full, it is called a waxy bulge. At this point in the lunar cycle, you may be sleep-deprived. This is because your energy starts to peak. The moon seems to be saying to us: "You set your intentions at the beginning of the month and must make every effort to complete them, so you really don't have any extra time to sleep."

Use this time to redouble your efforts, Make the plan come true. It's a good idea to put some effort into achieving your goals before the full moon arrives.

Celebrate your achievements

When the Full Moon occurs, it is usually a time when our emotions are running high. We look back on the past month and think about what we have accomplished and what we have achieved. But moonlight will also highlight where we are now and what we have yet to achieve.

Take some time to think about what you have done well so far this month, and review and reflect on what you have left unfinished.

Finally, don’t be afraid to celebrate your accomplishments and start planning for next month!

Written at the end

In fact, the cycle of the moon is the best time for us to constantly improve ourselves and reflect on ourselves. We have emotional ups and downs as the moon waxes and wanes.

Seize this time and make your life fulfilling and interesting!

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