The dark side of the moon

International Journal Of Indian Psychology, 2024

It is a long-held belief that the phases of the moon affect the human mind. At the time when we have landed on the moon, such beliefs also need to be tested. In this paper, we have taken up the question of whether moon cycles have some effect on the mental disorders of humans. While Science does not believe any impact of moon phases on humans but it is an observable fact that phases of the moon do affect water in the sea. Tidal waves reach the peak on a full moon day. It is due to the gravitational pull of the moon which is at its peak on full moon day. As the moon cycle affects water and we, the humans, are made up of 70% water, is it possible that we also get affected by moon phases? Scientifically researched papers bring out that moon cycles intensify the sufferings of patients of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia; on the other hand, there is equally credible scientific research which denies any correlation between moon cycles and human behaviour. The paper examines both aspects.

ISRN Emergency Medicine, 2014

Objectives. The lunar cycle is believed to be related to psychiatric episodes and emergency department (ED) admissions. This belief is held by both mental health professionals and the general population. Previous studies analyzing the lunar effect have yielded inconsistent results.Methods. ED records from two tertiary care hospitals were used to assess the impact of three different definitions of the full-moon period, commonly found in the literature. The full-moon definitions used in this study were 6 hours before and 6 hours after the full moon (a 12-hour model); 12 hours before and 12 hours after the full moon (a 24-hour model); and 24 hours before and after the day of the full moon (a 3-day model).Results. Different significant results were found for each full-moon model. Significantly fewer patients with anxiety disorders presented during the 12-hour and 24-hour models; however, this was not true of the 3-day model. For the 24-hour model, significantly, more patients presented ...

Swiss Medical Weekly

BACKGROUND: There is an ongoing debate concerning the connection between lunar cycle and psychiatric illness. AIMS OF THE STUDY: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the rates of admission to and discharge from psychiatric inpatient treatment, as well as the length of stay, in relation to the lunar cycle, including 20 different categories of phases of the moon. METHODS: The data of 17,966 cases of people treated in an inpatient setting were analysed. Routine clinical data and data about admission and discharge were used. The lunar calendar was obtained from the website of the US Naval Observatory and was used to calculate the dates of the full moon according to the geographic location of the clinics. The clinics are located in the Canton Grisons in Switzerland. The following phases of the moon throughout the lunar cycle were defined: (a) full moon, (b) quarter waxing moon, (c) new moon, and (d) quarter waning moon. In addition, we coded one day and two days preceding every lunar phase as well as the two days following the respective phases of the moon. RESULTS: The lunar cycles showed no connection with either admission or discharge rates of psychiatric inpatients, nor was there a relationship with the length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the widespread belief that the moon impacts peoples' mental health and subsequently psychiatric treatment, this study provides no evidence that our celestial neighbour influences our mental well-being.

Journal of Affective Disorders, 1999

Belief that the full moon is associated with psychiatric disturbance persists despite 50 years research showing no association. This article traces the historical roots of belief in the power of the moon to cause disorders the mind, especially insanity and epilepsy. Putative mechanisms of lunar action are critiqued. It is proposed that modern findings showing lack of lunar effect can be reconciled with pre-modern beliefs in the moon's power through a mechanism of sleep deprivation. Prior to the advent of modern lighting the moon was a significant source of nocturnal illumination that affected sleep-wake cycle, tending to cause sleep deprivation around the time of full moon. This partial sleep deprivation would have been sufficient to induce mania / hypomania in susceptible bipolar patients and seizures in patients with seizure disorders. The advent of modern lighting attenuated this lunar effect, especially in modern urban areas, where most 20th century studies of lunar effects on the mind have been conducted. The hypothesis presented in this article is open to empirical validation or falsification. Potential tests for the sleep-deprivation hypothesis of lunar action are discussed.

German J Psychiatry, 2006

Historically, there has been a perceived association between the moon and human biology and behaviour that can be traced back to at least Roman times. The idea that the moon can in some way influence human biology or behaviour is a phenomena that has now come to known ...

Comprehensive Psychiatry, 1977

Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 2011

Indian journal of psychiatry, 1999

There has been considerable research on the influence of the lunar cycle on mental illness with conflicting findings. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between full moon (FM), new moon (NM), and other moon (OM) days and the frequency of specific psychiatric disorders in patients seen at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in Goa and to examine relationships with eclipses. Analysis of all new patients in two calendar years (1997 & 1993) was carried out. Diagnoses of interest were : Non affective psychoses; depression; and mania. The numbers of new patients seen at the OPD of the Institute of Psychiatry & Human Behaviour, Goa, with these diagnoses were compared between FM, NM and OM days. Numbers of patients with these diagnoses on eclipse days (lunar/solar) were also examined. A significant trend was observed for greater numbers of patients with non-affective psychoses on FM days, but no pattern was observed for mania or depression. The excess of non-affective...

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 2005

Indian journal of medical sciences, 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate an ancient hypothesis; the moon effect might increase incidence of injuries and hence admission of patients with trauma to Emergency Rooms (ERs) on full moon days. During thirteen months, 58000 trauma patients admitted in three hospitals that had the highest load of trauma patients in Tehran were studied. Due to lack of complete data, 3543 patients (6.1%) were excluded from the study, leaving 54457 cases for further analysis. We selected lunar calendar for our study, so dates of patients' admissions were converted to lunar months and three day- periods with 15th as middle day were defined as full moon days. In our study the number of trauma patients was not increased during the full moon days against other days of lunar month. Statistical analyses of data didn't exhibit a positive relation between full moon days and increasing of trauma patient admission to ERs. An association between assault and attempted suicide was not observed...