Has any one noticed how strange people act during the Full Moon?

Question

It is still not proven that the Full Moon produces strange behavior, yet there are always extra police put on the force during full moons and extra hospital staff............ what do you think?

They say that the moon controls the tide so that it is efffecting the water in our bodies similarly. Do you think so?

Answer 1

This is a very old and tired urban legend. From the Skeptic's Dictionary:

"Ivan Kelly, James Rotton and Roger Culver (1996) examined over 100 studies on lunar effects and concluded that the studies have failed to show a reliable and significant correlation (i.e., one not likely due to chance) between the full moon, or any other phase of the moon, and each of the following:


-the homicide rate
-traffic accidents
-crisis calls to police or fire stations
-domestic violence
-births of babies
-suicide
-major disasters
-casino payout rates
-assassinations
-kidnappings
-aggression by professional hockey players
-violence in prisons
-psychiatric admissions [one study found admissions were lowest during a full moon]
-agitated behavior by nursing home residents
-assaults
-gunshot wounds
-stabbings
-emergency room admissions
-behavioral outbursts of psychologically challenged rural adults
-lycanthropy
-vampirism
-alcoholism
-sleep walking
-epilepsy

"If so many studies have failed to prove a significant correlation between the full moon and anything, why do so many people believe in these lunar myths? Kelly, Rotton, and Culver suspect four factors: media effects, folklore and tradition, misconceptions, and cognitive biases. A fifth factor should be considered, as well: communal reinforcement."

Answer 2

nicely, the staggering blinding mild from an total moon will really make maximum astronomers somewhat cranky. achieveable also imagine, that in the previous, at the same time as the evening changed into lit purely by using candle, oil lamp, and torch mild, that the advent of an total moon and a brightly lit evening, could materially replace the habit of the community. imagine with the flexibility to seek, harvest, or play, for the time of portion of the day it quite is oftentimes too darkish for such issues. yet, we stay in an artificially lit international; or perhaps with impact the Moon could have once had over our nocturnal events is now a lot less. even with the very undeniable reality that, you should continuously beware of cranky astronomers.

Answer 3

Yes, you are correct. And there is scientific data that upholds this theory.

An over-abundance of negative ions are produced during the full moon. Some people are susceptible and react by becoming irritable, depressed, and 'not like themselves'. It is advised to have a ionizer in your home to use during these times if you are one of such people who are effected.

I suspect that the tides and extra pull of liquids has an effect too, as you said, but I'm not quite sure of how the mechanism works. Perhaps this pull causes a disturbance in a person's emotional equilbrium.

Answer 4

The full moon does have a gravitational pull. And the changes in barometric pressure changes tides…does that change how we act or react - Uh, I say yes. I see it in animals and people all the time.

There is no verifiable evidence, they insist, to support the idea that the full moon affects humans, but I believe it effects the entire earth as well as humans.

Some have to have facts and evidence. But some things are not tangible, and it's based on awareness and intellect.

There are skeptics about EVERY possible subject, so sometimes things can be "in your face" and there will still be denials or skeptics. :-D

Answer 5

It happens at least once every month. Sometimes, rarely, it happens twice a month. Up there in the sky. It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's a FULL MOON.

Popular legend has it that the full moon brings out the worst in people: more violence, more suicides, more accidents, more aggression. The influence of the moon and behavior has been called "The Lunar Effect" or "The Transylvania Effect." The belief that the full moon causes mental disorders and strange behavior was widespread throughout Europe in the middle ages. Even the word "lunacy" meaning "insanity" comes from the Latin word for "moon."

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/moon.html

11,613 cases of aggravated assault in a 5-year period: assaults occurred more often around the full moon.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=PubMed&cmd=Retrieve&list_uids=641019&dopt=AbstractPlus

18,495 records from patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital in an 11-year period: admissions for psychosis were highest during the new moon and lowest during the full moon.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=PubMed&cmd=Retrieve&list_uids=872560&dopt=AbstractPlus

According to the latest research, it's not werewolves running amok during full moons—it’s cats and dogs. The new study suggests that pets get into more mischief and are injured more often during certain phases of the lunar cycle, particularly when the moon is fullest.

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/08/does-a-full-moo.html

Studies of murder rates have shown their relationship with moon phases. Homicide rates peak at the full moon, with a secondary peak at the new moon. The strength of the moon's "pull" is increased even more at perigee, when it is closest to the earth.

http://www.astrologynow.com/Astrology.409.htm

Full Moon link to animal behavior revealed

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/viewnews.php?id=104052

The full moon has been linked to crime, suicide, mental illness, disasters, accidents, birthrates, fertility, and werewolves, among other things. Some people even buy and sell stocks according to phases of the moon, a method probably as successful as many others. Numerous studies have tried to find lunar effects. So far, the studies have failed to establish much of interest. Lunar effects that have been found have little or nothing to do with human behavior, e.g., the discovery of a slight effect of the moon on global temperature, which in turn might have an effect on the growth of plants.

Some 80% of mental health professionals, according to a University of New Orleans study, believe that lunar cycles affect human behavior.

Across the world, there has been an abundance of pseudoscientific theories and superstitions based on this premise. For example, Sinhalese Buddhism forbids sports from being played under the light of the full moon. Another theory claims that the moon has a perceived relationship to fertility is due to the corresponding human menstrual cycle, which averages 28 days. However, only about 30 percent of women have a cycle length within two days of the average. Furthermore, the cycle of lunar phases is 29.53 days long, so the cycles would soon get out of synchronization. Some also say that upon seeing the new moon some say you should turn over whatever silver you have in your pockets or handbag, which supposedly ensures prosperity for the following month.

According to some traditions, prior to the advent of modern techniques, surgeons would supposedly refuse to operate on the full moon because of the increased risk of death of the patient through blood loss.

In the UK, a survey has found that car accidents rise by up to 50 percent during full moons. Senior police officers in Brighton announced in June 2007 that they were planning to deploy more officers over the summer to counter trouble they believe is linked to the lunar cycle.

Answer 6

No it's true. It's phenomenon that is still unexplained.
More babies are born on full moons than the rest of the month too.
Scientists can't explain it. But the moon controls peoples emotions so I think somewhat it could be that more emotions can make people a bit more irrational.. why there would need to be more police out.
You are totally right though. I can't wait until someone cracks this mystery and lets the rest of us know.

Answer 7

You can believe or not believe, the choice is yours.

If something like this still seems to prove curious in this age, ya better believe there's some truth to it.

Water has parallels to feelings and emotions in many cultures. Our bodies are composed of it mostly. The tide has been on a schedule for longer than the age of anyone seeing this question.

Many viewing this question may wish to drop their pride or sarcasm on this subject. (except, of course, the author and a few others hehe)
:)

Answer 8

That might be an urban legend about increased police forces.

Answer 9

Narh. sorry mate havent noticed anything?

Answer 10

People are stupid ******* animals, they will use any reason to self destruct.