There are a lot of myths and legends all over the world from indigenous African communities to Europe and the Far East concerning the full moon. The Chinese for instance, have been known to revere celestial deities like the gods of the sun and moon and performed the Festival of the Moon in mid-August when the moon was full and brightest by paying homage to it. The full moon is believed to have various psychological impacts due to its alleged supernatural powers and may cause changes in mood and emotional stability, however, evidence for such a link is very slim.
Belief in the power of the full moon has for many years driven most sane mortals crazy and with fear and the medieval tale about a woman who went “barking mad” during the full moon only adds fuel to the fire. The notion that people become hyperactive and that holidays which coincide with full moon results into more incidences and fatalities has even caused a certain force of The British police force to employ more officers during full moons (Hammond, 2013). Despite all this hullabaloo surrounding the full moon, there is no real link between people's behavior and the occurrence of the full moon. As a matter of fact, US psychologists combined several studies in 1985 on the effects of the lunar cycle and managed to conclude that it was unrelated to the number of psychiatric admissions, murders, car accidents, suicides and crimes (Hammond, 2013).
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Such findings only show there is no real association between people’s moods and behavior during the full moon. It is true that the moon exerts influence on water bodies but does not exert influence on humans. A further look at animals’ behavior during full moon also proves that the full moon’s influence on them is insignificant. Bradford Royal Infirmary took upon themselves to examine the case of biting animals during normal times in the year and during the full moon but found that the full moon made no difference at all (Hammond, 2013).
Conclusion
Myths and legends from many years back are what fueled the notion that full moons have a psychological impact on peoples' behavior. These claims, however, are not scientifically proven and therefore inappropriate to claim that the full moon has a major impact on human behavioral patterns. If there is any relationship at all, it is insignificant and not a cause for alarm.
Reference
Hammond, C. (2013). Does a full moon make people mad? Bbc.com . Retrieved 29 August 2017, from http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20131029-does-a-full-moon-make-people-mad
