It is Nov. 14, 1997 on the night of a full moon. The smell of lavender aromatic oils and the smoke from burning sage fills the air as a group of women dance beneath the moonlight. Elizabeth Stone, a former student at the University of Oregon, is about to partake in her first “goddess oriented” Full Moon Ceremony.
It is a ritual derived from Native American, Celtic and Wicca customs. Stone attends the ceremony for academic purposes, but writes about leaving with the interconnectedness, balance and strength the moon is said to bring to the female body and soul. You see, much like the moon, women have cycles too.
This account represents one of the many fascinating beliefs that the moon has a direct influence on human life. It is also, one of the many inexplicable theories regarding the moon and its supposed effects. The full moon in particular has taken the blame for several mysterious happenings throughout time and has become somewhat of an icon for the inexplicable and the unordinary. Explore the more recent and longstanding myths that occur when the sun goes down.
Interrupted sleep
There have been multiple studies conducted about what experts call a circa-lunar clock, the idea that your sleep patterns and the phases of the moon are subconsciously intertwined.
Chronobiologist Christian Cajochen conducted an experiment in which 33 volunteers were studied while they slept in windowless rooms. While sleeping, brain patterns, eye movements and hormone secretions were monitored. The analysis showed that around the full moon the volunteers slept on average 20 minutes less, took five minutes longer to fall asleep and their brain activity related to deep sleep dropped by 30 percent.
Scott Fisher, a University of Oregon physics and astronomy professor, described his doubt on the matter of this speculative disruption of sleep. He explained that the moon is roughly one quarter of the size of Earth and about the diameter of Los Angeles to New York. The moon is also about 250,000 miles from Earth with a gravitational pull minuscule in comparison to that of Earth.
“The effect of the moon on us day-to-day, physically and astronomically — is zip,” Fisher said. “I thought, ‘What possibly could be affecting our sleep on a full moon?’ and the only thing I can think of is the brightness.”
The luna makes us loco
The full moon is often associated with a variety of insane behaviors. General increases in criminal activity, fits of violence and all kinds of mental breakdowns have been blamed to the full moon. In fact, in 18th century England, people on trial for murder were able to petition for a lighter sentence on grounds of lunacy if the crime occurred under a full moon. To this day, many law enforcement officials claim full moon nights tend to be busier and even more dangerous. But has it now become psychologically rooted in people to behave differently?
“My gut feeling is now that (the full moon theory) is embedded in our social conscious the behavior is self-perpetuating,” Fisher said. “I do think there’s a correlation, but I think it is due to the fact that the moon is brighter and that’s when people tend to get mischievous outside.”
From a scientific and astronomical-physics point of view, because it is brighter during a full moon, people are more active.
Medical trauma surges
Suicide, heart attacks and seizures are all said to increase on a full moon. Rumor has it that an electrochemistry in the brains of epileptic patients changes in the days surrounding a new moon — making seizures more likely to occur. Another theory is that seizures were once blamed on witchcraft, so blaming the moon may stem from a history of human tendency to choose mythical explanations rather than medical facts.
Data that does account for the myth is in regards to medical emergencies with animals. A Colorado State University study found that emergency room visits were 23 percent higher for cats and 28 percent higher for dogs on a full moon. So you might want to think twice before taking your pooch for a romantic moonlight stroll.
This one’s for the girls
Relating to the connection between the monthly cycles of both the moon and of women is the idea that a full moon can influence not only when a woman gets pregnant, but also cause her to go into labor.
This theory may have stemmed from the ancient Romans, who believed it was basic knowledge that conception and the moon went hand in hand. In fact, the Roman goddess of fertility, Diana, was also the goddess of the moon.
One way people have tried to make sense of this is by attributing it to the tides, since the human body is made up of about 75 percent water and the moon’s gravitational pull controls the tides of the ocean.
Once again, from a physics standpoint these prerogatives hold no merit with the expert.
“The gravity of the moon is completely dominated by the gravity of the Earth,” Fisher said. “So even though it’s almost a romantic notion, I don’t believe the moon controls tides within us.”
We think of Earth as the only planet we owe our lives to, but perhaps the moon is underestimated. It may even be ingrained in our subconscious, affecting us after centuries of lighting a path for mankind. And although many myths are sadly scientifically discredited, we will always have the undeniable lunar-effect on werewolves to rely on.
See the next full moon on Thursday, Nov. 6.