Do Full Moons Make People Act Crazy?
Urban legends abound on the subject of things—and people— going haywire around the time of the full Moon. But is there any truth to it? Depends on who you ask.
“Must be a full Moon …” is a common utterance whenever things start to go a little haywire. The idea that a full Moon can drive people mad is an old one. Even the word “lunatic,” and its relatives “loon” and “loony,” derive from the Latin word “luna,” meaning “Moon.”
Urban legends abound on the subject of things going haywire around the time of the full Moon. According to contemporary lore, emergency rooms and veterinary offices are busier when the Moon is full; suicide, arson, and violent crime rates increase, patients in psychiatric hospitals act out more, and there are more traffic accidents.
Others even attribute medical occurrences, such as women going into labor, epileptic seizures, and sleepwalking to the full Moon. But is it true?
Do Full Moons Really Affect Our Behavior?
People who believe that Moon phases affect human behavior point out that the human body is about 60% water. If the phase of the Moon can affect ocean tides, and even cause a bulge in the Earth’s crust, surely it would exert an effect of human beings, they reason.
And, of course, one of the most popular features in the Farmers’ Almanac is our Best Days calendar, which recommends specific days to do everything from plant root crops to cut hair for increased growth, based on the phases of the Moon and other factors. Readers swear that they see better results in their endeavors when they follow these recommendations.
What Does Science Say?
Science has taken the question of the full Moon’s effects seriously enough that there have been a number of studies examining the various claims. Nearly all of them have come up empty, though. All have either found no correlation between the Moon and human behavior or were later debunked by other studies that questioned their methods.
Scientists are also quick to point out that objects on Earth have more effect on one another than the Moon does. Astronomer George Abell famously noted that a mosquito sitting on your arm exerts more gravitational force on your body than the Moon does.
So why the persistent belief, purportedly even among emergency room personnel and police, in the power of the full Moon to bring on crazy behavior? One hypothesis, posed in a 1999 issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders, suggested that sleep deprivation, caused by the brightness of the full Moon, might have worsened existing mental disorders. Once electric lights were invented, the authors said, the effect was negated, which is why modern studies have found no correlation.
Others say the belief has remained strong due to “confirmation bias,” the idea that people favor information that supports their preconceived notions. In other words, if you expect people to act strangely during a full Moon, every strange behavior you encounter during a full Moon reinforces that belief.
Read 7 Ways The Moon May Affect Your Health
What do you think? Do you notice people acting differently around the time of the full Moon? Share your thoughts below!
Jaime McLeod
Jaime McLeod is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV.com. She enjoys the outdoors, growing and eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.
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I’m no expert on anything, more like Jack of All Trades, and through my life I’ve never seen anything that bears this notion out. People behave all sorts of ways every day of the month, including nights with full moons. I think seeing someone do something particularly egregious is fuel for this lore. That said, I am willing to change my opinion on this, especially if I see proof of someone turning into a wolf on the night of a full moon.
I worked in a hospital ER for many years. Certain times of the month one of the workers would ask to lookup the date if it was Full Moon ,cause the ER was more chaotic than normall..
I know what science says, but after working in a hospital, I can’t agree. It SEEMED as though more babies were born and more crazies were in the ER.
Totally believe it. I had to go to the ER on the super full moon this month. There were 76 patients back in the ER and I had to wait 10hrs before I went back (i had to get certain tests by a GI so i had to wait.) I was flagged as an overnight observation so that just kept checking my vitals until there was a bed. All the hospital staff were convinced it was the full moon!
You need to ask a Cancer. (-;
What’s weird is nobody ever talks about the weird behavior during a new moon, even though the tidal forces are greater than a full moon…..
I am at work right now, sitting outside, taking a break. I am looking at the full moon. I work in a dementia facility and most of my residents have been going off the chain all day. Screaming, falling down, more aggressive behavior than usual. I came outside to take a breather from all the chaos and looked up and yes, it’s a full moon.
I was a CNA as well as an EMT for quite a few years. As a CNA it only took a couple of our alzheimer/dementia patients to start acting exceptionally off-kilter before one of my coworkers would get on their phones to find out if it was a full moon. We all knew that if either of the Emma’s started to act crazier than usual, it was a full moon. In the EMS world we would get hammered with a larger call volume as well as some bizarre calls. For me personally, I get exceptionally clumsy a day or so before the moon reaches the full moon phase. IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE! Ask anyone who has porphyria, the disease of the vampire, which is where the werewolf legend came from, and they will tell you, it makes a difference.
I have been a 911 dispatcher for 20 yrs. I can tell you we notice a difference in call volume and the call types where ppl are not acting normal. We have callers we consider “regulars “ that we know they will be calling more frequently during the full moon. We believe in the full moon theory.
My family were in the bar business for more than 5o years, and there were definitely strange people affected by the phases of the moon, and we’d always say there would be full members out on the full moon, but also when it was the new moon, there would be new members, Hah!