How the Moon Influences People

Indeed, the Moon influences the Earth’s surface in many ways. This is due to the effect of gravity exerted from its “close” position to our planet. However, it must be taken into account that, to this day, only two lunar elements are known that can influence terrestrial activity, which would be gravity itself and lunar light , arising from the reflection of sunlight that reaches the natural satellite.

In this way, the effect of lunar gravity is responsible for the tides taking place in the Earth’s oceans, and the light from the phases of the full moon is also related to certain biological cycles in some animals and plants. These biological cycles occur especially in the case of the reproductive cycles of some fish and amphibians, as well as in the flowering of some tropical plants.

Although the Moon has a considerable influence on some biological species and the tides, the reality is that its influence on humans is lessof what has been led to believe through popular tradition. Keep in mind that there is a lot of superstition in everything that revolves around the lunar influence on human life, from traditions related to divination such as the horoscope, to legends related to popular folklore and mythology. However, currently there are no scientific studies that corroborate these facts, so those people who affirm these lunar effects, closer to mysticism than to biology, do so from faith or personal experience. Which, being respectable, does not allow us to say in a generic way that the Moon has a concrete effect on people, since it cannot be quantified or measured.

However, there are several observational studies that can help us better understand the lunar effect on people in a measurable and tangible way. In fact, these studies claim that the Moon could be related to the following episodes:

Increased insomnia

Different studies carried out, including the one carried out in more than 5,000 children by Dr. Jean-Philippe Chaput of the Eastern Ontario Research Institute, affirm that on full moon nights there is a higher incidence of insomnia cases. This rate would rise between 1% and 5% more insomnia than the rest of the nights of the lunar cycle.

Increased hair growth and nails

Another conclusion that has been reached through observational studies carried out in this matter is that on the nights corresponding to the new moon, a higher growth rate of both hair and nails is experienced.

Transylvania effect

Another of the conclusions that have been collected after observing and comparing data is that the nights of the full moon have more altercations than those in which the moon is in a different phase. This has been verified by comparing notices to the police on full moon nights versus other nights, which has corroborated that, indeed, on full moon nights the security forces experience greater activity in their work due to a higher incidence of episodes that require your intervention. This effect has received the striking name of “Transylvania effect”, in relation to the popular mythology that exists regarding this European region and the legend of Count Dracula who, curiously and unlike what happens with the werewolf,

More births

Finally, another of the effects that the moon has on human beings and that has been verified through statistical comparison and relevant observational studies, is that more births take place during full moon nights than those in which the moon it is in a different phase. This refers to the fact that the hospital admissions of pregnant women who give birth in this period of time is higher than during the rest of the nights in which the lunar cycle is in other different phases.

As can be seen, it is true that the Moon seems to have a direct influence on some of the aspects of human life. However, despite the fact that there are studies that can affirm this fact, even today it is not known for sure what directly influences or what is the process that causes these specific episodes to take place. Most of the theories in this regard refer both to the possible influence of gravity and to a higher level of light on nights with a full moon. Situations that, in a way that we still do not understand correctly, would be the cause of these effects on human activity.