Does a full moon actually affect people’s behavior?

I was trying to think of an interesting project for this year’s science fair. My dad and I had just gotten out of our pool on a clear night with a full moon. Obviously, I’ve heard plenty of urban legends (like anyone else, I would think)and I asked him why people think it has magical effects on people. I was interested to find some info. on it. Your’s was the first thing I pulled up. I agree. It affects tides, not people!

Well, I think the full moon has an effect on people who are mentally and emotionally unstable. I’ve concluded (with no scientific research of course) that since the full moon affects the tides, and humans are mostly water, that it only makes sense that it affects us. I can say from experience that it does not affect the general population, yet it does have an effect on people who are less stable.. Working at a psychiatric hospital, I see this often.. Let me know what you think :)

I think the moon might affect certain people that might be emotianaly unbalance or unstable at a certain time of their life due. The moon might affect the endocrynological system or generate hormonal inbalances. But this is a personal hypothesis based on my own personal experience following moon cyles and my emotional state.

Nursey, you clearly don’t understand anything about how tides work. It isn’t the water that is affected – tides also occur in rock (at smaller level, because rock is much more viscous). The sun raises tides on earth, too, at about half the level that the moon does. The reason tides are higher at full (and new!) moon is that they are in phase with the sun’s tides, not because the moon is full.

Here’s the surprising thing – the moon is all there all the time, regardless of how much we can see of it – how much is illuminated by the sun.

I truly believe that it effects those that are bipolar. I have a son that is bipolar (he is 18 now) and I always know that he will be really bizaar when there is a full moon. He’s not homicidal…just does strange things. He is irrational too. Yes, he has mood swings a lot, but, they are very different during a full moon.
That’s my two cents.

Its called confirmation bias.

How come, on days of a full moon, most people I’m around are in a aggravated mood, having a bad day, or are just not quite themselves..? It is always that way on a night of a full moon, or in my opinion it is.

I have never noticed changes in people during a full moon. however that may have something to do with the fact that i dont pay that much attentions to others during a full moon. all i can say is i believe that the moon effects individual in different ways. what i mean is its all psycological.i cant say for everyone how people react at the occurence of a full moon. i can only state my own reactions to it.In the 17 years i have been alive i have noticed that when there is a full moon i seem to feel more at peace with life when i look up upon it. i always end up feeling calm or in a good mood, but this is during any phase of the moon. sure when its full its more beautiful and eye catching but thats all that is different then during any other time.i do however notice that when its a new moon or when i cant seem to locate it in the sky i become sad but why this is probably has nothing to do with the moon.this is just my opinion on the subject. i do not wish my statement to change the views of others and i do not think that it is something that can be scientifically proven. After all i am only 17 years old and still in high school. what do i know.

I believe in what most of you seem to believe in. Each person is affected differently by the moon. It may be the sun that affects the tides but then why wouldnt it affect us the same way. It doesnt have to be because the moon is full. but that the sun’s tides are inline. I think people get aggitated because of the superstitions but it does seem to affect people who are unbalanced such as the boy who is bipolar. whether it calms someone or makes them have a bad day….that is something isnt it. That is having an affect on that person’s life…no matter if they have a disease or not.

I believe that the moon has an affect on people who are aware of their connection to the energy of it. Those who don’t understand that connection, react negatively to it. Those who do understand it and are humbled by it, simply stare in awe of it as it supposedly creates havoc on those that are oblivious. This energy is and can be neither good nor bad, collectively. I think that the moon, in all of its power encompassing gravity, has an inspiring effect, not the opposite.

For the longest time I didn’t understand why some nights I just didn’t feel the need to sleep. I would sleep may an hour or two and awake refreshed and full of energy. Someone told me it was the full moon but I was very skeptical. The next time it happened I checked and it was on a full moon. I couldn’t believe it! I have a co-worker who experiences the same issues. I don’t feel homicidal or anything, I just have all this unexplained energy. As I have grown older I have noticed other things also such as strange stomach sensations and my heart rate changes on these nights. It’s strange but it only happens when there is a full moon. I’m not on any meds and I don’t even take vitamin supplements.

I believe that the moon has subtle affects on the human body. It’s silly to think that something that has such a strong effect on the tides–being that effect directed towards rock or otherwise–doesn’t also affect human beings.
I believe that small psychological behaviors sprout up during different phases of the moon. I believe that when we’re in the womb it’s possible that the location of the moon may have a small, unmeasurable constitution in the way we psychologically behave after birth–our innate natures, perhaps. Of course, this is just my hypothesis; you could do thousands of inconclusive studies going either way. That’s the beauty of having an opinion.
I’ve noticed from personal experience that I do things that are out of character on full moon nights. Usually, my moods are erratic and my day is always quite unusual. The funny thing is that I’ll be thinking this all day on a full moon night without even realizing the state of the lunar cycle.
This is definitely a fun speculation that has always fascinated me.

i hate you

I used to be a nurse and worked nights. When there was a full moon the patients would be really wrestless and not be able to sleep. I do believe that the full moon does affect peoples psyche.

I am not sure if it was all Native American tribes . . .but the women of the tribes had a place called the “Moon Lodge”. It was where they went during their time of menses. Why do you suppose they called it a moon lodge?

Repond to “Puzzled”.

Its weird that you mention cant sleeping during a full moon. I use to notice it too that some nights I cant sleep well. So when I was around 25yrs old, it just suddenly hit that on the nights I cant sleep, I always see the moon. I told my husband about the weird coincidence and he thought I was crazy. It would go on & on each month and on a FULL moon I could never sleep well. So at about 30 yrs old, I decided to do some research on the internet. I was surprised to find out that a lot of people also have the same experiences then I did not feel alone.

I personally believe there is some truth to the myth that the full moon effects people’s moods and behavior. I have experienced this myself. I always know when there is a full moon even without knowing it by a calendar. I have so much energy and can’t seem to quit talking and laughing and my sexual interest is greatly intensified as well as other sexual bodily functions. My family thinks I am crazy, but I know what I feel. My husband is beginning to believe me after some years of marriage. I have a grandbaby due on the 3rd of this month and I have my bet that it is born on the full moon which is the 4th. We’ll have to wait and see!

My daughter is very intuitive. She seems to sense things before it happens. She has been like this since she was little and is now 45. On a full moon when she leaves a store, the door alarms go off. She says she feels a magnetism on the full moon days.

Well, i have a different take on this subject. Statistically it has no affects. However, i believe its more of a mental issue. If a person bellieves something will affect them chances are it will. They will find a common ground just vaugue enough for they’re theory, of believeing the moon has affects, to seem as reality. Almost as a horoscope.

I must say, all of you saying there’s no evidence have obviously never had an honest days work with the public under your belt. I’ve been a barber for a little over 3 years now, and I can absolutely say that the full moon 100% effects people.

I see 100’s of people each week in my profession, and while I do admit there are always a few odd ones in the bunch, I can tell when it’s a full moon without ever paying attention to the calendar or the cycle of the moon. Every. Single. Time.

On the days that it’s a full moon, my morning starts out with a few of our regular customers, but then all of a sudden we have strangers. And not just strangers, but STRANGE strangers. I live in a small town, so strangers are pretty rare in the first place when you know and remember just about every single one of your clients and know a lot of them by name. Full moon days bring in strange people, nomadic in nature. Behavior can include anything from alcoholic tremors, to retardation, to sexual perverts, to racists, anything you can think of. Most common in these full moon “lunatics” is also a lack of proper hygiene. I swear, these people must never touch water. Ever. When a lot of these strangers are coming in back to back, I smile to myself and think “full moon,” check the calendar, and I swear to god I’m never wrong. Well, one exception, New Moons can also stir up people’s heads a bit. Sometimes I can think it’s a full moon but it’ll be a new moon instead.

So yes, the moon is always there, but there’s something more to it. You can call it “bias confirmation” and I can call you a dumbass. I’ve had three years of case study and probably will have another 57 more on top of it (barber’s don’t retire until they die, sadly, and with this economy, yeah). This is assuming that some full moon lunatic doesn’t kill me before that time is up.

A few of my most extreme full moon examples: Last full moon we had, a woman put her head under her husbands cape (he was caped up for a haircut) and acted like she was giving him.. a good time. Also, one time, a man told me clowns were staring at us from outside. Clowns named “Trevor.” Obviously, there was nothing there. I hope.

- Oster

We live in daily cycles. The Moon phases are a part of Nature.
There are four major phases of the Moon. Look at your calender if the phases are listed. The New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Last Quarter
There are by nature two weeks of receiving energy called waxing. There are two weeks of energy releasing form our bodies called wanning. If you think of boiling water, it slowly gets hot until it reaches the boiling point. The boiling point gives rise to evaporation because water can not boil above a certain temperature. Your bodies boiling point is at the Full Moon phase.
Your body will not evaporate so the Moons energy stops producing that type of lunar energy. The body starts to release the energy until it reaches the New moon phase. By nature we are affected by the Moon. Spell the word Moon and remove the the last letter n and replace it with d. Yes you have Mood Changes.
The Moon is a very powerful force of nature don’t sleep on it.
DG

Spend some time in an elementary school classroom on a full moon day.

no doubts in my mind.