Howling at the moon

I remember my mother saying that some people were affected by the moon, and she didn’t mean werewolves.

She often came out with little gems like that. However, the more I look into natural sources of wellbeing, the more I realise many of these old sayings are true.

There is a condition termed as ‘lunar syndrome’. Studies have shown an increase in visits to the doctor during a full moon, together with more anxiety, depression, insomnia and other psychological disturbances. The moon appears to destabilise us, making us more violent. Homicides, road accidents, accidental poisoning, suicides and casualty admissions all increase during the full and new moon.

During the summer of 1976 a serial killer, given the nickname of ‘Son of Sam’ by the American media, had all five boroughs of New York City in the grip of terror, fearful of his next attack on young women or couples. Despite column inches of speculation on his motives, the fact remained, unnoticed, that five of the eight attacks, and all but one of the murders, had occurred during a full or new moon.

Over a 15-year period in Dade County, Florida, homicides rose in tandem with the full or new moon, and depleted at other times of the month. Aggravated assaults and fatal traffic accidents also cluster around the full moon (J. Clin. Psychiatry, 1978). A further study of more than 34,000 crimes showed that they had more frequently taken place during a full moon (J. Psychol., 1976).

Anecdotal evidence and traditional cultures suggest subtle increases in ‘loony’ or ‘witching’ behaviours during full moons.

This is taken so seriously that the police gird themselves for more crime and stranger phone calls than usual, while psychiatric hospitals prepare for a higher admission rate, teachers for a more unruly classroom and general hospitals for a greater number of births.

The well-known tome The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, a classic of many years, found the notorious Charles Hyde committing all his murders under a full moon.

It is difficult to separate fact from fiction. However, when one starts to look at research and recorded studies, there is no doubt that crime, mood affected incidents and medical incidents all increase around this time of the month.

Parapsychologist Dean Radin has conducted considerable research into the impact of the moon on psychic ability and intuition. He has also analysed payouts from roulette machines, blackjack, slot machines and other gambling games to determine whether payouts at a Nevada casino tracked with the moon.

Initially, Dr Radin found a relationship with the earth’s geomagnetic field (GMF) and the lunar cycle; at the times of either a new or full moon, the Earth’s GMF was at its quietest. He then analysed casino data from 1991 to 1994 to ascertain whether the highest payouts occurred during days of geomagnetic calm and full moons.

Over four years he found a significant increase in payouts, with percentages at their highest during full moons and at their lowest a week before and after the new moon. “Gambling on or near days of the full moon, and by avoiding the casino on or near days of the new moon, over the long-term, gamblers may be able to boost their payout percentage by about two per cent,” Dr Radin writes. The peak average payout rate for blackjack was three days before the full moon.

The results regarding slot machines showed that over the four-year period, four of the six jackpots took place within one day of the full moon. Lottery winnings also reflected an increase when the GMF was high during times of full moons.

The general belief has been that any lunar influence is due to the gravitational effects of the sun and moon, similar to the tides. However the tides occur every 12 hours, whereas lunar effects are seen only once or twice a month. So far, this has led researchers to look for a simple relationship, such as the effect only with the full moon. The truth, however, may be more complex.

According to experts, the most likely explanation is a subtle geomagnetic effect, or an influence of the moon on the sun’s well-known geomagnetic effect. It is likely that the moon’s placement impedes or amplifies the geomagnetic pull of the sun and earth’s GMF, making it either stronger or weaker. Also the lunar synodic month is approximately the same length of time as the full rotation of the sun.

Studies of lunar samples brought back by Apollo flights also show evidence of strong magnetic fields in the rock, and this could be causing a magnetic shift when the moon passes through the Earth’s geomagnetic ‘tail’, as happens during a new moon.

Some scientists believe there are ‘tidal’ effects when the gravitational forces of planets also interact with the magnetic fields of the sun and moon, and the solar wind. This would have a cumulative effect possibly leading to a profound effect on climate and biology (Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res., 1996).

Further effects and speculation include the ‘lunisolar tidal waves’ and rotational periods of the planets, and can even be correlated with conditions such as epilepsy.

All this suggests that we can only begin to control our biology and maximise our mental health when we take account of solar and lunar activity.

kathryn@maltanet.net