Moon Effect on Human Behavior
The moon's status as the earth's natural satellite has an impact on all of the organisms who live there, including their environment, climate, and biological circumstances.
But it's also thought that the moon has psychological effects on people. It makes sense why people have long believed in myths or folklore about the moon. Like the sun and stars, the moon is revered and honored in many cultures as well.
Then, is it accurate to say that the moon, together with all of its phases or cycles, can affect how people behave?
The moon's impact on human behavior He found, among other things, that the moon can affect people's behavior for psychological and biological reasons, such as circadian cycles.
And the following is a succinct explanation of how the moon affects how people behave.
1. The influence of the moon on the mood
Every living thing on Earth follows biological cycles in order to thrive. The 24 hours we spend sleeping, infradian rhythms like menstrual cycles, and seasonal cycles are some of the elements that can be considered to represent biological cycles. Various internal and external influences have the potential to alter all biological cycles. The moon and behavior throughout the cycle are connected for a reason.
According to research, several animals on Earth modify some of their metabolic cycles to correspond with the phases of the moon. The effects of the moon on various biological processes, including activity levels, feeding rituals, photosynthesis, migration, molting patterns, and much more, are highlighted in this thorough overview of the literature.
What about people, though?
The moon is long considered to have an impact on mood and mental health. In this instance, it is accurate to say that a person's mood swings are also influenced by their environment. Anxiety and despair can also be triggered by environmental causes. However, more investigation is required into how the lunar cycle may affect these two variables.
Based on their limited research in a study that involved 17 individuals, they concluded that there was a relationship between people with bipolar disorder and the moon. Patients, according to researchers, might cycle fast between states of mania and sadness. This element has an impact on people's quick mood changes brought on by irregularities in their circadian rhythms and sleep-wake cycles, which are both indirectly influenced by the moon.
2. The moon's impact on slumber quality
The capacity of the body to release or restrict the production of hormones at any one time determines the natural ability of the human body to control emotions. Hormones can be compared to switches in some ways. Something changes when it is triggered, affecting both mood and physical health. When we are awake during the day, some hormone levels are higher than when we are asleep at night, and vice versa. Melatonin is one of the hormones connected to sleep. This hormone is crucial for calming the body and getting us ready for sleep. Serotonin, a hormone that affects mood and hunger, declines at night as melatonin levels increase.
In this instance, the researchers discovered a link between the full moon's intense light and people's capacity to sleep or wake up. Artificial light may indirectly affect the quality of our sleep. The researchers also made mention of another investigation carried out in 2021. They compared the sleeping habits of students living in Seattle with those of three communities in Argentina. Participants were more likely to have sleep deprivation when there was natural light available after dark in all circumstances, regardless of regional factors or access to electrical energy. When there was natural light available, such as during a full moon, researchers theorized that this had something to do with an inbuilt adaption of our ancestors, who tended to sleep less and engage in more other activities.
3. The human reproductive system and the moon.
The migration or egg-laying cycles of fish and other marine creatures in accordance with the lunar cycle have demonstrated the relationship between the moon and the reproductive systems of a number of species on Earth. During the full moon, when the moonlight is the brightest, several of these species become more active. However, additional research is needed to examine its impact on people, including the birth rate, ovulation, pregnancy, and menstrual cycle.
4. The moon's impact on behavior
Researchers say there is still much to learn about how the moon and its cycle affect human behavior. The illusion effect, the placebo effect, and the suggestion effect, among others, appear to have had a significant impact on the moon's influence on behavior.
Deception effect
The assumption that something occurred based on prior knowledge or bias can be used to characterize this illusion effect. Everything is dependent on specific stereotypes and places connected to myths, superstitions, or beliefs.
Placebo impact
A person's thoughts have a significant impact on this outcome. The placebo effect happens when a person's physical or mental health improves or changes. The researchers presented the data from their clinical studies with an example of a patient taking a sugar or saline pill and believing it to be the best treatment for his condition. Following the drug's administration, the patient either feels better or the disease's symptoms get better. The brain's capacity to anticipate particular effects from medications when consumed, and the body's production of particular hormones in response to those expectations, researchers claim, have a lot to do with this.
Because it has the potential to have a significant and powerful impact on behavior, the placebo effect is particularly intriguing.
Even if there are causes and consequences that shouldn't be overlooked, studies on the placebo effect demonstrate that what we think or believe can have a significant impact on the outcome. The moon cycle, which has the power to influence human behavior and then propagate throughout a community, can also be used to explain the placebo effect.
Self-prediction or suggestions' impact
According to researchers, a person's internal suggestions also have an impact on their behavior and opinions on the moon and how it impacts people. For instance, when you awaken and believe that something negative will occur, The individual might unintentionally have negative things happen to them all day. But neither a curse nor a prophecy had a role in it. According to researchers, the mindset that is created is the only cause of this illness. Self-made ideas or predictions may cause someone to concentrate too much on the result and disregard other factors. When this occurs, the result can have an impact on feelings, moods, mental health, and instinctive physical responses.
It's likely that we will feel or behave in accordance with our belief that the full moon can make us irritable. In essence, a person's thoughts can affect their behavior. Both affirmative statements that are positive and negative are equivalent.
The explanation for this is that variables like these have the potential to influence long-term behavior and habits.
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