Is it possible to explain the myths about the influence of the moon and lunar eclipse on human health from the point of view of science, said psychologist Arina Lipkina.
On the eve of a lunar eclipse, various media outlets are actively spreading information about what awaits people on this day. The form of filing varies from horoscopes to scientific statements about the impact of the eclipse and lunar cycles on the physical and mental health of a person. If the fact that the position of the Moon in the sky does not in any way affect the character and fate of a person has been known for many centuries, then with the rest of the myths associated with the Moon, things are not so simple.
It is still believed that an eclipse, like a full moon, noticeably affects the physical and mental health of a person. Research does not support this.
The influence of the moon is even considered to be the cause of menstrual synchrony in women, although the phenomenon of menstrual synchrony itself does not exist.
Statistics do not confirm the influence of the position of the moon on mental illness - an analysis of 559 visits to psychiatrists at the Miami Children's Hospital for 2009-2011 does not show any correlation with the position of the moon in the sky.
Injuries are not increasing either, experts from Tehran assure - they collected data on 58 thousand visits to hospitals with injuries, but the number of visits on the full moon did not exceed the number of visits on other days.
Contrary to popular belief, the Moon does not affect the number of seizures both in epileptics and in other people.
With great reservations, correlations were found between the phase of the moon and hospital admissions for people with gastrointestinal bleeding and renal colic. In addition, the staff of the Bradford Royal Hospital published a study back in 2000 in which they found a connection between the full moon and animal attacks on humans.
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The reason why the Moon supposedly affects the well-being and behavior of a person is explained by the supporters of this theory very interestingly: in their opinion, the Moon attracts fluids in the human body. But in fact, the gravitational attraction of the moon is too small for this.
But the Moon may still affect a person's sleep. A study published in the journal Cell found that during the full moon, subjects spent an average of five minutes more to fall asleep, total sleep duration decreased by 20 minutes, and sleep itself became one-third less deep. These changes were found to be associated with lower melatonin levels these days. Scientists monitored the sleep of 31 subjects using EEG for a month, and also monitored the level of melatonin and cortisol. The volunteers themselves did not know which experiment they were participating in.
“From a scientific point of view, there is no evidence that a lunar eclipse has a physical or emotional effect on people,” counseling psychologist Arina Lipkina told Gazeta. Ru. - At the same time, various spiritual practices, cultures, worldviews are capable of producing strong psychological effects, that is, our attitude to the eclipse (our beliefs) affects. In addition, it is believed that such days can warn or bring unhappiness, which causes fear, and anxiety, and a feeling of uncertainty due to a lack of understanding, there is still something significant behind it, dangerous for a person or not.
As a result, psychological states do lead to physical effects - weakness, apathy, drops in blood pressure, panic attacks.
People who are suggestive, suspicious, suffering from borderline conditions, mental illness, increased anxiety, weakened due to treatment or illness, should be especially attentive to themselves. On this day, it is better for them not to make serious decisions, not to overstrain intellectually, not to plan important events, a one-day diet or a reduction in the amount of food intake is desirable.
Much more beliefs are associated with full moons, but they are not very diverse. The theme is still the same - murder, violence, exacerbation of mental illness, etc. Researchers at the University of Washington have studied more than a hundred examples of lunar effects, but have not found reliable evidence that any of the phases of the moon significantly affects the health and behavior of people.
However, sometimes even scientists are sure of the influence of a lunar eclipse on human behavior. So, Alexander Ivanov, head of the observatory of the Kuban State University, on the air of the channel "Kuban 24" said that "the influence of a lunar eclipse on the behavior and state of a person is proved by 80%." True, he did not argue his point of view in any way.
Alla Salkova, Pavel Kotlyar
