Full moon - people going nuts.

[koti]

I know how this sounds but listen to this...

We have a full moon here tonight, was smoking a cigarette with my neighbor outside and during a 10 minute time span we saw a guy slap his girlfriend and her call the police and a bunch of kids get into fights between each other. Theres ambulances and police cars going back and forth for the last 3 hours outside. I would correlate these events to spring coming and getting a nice weather, people drinking, etc

but...about a year ago I had two morons trying to climb onto my appartment window (I live on the 1st floor) so I treated them with my 15 thousand lumen HiD flashlight - they imediately decided not to climb anymore (the light is really harsh) and started to run around the yard like complete lunatics throwing bottles and generaly not behaving like

"normal" drunk young people. They started to climb again after a few minutes so I called the police and heres the punch line: Two cops came, I showed them and told them what happened (lunatics were long gone ofcourse) and the cops weren't surprised at all. In fact they informed me that its perfectly normal and they do a lottery at the station whos going to take the shift whenever theres a

full moon. Is there any rational explanation to this or am I going nuts myself?

3 ambulances passed by while I was writing this, people honking their horns, screaming, laughing outside - normal things but a lot of them in a short period of time.

[Lord Antares]

I think the full moon might be affecting you as well.

Report back when it has passed.

[Phi for All]

Drunk people seem even more irrational when you've been "smoking cigarettes".

[koti]

Yeah I know how ridiculous I sound. For the record, I've been smoking tabacco and I'm sober. The fact that Im explaining this is kinda ridiculous too so I'm ready for more fun coming my way

 

Anyway...the cops were dead serious and they werent pulling my leg (I swear)

[Lord Antares]

I did a google search and it seems that many people believe the myth but research says it's false:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2235964/Full-moon-Patient-study-confirms-common-myth-lunar-patterns-driving-mad-false.html

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17256692

 

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2014/398791/

 

As for the cops and medical staff believing more patinents come in during the fool moon, I don't know what to think of it. Possibly selective memory,, small sample size coincidence, etc. Actually, I think the latter is the most likely explanation.

[koti]

I did a google search and it seems that many people believe the myth but research says it's false:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2235964/Full-moon-Patient-study-confirms-common-myth-lunar-patterns-driving-mad-false.html

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17256692

 

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2014/398791/

 

As for the cops and medical staff believing more patinents come in during the fool moon, I don't know what to think of it. Possibly selective memory,, small sample size coincidence, etc. Actually, I think the latter is the most likely explanation.

Meanwhile I did some googling too and came up with similar results. I think Phi can safely move this thread somewehere where it better belongs. If you could see the eyes of these people though...

[Function]

I do enjoy the view of a full moon myself.

 

But imagine I try to get a good view of it while driving.

 

Then I'd probably become subject of your thread too.

[Velocity_Boy]

I think the full moon might be affecting you as well.

Report back when it has passed.

Not so fast. The full moon phenomenon is by no means pure hoakum.

 

Have you not considered the psychosomatic affect? That is, some people see the full moon, are aware of the mythos regarding how it can cause people to act crazily, or outside the normal parameters of accepted behavior, so they subconsciously engage in just that sort of behavior. This, in an indirect way, the full moon is causing this type of behavior as mentioned in the OP.

 

I've known cops and also psych nurses who swear by the validity of the Full Moon phenomenon. It's probably just a case of information bias on their part, but still, it prompts some interesting discussions among people in the mental health field. I myself am not a believer, except for the possibility of my aforementioned psychosomatic Dynamics.

 

But still, I feel you were overly abrupt and dismissive, not to mention a tad rude, in sarcastically shutting down Koti....and with no offered explanation.

Meanwhile I did some googling too and came up with similar results. I think Phi can safely move this thread somewehere where it better belongs. If you could see the eyes of these people though...

Yeah, like I just told Antares, us men of science may not believe in the Full Moon effect, but there has been such a slew of interesting reports and observations of folks engaging in strange behavior during a full moon that I think the first response to your OP was pedantic and overly dismissive. Especially since many of the believers are mental health and law enforcement professionals.

 

Then again this IS The SF. Where outside the box ideas are often dismissed in overly harsh and rapid manner. Witness the fact I'm quite sure I'll receive downvotes for this post. LOL.

 

Thanks for your post. Being a Psych nerd I found it I interesting.

 

http://www.livescience.com/1617-strange-happen-full-moon.html

I did a google search and it seems that many people believe the myth but research says it's false:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2235964/Full-moon-Patient-study-confirms-common-myth-lunar-patterns-driving-mad-false.html

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17256692

 

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2014/398791/

 

As for the cops and medical staff believing more patinents come in during the fool moon, I don't know what to think of it. Possibly selective memory,, small sample size coincidence, etc. Actually, I think the latter is the most likely explanation.

 

http://www.livescience.com/1617-strange-happen-full-moon.html

http://www.livescience.com/1617-strange-happen-full-moon.html

I did a google search and it seems that many people believe the myth but research says it's false:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2235964/Full-moon-Patient-study-confirms-common-myth-lunar-patterns-driving-mad-false.html

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17256692

 

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2014/398791/

 

As for the cops and medical staff believing more patinents come in during the fool moon, I don't know what to think of it. Possibly selective memory,, small sample size coincidence, etc. Actually, I think the latter is the most likely explanation.

I'd go with confirmation bias bring the primary culprit. Those folks who believe just conveniently forget all the times there was a peaceful full moon night, as well as the non full moon nights that were filled with crazies!

Edited April 10, 2017 by Velocity_Boy

[koti]

Thanks for the links Velocity_Boy, it looks like the psychosomatic effect you mention and a combination of stary night, warm weather and probably a bunch of other small factors both natural and social might come into play to render some kind of a "real" effect that a full moon has on people As for the psychosomatic effect - knowing that theres a full moon and projecting behaviour accordingly is probably the best explanation for me putting up a thread like this one. I in no way take offence from what Lord Antares wrote, this thread is borderline crackpot so no worries

[Lord Antares]

 

But still, I feel you were overly abrupt and dismissive, not to mention a tad rude, in sarcastically shutting down Koti....and with no offered explanation.

Yeah, like I just told Antares, us men of science may not believe in the Full Moon effect, but there has been such a slew of interesting reports and observations of folks engaging in strange behavior during a full moon that I think the first response to your OP was pedantic and overly dismissive. Especially since many of the believers are mental health and law enforcement professionals.

 

 

It was a joke. I see koti has taken it less harshly than you have and more power to him for that.

 

 

 

http://www.livescience.com/1617-strange-happen-full-moon.html

http://www.livescience.com/1617-strange-happen-full-moon.html

 

 

Good job, you just read the title of the article without reading the rest, didn't you? The article concludues that there is NO correlation between the full moon and extraordinary behaviour.

 

 

 

I've known cops and also psych nurses who swear by the validity of the Full Moon phenomenon. It's probably just a case of information bias on their part, but still,

 

But still what? If it's information bias, then there is no ''but still''.

One of the articles I linked even proves that it's confirmation bias from the side of the medical staff.

[Velocity_Boy]

Thanks for the links Velocity_Boy, it looks like the psychosomatic effect you mention and a combination of stary night, warm weather and probably a bunch of other small factors both natural and social might come into play to render some kind of a "real" effect that a full moon has on people As for the psychosomatic effect - knowing that theres a full moon and projecting behaviour accordingly is probably the best explanation for me putting up a thread like this one. I in no way take offence from what Lord Antares wrote, this thread is borderline crackpot so no worries

No worries indeed, mate.

 

I guess the only true way that the Lunar Effect could have ever been given some credence is is that if those who engaged in the wild behavior during the full moon phase could have been proven not to have known there was a full moon. As in, locked inside with no windows, and also no knowledge that there was a full moon that night.

 

What at one time mildly intrigued me about that idea is that I actually once offered it to a psychiatric RN friend if mine, who worked at an inpatient psychiatric hospital. And she swore that that was indeed the case. Her patients on the locked ward she worked on didn't know. She claimed also to have been aware of the confirmation bias pitfall, so she actually documented the nights the moon was full and the attendant behavioral problems that occurred. Lastly, and then I promise to drop this topic...Lol...She said that, so persuasive were her resultant findings, supporting the validity of the Lunar Effect, that she planned to use them for her Master's thesis in Psych.

 

Alas, I lost contact with her before that happened, if it ever did.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Velocity_Boy

[HB of CJ]

Emergency Public Agencies will tell you there is something called the Quadruple Witching Hour. Also known by other names. Usually happens during hot muggy summer nights combined with Saturday, a full Moon and a recent welfare check. Usually restricted to the poor parts of town. A great spike in emergency activity. Yikes!

[StringJunky]

The myth may have stemmed from pre-street lamp days, when there was little or zero ambient night light, and hence less activity from people. On full moon nights there may have been more activity because people could see better and, hence, more trouble may have occurred.

[Manticore]

The myth may have stemmed from pre-street lamp days, when there was little or zero ambient night light, and hence less activity from people. On full moon nights there may have been more activity because people could see better and, hence, more trouble may have occurred.

 

Certainly true for African villages without electricity. At least with a full moon you get a chance to see the leopards rather than just hearing them (sometimes terrifyingly close).

[DrP]

Yea - I think String Junky probable hit the nail there... With regard to modern day craziness.. A large full moon can induce a certain amount of numinous in a person... people with an inspired awe from something can feel a little wowed out - this, imo, could lead to crazy behaviour, or at least the feeling of increased craziness.... that coupled with the extra light that enables extra activity as suggested above.

[koti]

I agree, Stringy got it right along with previous input by Velocity_Boy and others. Plus it's day time now and I definitely feel "normaler" now Lord_Antares

[DrP]

The numinous one feels when staring at a beautiful moon is a real thing though. The question is whether that numinous can influence the brain and make you do something crazy. Tests seem to suggest not, but anecdotes are presented which support.

 

SO - I would personally say that it looks like there is no evidence to support the suggestion that the full moon actually drives people mad (beyond those that were mad anyway), although it is known that a sense of awe can inspire people... and the moon can inspire awe.

[Velocity_Boy]

The myth may have stemmed from pre-street lamp days, when there was little or zero ambient night light, and hence less activity from people. On full moon nights there may have been more activity because people could see better and, hence, more trouble may have occurred.

 

 

This is an excellent hypothesis! Good job.

[StringJunky]

 

 

This is an excellent hypothesis! Good job.

Thank you. There is usually some grain of truth in a myth or folklore and it quite often helps to consider the prevailing conditions when such myths may have originated.

[quickquestion]

Basically, the human being is a pent-up collection of pent-up continually repressed natures and instincts. It regulates itself due to social norms and fear of social exclusions. Give it any excuse to go wild, and it will.

 

That's one of the reasons humans drink booze...booze gives it "permission" to act wild. If there's one thing I know about humans, it's that they love avoiding taking responsibility for their actions.

 

So the "full-moon" legends allow people to see the full-moon, giving them a subliminal slip of restraint, letting themselves go wild. So then when they sober they can avoid responsibility, and say the full-moon did it...and not acknoledge the real reason, is that society restricts and regulates most of their animal desires and instincts, and they are so repressed and pent up that even the slightest thing could let them go wild.

[koti]

Basically, the human being is a pent-up collection of pent-up continually repressed natures and instincts. It regulates itself due to social norms and fear of social exclusions. Give it any excuse to go wild, and it will.

 

That's one of the reasons humans drink booze...booze gives it "permission" to act wild. If there's one thing I know about humans, it's that they love avoiding taking responsibility for their actions.

 

So the "full-moon" legends allow people to see the full-moon, giving them a subliminal slip of restraint, letting themselves go wild. So then when they sober they can avoid responsibility, and say the full-moon did it...and not acknoledge the real reason, is that society restricts and regulates most of their animal desires and instincts, and they are so repressed and pent up that even the slightest thing could let them go wild.

 

 

Erm...ok.

[Raider5678]

Basically, the human being is a pent-up collection of pent-up continually repressed natures and instincts. It regulates itself due to social norms and fear of social exclusions. Give it any excuse to go wild, and it will.

 

That's one of the reasons humans drink booze...booze gives it "permission" to act wild. If there's one thing I know about humans, it's that they love avoiding taking responsibility for their actions.

 

So the "full-moon" legends allow people to see the full-moon, giving them a subliminal slip of restraint, letting themselves go wild. So then when they sober they can avoid responsibility, and say the full-moon did it...and not acknoledge the real reason, is that society restricts and regulates most of their animal desires and instincts, and they are so repressed and pent up that even the slightest thing could let them go wild.

Ummm...... no.

[MonDie]

This idea is essentially astrology. Astrology was paired with astronomy since the beginning of civilization, but modern astrology is hardly like the style of astrology that was predominant at least as far back as Ptolemy (100-170 AD). These astrologers thought they could predict events by how the planets were be aligned. They used ecliptic longitude because most of the planets in our solar system move along this plane, and they looked at the angle that was formed by two planets with Earth as the vertex. In this system, the full moon is an "opposition" (180 degrees) of the sun and the moon. At some point astrologers switched to personality readings to avoid the persecution associated with being a fortune teller. These full moon ideas are probably a remanent of this obselete science. Some celestial bodies do clearly influence our affairs. The sun determines our seasons as it traverses the plane of the ecliptic each year. The seasons influence sun exposure, food availability, the tides, etc. This doesn't mean the other 99% of astrology is accurate.

[quickquestion]

Ummm...... no.

You have to be more specific. I made several different points. To which do you disagree, and for what reason do you disagree with them?

[Strange]

You have to be more specific. I made several different points. To which do you disagree, and for what reason do you disagree with them?

 

 

How about "all of them" and "basically made up nonsense"?