From the HeartMath Institute we read:
Human behavior and the moon phases:
The notion that the phases of the moon can influence human behavior is ancient, and is reflected in the origins of the word “lunacy” (luna = moon). An excerpt from Wikipedia on the origin of the word “lunatic” states: “The word lunatic is borrowed from the Latin ‘lunacus’, in turn stemming from ‘luna’ (moon), and denotes the traditional link made in folklore between madness and the phases of the moon.” The authors Owens and McGowan report in an article (The German Journal of Psychiatry, 2006) that a high proportion of health professionals continue to hold the belief that the moon can in some way influence human behavior. Angus (1995, unpublished MSc study) reports that 43% of healthcare professionals believe the lunar cycle influences human behavior. A study with the title “Lunacy” by Danzl, published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine in 1987 found that 80% of emergency room nurses and 64% of physicians agree that the moon affects their patients’ behavior. A Russian study (Lucatelli and Pane, Biofizika, 1995) found that in some cases of manic-depressive illness, “Planetary locations in relation to the lunar month could be correlated with the susceptibility to bipolar manic-depressive syndrome.” Also, the crime rate has been reported to be much higher during the full moon then during other days (Thakur and Sharma, 1984, Br Med J (Clin Res Ed)). Another example is many women report they have menstrual cycles similar to the moon cycle. However, Owens and McGowan (2006) come to the conclusion: “While a lunar effect on human behavior is a phenomenon which is accepted among health care professionals, the majority of contemporary published literature rejects the influence of the lunar cycle.” This statement could change or be further confirmed with new data or different ways to analyze the data. Human beings consist of over 70% water and, like the ocean’s tides, the fluids in our body might be influenced and influencing us in ways we may not be fully aware of or able to prove. This might contribute to the ambiguous scientific studies available to date. Author and psychiatrist, Arnold Lieber, theorized that since humans are composed mostly of water (like the earth), our bodies might have “biological tides” that influence our emotions. He even wrote a book about it called How the Moon Affects You (1996).
Does the lunar cycle influence Earth?
Most people are familiar with the fact that the moon causes the tides in the earth’s oceans. This is because of the gravity forces between Earth and moon. Does the moon also trigger movement in the earth’s crust, which could lead to earthquakes? Many scientists working on plate tectonics dismiss lunar effects as triggers of earthquakes (Kokus, 1987, Cycles); however, some research has been carried out to study the influence of the moon in earthquakes. Kokus and Ritter (1988, Cycles) studied lunar phase triggers in 21 earthquakes. 14 occurred at the quarter phase, five at the full moon and two followed an eclipse. Some scientists claim that the lunar effect is gravitational, i.e. tidal (Ferulano, 1986, Hartzell and Heaton, 1989). A study of 2000 earthquakes demonstrated that they occurred when tidal forces where over the epicenter of the earthquake (Stetson, 1935). While the gravitational effect should be too weak to cause an earthquake, many studies show that there seems to be a lunar trigger. Herman and Goldberg (1978) state that the moon triggers particle flow which disturbs the earth’s magnetic field.
