The Moon has always had a kind of mystical place in human cultures around the world. The Full Moon especially has been one of awe for humans. From a scientific standpoint, it is a phase that occurs when the Earth falls into a position between the Sun and Moon. The Full Moon that occurs approximately every 29.5 days was linked to a series of myths, legends, sinister stories and superstitions.
Even though there has been no clearly defined link between this particular moon phase and human behavior, the truth is strange things happen whenever the lunar disk shines fully in the night sky. If you're among the people who are interested in this mysterious moon phase, read on to find out some facts and myths about it you may not know...
The common belief is that a full moon lasts all night but this is incorrect. The waxing of the satellite happens slowly and isn't noticeable with the naked eye. The actual full moon occurs when this expansion stops.
The full moon is often linked to insomnia. In the distant past the cause was obvious - people couldn't sleep due to the bright light that they weren't used to seeing at night. But today scientists believe that this type of sleeplessness is caused by a subconscious reflex we've inherited from our ancestors, as well as many superstitions.
There is a proven link between the full moon and exceptionally severe bleeding brought on by trauma. This is also the reason why many surgeons refuse to perform operations during this lunar phase.
The full moon can cause psychological problems in patients who are mentally unstable. The condition is known as clinical lycanthropy.
Incidents of dog bites double during a full moon. It is still not clear why their aggression rises but experts believe that the myths of werewolves originated because of the fact.
When there's 2 full moons in the same month, the 2nd one is called a Blue Moon. This phenomenon occurs once every 3 years.
Besides dogs, lions also behave differently during a full moon. The big cats hunt at night but when there's going to be a full moon they look for food the previous day.
The full moon is considered holy in Sri Lanka. In the island nation they believe that Buddha was born and achieved Nirvana during a full moon. No one works on a full moon and the killing of even fish and insects is strictly prohibited.
Even though there's no clear-cut proof of a link between the psychological state of a person and the full moon, statistics worldwide show that the number of patients with mental problems admitted to hospitals increases by 80% during the lunar phase.
