In Afrikaans we have a saying – jy is met die maan gepla. Translated it basically means you’re infatuated with the moon. It’s something you say to someone when they’re acting crazy or weird and blames the full moon for their behaviour.

Can human behaviour be influenced by the full moon?

The word lunacy is even derived from lunar. Police officers and medical staff in emergency rooms insists that when the moon is full there is a definite increase in violence, accidents, attacks and people acting mad. Doctors at the Bradford Royal Infirmary in the north of England did a study of patient records for two years. They found that dog, cat and rat bites during that time were twice as much during the full moon.

During a full moon you sleep 15% less. There are a lot of theories explaining this occurrence. One of them is the inner caveman predicament. During a full moon visibility is much better. Predators can easily find their prey. That’s why cavemen needed to sleep with one eye open during a full moon and be alert to protect themselves against wild animals.

That brings us to the full moon affect. During a full moon there is more positive ions in the air than negative ions. The latter has fewer side-effects. Positive ions have an effect on your physical and mental well-being. Too much positive ions cause anxiety, depression, violent behaviour and road rage. Some countries in the Middle East are even more lenient with criminals if the crime was committed during a full moon.

Whether we believe that cursed men changes into werewolves during the full moon or that the Nazi’s had a moon base, one thing is for sure. The moon will always fascinate us and are a convenient scapegoat for acting a little strange.