The moon is a powerful celestial body, controlling the ocean’s tides and stabilizing the Earth’s climate. In fact, many people even believe the moon influences human behavior and mental health. Some say they feel extra emotional or sensitive during the full moon, while others report wild, erratic behavior.
Growing up, I remember my mom coming home from work as a nurse and venting about busier shifts or erratic behavior—from patients and healthcare professionals alike—during the full moon. I am both a believer and a skeptic myself.
So, is there truth to this idea? I spoke with two doctors about the concept of “moon behavior,” so we can finally put this theory to rest.
Does the Moon Actually Impact Our Mental Health and Behavior?
According to Dr. Amy Fitzpatrick, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Bedrock Recovery Center, research does not support the idea that the moon affects our mental state or behaviors.
“This area of study has been around for many decades; however, the majority of studies (particularly those designed with high standards) have reported no direct association,” she says.
“Research has examined the frequency of hospitalizations, admissions into a psychiatric facility, and the moods of individuals across the varying lunar cycles, and the results are generally conflicting,” adds Dr. Max Doshay, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist and Co-Founder & CEO of KMN Psych. “Many researchers and professionals believe it is highly unlikely for there to be a lunar cycle-related reason for variations in thought and/or feelings.”
Rather, it seems to be more pattern recognition than scientific evidence.
“A classic example of how people tend to associate unusual occurrences (such as an accident or a crime) with the time of the full moon and ignore equally unusual instances that occurred on other days creates an illusion of a correlation that isn’t there,” says Dr. Fitzpatrick.
Why Might People Feel More Emotional During a Full Moon?
If the moon doesn’t influence our emotions, then why do so many people (myself included) report feeling more emotional or nostalgic during the full moon? Is it really all in our heads, like some sort of placebo effect?
“Our anticipations (or what we expect) affect our perceptions of and interpretations of emotion,” says Dr. Fitzpatrick. “For example, if you believe that the full moon influences your moods, then each time there is a full moon you are likely to be paying close attention to your normal moods, and therefore, will relate those moods to the lunar cycle.”
Dr. Doshay echoes a similar sentiment, stressing the fact that your emotions are still real—even if they’re a result of anticipation or some unrelated correlation.
“This does NOT imply that your ‘feeling’ is less valid,” he says. “It simply suggests that your expectation of the outcome (full moon) has affected the way you interpreted your feelings.”
He also notes that the full moon could indirectly influence our mood depending on a variety of factors.
“For example, sometimes changes in your nightly environment (e.g., a brighter room), or in what you are doing at night (i.e., a change in routine) will cause poor quality sleep. Even a single night of disrupted sleep can affect how we think, and therefore how we feel; as a result, you might be feeling irritable, more anxious than usual, or depressed the very next day,” he explains. “Most times, this is because of the combination of your anticipation that you will be affected by the full moon, how much time you give the full moon to make you feel differently than normal, and how well you slept last night—NOT because of the full moon itself.”
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