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Related Experiment Videos

Human aggression and the lunar synodic cycle.

A L Lieber

    The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
    |May 1, 1978
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Human aggression and violence show links to the lunar synodic cycle. Crime and psychiatric visit data reveal periodicities, with some behaviors clustering around the full moon.

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    Area of Science:

    • Chronobiology
    • Criminology
    • Psychiatry

    Background:

    • Human aggression and violence are complex phenomena.
    • Potential environmental influences on behavior are of ongoing interest.
    • The lunar synodic cycle represents a significant environmental rhythm.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate potential correlations between the lunar synodic cycle and human aggressive/violent behaviors.
    • To analyze patterns in homicides, suicides, fatal traffic accidents, aggravated assaults, and psychiatric emergency room visits.
    • To determine if lunar phases influence the frequency of these events.

    Main Methods:

    • Computer analysis of data from Dade County, Florida.
    • Examination of five categories of aggressive and/or violent human behaviors.

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  • Statistical assessment for lunar periodicities and clustering of cases.

    • Main Results:

    • All five behaviors examined (homicides, suicides, fatal traffic accidents, aggravated assaults, psychiatric emergency room visits) exhibited lunar periodicities.
    • Homicides and aggravated assaults showed statistically significant clustering around the full moon.
    • Psychiatric emergency room visits peaked around the first quarter and decreased during new and full moons.

    Conclusions:

    • A potential biological rhythm in human aggression that resonates with the lunar synodic cycle is postulated.
    • The findings suggest a possible influence of lunar cycles on specific human aggressive and violent behaviors.
    • Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms underlying these observed correlations.