Reminded me of this recent study...
Blame the Moon for Bad Sleep?
"In the new study, Professor Christian Cajochen, of the University of Basel's Psychiatric Hospital, and his team studied 33 volunteers, male and female, in two age groups in the lab while they slept. Their brain patterns were monitored while sleeping, along with eye movements and more.
The data show that around the full moon, brain activity related to deep sleep dropped by 30%. People also took 5 minutes longer to fall asleep, and they slept for 20 minutes less time overall. Study participants felt as though their sleep was poorer when the moon was full, and they showed reduced levels of melatonin, a hormone known to help control sleep and wake cycles."
I'll share a few observations that i see here culturally, religiously and socially that happens in this part of the world which is observed in accordance with the lunar phases. Infact before the modern calendar people here had a calender which was astronomically closer observing the movements of stars and satellite i.e, the moon. The lunar phases was used to determine the months and stuff like that and solar movements was used to determine seasons and many such intriguing stuff.
even though the scientific proof says otherwise and also the pseudo scientific claim of saying human body consist whatever percent of water and how we see tides in the ocean and water and the body all that blah blah, keep them aside.
the lunar phases have high importance culturally, socially and religiously in our part of the world. culturally moon is identified with fertility and especially with the Mind, there are many cultural beliefs and observations that are made in accordance with the lunar phase, socially the waxing and wanning phases of the moon determine the performance or undertaking auspicious activities, avoidance of travel and any new activity of the days of new moon is observed and what I personally observe not whether it's scientific or not, it is socially and culturally accepted what has been observed for thousands of years even before Buddha, muc before the Vedic era.
Now religiously new moon is seen as the most inauspicious time in the lunar calendar the darkness is metaphorically identified with bad effects. This belief makes people especially Hindus attending temples and observing religious self discipline. especially the 11th day of the waxing and the wanning phase people fast the whole day. this day is called 'Ekadashi' one may google it. The 14th day of the wanning phase people observe night long Vigilance by staying wakeful all night and into the next day this is called as Shiva rartri or the night of the Shiva and biggest of the such night falls during the transition of season from winter to summer during Maagha masa, whole day fasting is observed. there is even a practise of increasing the food intake during waxing and decreasing the amount of food taken during the wanning.
Now coming to spiritual part of it, Enlightment! Buddha's enlighment is celebrated as Buddha 'Pournami' meaning full moon poornima, pournami, Vaysa Pournami or Guru poornima again on a full moon. Infact all the religious festivals of Hindus are in accordance with the lunar phases. Any activity performed and it's result is identified with the waxing as regeneration and the wanning for decline, is the Hindu thought pattern. The things I am sharing is only the tip of the iceberg of what actually has deep spiritual influences on religious, cultural and social beliefs and observation connected with the lunar phases. like wise the Solar phases, the movement of the sun from the equator upwards nothern ascension and southern descent of the sun.
So it is up to the person who can practice and observe the subtle influences that may be seen. how come scientific world is still in the dark regarding this. may be they call this pseudo science, pscho spiritual or something like that. but religiously, culturally, socially and more importantly spiritually Lunar phases have high importance.
(no pun intended), i mean with all the noise anxiety, hyper vigilance and the way my body language is. sometimes I seriously began to consider I was possessed or some black magic was done on me and my family, sounds schizophrenic. I know but then such doubts vanished as I began to think how the mind plays tricks on reality, perception and especially beliefs. So till now I haven't had any demonic experience as some of you guys have experienced. But I find such things very Interesting.
