22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[a] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[b] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!1
The eye, a window through which our inner selves connect with the external world. When we observe our surroundings—whether objects, nature, or other people—we are not merely analyzing or contemplating. We are also, perhaps unconsciously, projecting our inner state, our spiritual essence, onto the world (people) around us.
This projection is especially pronounced in social interactions. When someone is experiencing emotional turmoil or sadness, often times they ascribe their internal struggles to those around them. This tendency to fabricate a link with inner conflict can even result in the unjust attribution of one’s own misdeeds on to others. It becomes a coping mechanism for deflecting or processing the internal state, often to the detriment of those they project upon, in most cases, loved ones.
Image 1: Seated Bather by Pablo Picasso, Paris, Early 1930s, Oil on canvas
For the past 12 months, I have maintained an unwaveringly consistent diet. The same type of breakfast and afternoon meals, eating twice daily, occasionally supplemented with late-night snacks of assorted nuts and dried fruits. My dietary regimen serves two purposes: first, to maintain my fitness endeavors by ensuring a stable calorie and protein intake, and second, to manage a long-standing health condition of mine. I have suffered from a specific type of disease related to digestion and the vascular structure of the body since the age of 15, and as I age, the pain I experience seems to compound over time. It is a mechanical problem. To mitigate this, I prioritize on dietary fiber to support optimal digestive health and maintain a stable routine of daily exercise to keep my vascular and digestive health at acceptable levels. Despite my disciplined approach—consistent meals, ample hydration, and balanced nutrition—I’ve noticed that these health issues of mine recur unpredictably, regardless of external factors like climate and humidity, which I once suspected to be the cause. After a year long process of closely monitoring my symptoms, I noticed a striking pattern: for some reason, these problems predominantly occur during full moon periods and, to a lesser extent, during new moons, but almost never during a quarter moon phase. I could be idle laying on the couch for an extended period of time, eating pizza after pizza and lasagna on those days without any problems at all.
Image 1: Quarter Moon phase, my favorite
Question:
This mind boggling self-discovery has left me searching for explanations. Is this a coincidence? Why am I having these problems always on days that are close to the full moon phase or on that specific day?
Hypothesis:
It is well-established that during a full moon, the Moon exerts an enhanced gravitational pull, influencing Earth’s tides due to its alignment with the Sun along a shared axis. If we think for a second, if this force can move vast bodies of water, it stands to reason that it might also affect the liquid fluids and the structure which circulate it within living organisms as well, particularly humans, whose bodies are composed of approximately 60% water. I suspect that the change in the Moon’s gravitational force influences the structure of my vascular system, contributing to the recurring health issues I experience during these lunar phases.*
Şahin Kaya Arıkoğlu 