Scientific Studies of Sunspots

A few studies conducted by some researchers showed that there is a correlation between sunspot activity and human behaviour by increasing our sensitivities. One of the more famous researchers was A.L.Tchijevsky, a Russian professor. He studied the social movements of 72 countries, and noted the signs of social unrests in the histories of these countries, particularly wars, rebellions and uprises. With this, he constructed the Index of Mass Human Excitability covering the years from 500B.C. to 1922 A.D., and divided the solar cycle into four parts. 1. Minimum sunspot activity 2. Increasing sunspot activity 3. Maximum sunspot activity 4. Decreasing sunspot activity

    Particularly, Tchijevsky found out that 80% of the most significant historical events on earth occurs at the period of maximum sunspot activity. Just to give some examples, the American Civil War occurred around 1858-1861, the World War I in 1916-1918, and 1967-1969 was the period of the height of the Vietnam War, the years around which sunspot activity was at its maximum. However, in times of minimal sunspot activity, he concluded that people seemed to not mind being repressed or suppressed, and willing to let things go as they come. Tchijevsky’s studies provide a foundation for the effect of sunspot on human behaviour. Later studies and many observers, even journalists alike, seem to give regards to sunspots when major happenings occur in the world. In 1991 columnist Gwynne Dyer gave a comment regarding some political news by writing, "Either the sunspots are getting bad or they are putting something in the water." While extensive research has not been done to show exactly whether sunspot activity can predict heightened social activities on earth, and much research remains to be done, there is a consensus that the two factors are indeed correlated. Our group feels that psychologically, what human beings are trying to do is to find some external reason for the explanation of why infamous events are happening, that maybe it is not that human beings are inherently bad, but conduct several acts due to uncontrollable effects - the solar flares!

A Sun-blast of Creativity

Besides the activation of aggression and sensitivity on humans, it is also believed that sunspots contributed to cultural flourishes, such as in the arts, like poetry, music, painting and literature. The points below show this (adapted from the website written by James Borges): 1) Cultural flourish curves show marked discontinuities (bursts) after the onset of secular solar excursions synchronously in Europe and China; 2) during periods of extended solar excursions, bursts of creativity in painting, literature, and science succeeded one another with lags of about 10-15 years; 3) The reported regularities of cultural output are prominent throughout with eminent creators. They decrease with ordinary professionals. The hypothesized extraterrestrial connection of human culture has thus been strengthened. The evidence seems to show that during the maxima of sunspot activity human behavior is stimulated.

Sunspots and Panadols

    Putting the effects of sunspot activity on human behaviour aside, it was believed that sunspots also had an effect on whether one will get sick or not! There was some Russian research that has shown that in times of minimal sunspot activity, human health and our immune system seem to diminish, owning to the lack of stimulation from the sun in maintaining biological health. Professor d’Arsonval was one researcher who found out from early studies that showed increases in occurrences of deadly diseases in the minimal sunspot years. He noted Dr. Conyers Morrel in the British Medical Journal found out that "...waves of epidemic diseases covering considerable periods exhibit a very close correspondence with the phases of sunspot periods. Diphtheria, Typhus, and Dysentery seemed to prosper when there was an absence of solar activity... The immune system seems to grow unresponsive during the solar lull and diseases can more easily gain a foothold in the body. Not only human health but Life itself seems hampered by the lack of solar activity." It was also believed that the Yellow Fever epidemics that occurred in East Africa after the 1800s happened around the period of sunspot minima.

    Besides this, the general health of our greens seems affected too. William Hershel wrote in 1801, "It seems probable analyzing the period between 1650 and 1713, and judging by the normal yields of wheat, that a scarcity of vegetation occurred whenever the sun appeared to be free from spots." From this source, it seems that sunspot activity affects all living things on earth, and not only human beings.

Analyzing the Mystery

    What were the explanations given by the researchers as to why sunspot activity has an effect on human behaviour?  Georges Lakhovsky, in his book, The Secret of Life, explained that this was mainly due to the radiation given out by the sun, and solar winds blow it towards the earth. This creates the vibration of cells, and is known as the Prana, which has the ability to vitalize living things, and is the source of evolution, as explained by him.

"It is clear that radiation produces the electrical current which operates adaptively the organism as a whole, producing memory, reason, imagination, emotion, the special senses, secretions, muscular action, the response to infection, normal growth, and the growth of benign tumours and cancers, all of which are governed adaptively by the electric charges that are generated by the short wave or ionizing radiation in protoplasm." This extract above was written by Dr George Crile, an American surgeon.

    Professor d’Arsonval utilizes the knowledge from Lakhovsky and Crile, and explained that the nucleus of a living cell is like an "electrical oscillating circuit", and the cells oscillates vibrantly as they receive cosmic radiation from the sun. During periods of solar flares, as radiation increases with increasing sunspot activity, bio-chemical reactions within our bodies - more specifically, our cells - increases. During periods of more solar activity, this creates a sort of a storm within our cells, an excitation in the bio-chemical processes. Carol Moore in her article gives a sort of a layman short summary of the effects of sunspots on us biologically, saying that "sunspots give off solar flares that increase negative ionization on earth--and negative ionizations increases human excitability and activity". Because increases in negative ions increases our energetic levels, the researchers felt that in times of increases in sunspot activity when solar flares and radiation increases, human beings feel more excited, and possibly more aggressive, and this in turn leads to the manifestation of previously suppressed feelings, and therefore, this led to the rebellions, riots or wars that have characterized the maximum sunspot years. Further, because metabolism rates decreases during low sunspot years, this could have provided an explanation as to why deadly diseases were rife during the low sunspots years. With a lower metabolism rate, cells may be more inactive, and this results in the weakening of the immune system, making us more prone to infections and diseases.

    There have been some beliefs that increases in admissions to mental hospitals, traffic accidents and industrials accidents were all linked to the occurrences of sunspots. Even the wearing of mini-skirts were believed to be related to the amount of sunspot activity.

    What we can do as commoners is maybe to be aware that sunspots exists, and could have a probable effect on us. In times of high sunspot activity, be careful of your surroundings, and try not to offend people around you, least they turn their aggressiveness on you. Be careful too of driving, least accidents occur. You could take the blame on sunspots for unpleasant events as a pinch of salt, or......you could just believe, just to be on the safer side. J