body in response to the darkness of the night depends on the concentration of serotonin secreted in
response to the amount of natural light we are exposed to during the day. As daylight diminishes,
serotonin is automatically broken down into melatonin.
If your body makes a good amount of serotonin from natural light, it will also produce sufficient
amounts of melatonin during the nighttime, provided your eyes are closed. (When exposed to light, the
pineal gland does not secrete melatonin in sufficient amounts.) The pineal gland starts secreting melatonin
between 9.30 and 10.30 p.m. (depending on your age). Unless you use stimulants such as caffeine or food
at that time, melatonin naturally induces sleepiness or drowsiness.
Melatonin may even slow the effects of aging, according to an animal study conducted by Spanish
scientists associated with the Spanish Aging Research Network (RNIE). With sufficiently high levels of
melatonin in the blood, the body is able to regenerate and rejuvenate itself. This sustains good health,
vitality and longevity. [Note: Melatonin in pill form is a popular sleep aid, but it interferes with the body's
own melatonin production, which dosage and timing is perfectly synchronized with the circadian rhythm.]
The cycles of melatonin and serotonin totally depend on each other and are precisely controlled by our
changing environment. By disregarding these rhythmic changes in nature and living against these
unspoken laws, the body and mind surely move out of sync with one another. This is a leading cause of
physical and mental illness.
One of the greatest secrets of good health lies in the discovery of our intimate relationship with the
universe. Any sense of separateness between nature and us can only exist in the mind, not in the body.
The body has formed an essential link with the external world. All its efforts are directed toward staying
synchronized with our immediate and distant environment, including the moon.
Secrets of the Lunar Cycles
It is no longer just a mythological conviction that the moon exhibits a strong influence on both human
beings and nature as a whole. The ebb and flow of the tides, sleep walking, and the female menstrual
cycles are but a few of the countless phenomena that are stimulated and regulated by this powerful cosmic
force. We are meant to use this force for our health, gardening, agriculture and almost every other area of
human concern. Once you have discovered the secrets of the lunar cycles and synchronized your life and
activities with them, you will greatly benefit from this newly created harmony with the natural world.
Human beings, other mammals, and most birds and insects are subjected to this mysterious force of
nature. All natural processes like pregnancy, the growth of plants and their ripeness, as well as the
duration of various diseases, depend on the cycles of the moon. Our ancestors were masters of “right
timing.” Their heightened sensory abilities, perceptiveness, and exact observations of the phenomena in
the natural world made them aware of the following points:
- Many events in nature—the ebb and flow of the tides, birth, weather, and menstrual cycles in
women—occur in direct relationship with the movements of the moon. - Land animals and sea creatures synchronize their activities, e.g., searching for food, eating and
mating with the position of the moon. - The effectiveness and success of daily activities, such as the cutting of wood, cooking, the cutting
of hair, gardening and the applying of manure in agriculture are subject to the cycles of the moon.
For example, during the waning moon phase, foods cook faster and digest more quickly, and wood
can be cut more easily during the waxing moon phase when moisture content is higher. - Undergoing certain surgical operations and using medication may be successful on some days, but
outright useless or harmful on others. This effect is often independent of the dosage and quality of