How Moods Are Affected By The Sun

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Cook wrote in his journal on May
16, 1898, "Around our tables . . . . men are sitting about sad and dejected
lost in dreams of melancholy. For brief moments some try to break the spell by
jokes, told perhaps for the 50th time. Others grind out a cheerful philosophy;
but all efforts to infuse bright hopes fail."2 Some believe that light affects
the body's ability to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps induce
feelings of calm and well being. The eye's sensitivity may also play a part in
sun/mood relations. A study was done to a group of people in the winter and
summer. In the winter the many individuals experienced much more difficulty
seeing dim light after sitting in the dark for a while.3 Another study done in
Vancouver shows that electrical activity in the retinas when a bright light is
shone, is significantly less in winter4.

As much as 5% of Americans suffer from Seasonal Affective disorder, also known
as SAD5. SAD is an illness in which the sufferers feel ...

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