Feng Shui & the Behavioral Science

by Victor Cheung

The Science of Studying Our Surroundings

Feng Shui is an ancient body of knowledge that studies how to use our surroundings to benefit our lives.

With the advancement of modern research and science to improve the quality of our living, science has also uncovered how our surroundings affect our well-being. Here’s a look at how the two relates using three examples.

Example 1: Window Design and Placements

Feng Shui stresses the importance of windows because of it allows qi to enter the room or living space. Today, we can understand qi as energy in the form of light, sound waves, and others. Here’s how they translate in terms of science.

Windows give us sunlight. It makes us feel energetic and alert. Without sunlight, we may feel relaxed and sleepy. In ancient times, there were only candles to light up a room, and the strength of its light won’t be strong enough to keep us awake if sunlight couldn’t come through. That is one reason why Feng Shui stresses the importance of windows.

Windows also give us fresh air. Imagine a bedroom without window. We may feel that the room is stuffy or even suffocating – perhaps due to the large amounts of Carbon Dioxide that cannot circulate out of the room. With the lack of oxygen, we tend to feel sleepy. When concentrations of Carbon Dioxide rise, it may even disrupt our sleep, making us feel less rested even when we get our eight hours of sleep. That is why hotels with sealed windows tend to keep the air conditioning on all the time – so that the room feels fresh when we enter.

Further, windows give us a view of the outside. Depending on our surrounding Feng Shui, we may feel relaxed if we see green trees and grass through your window, or we may feel agitated if our window overlooks a cemetery, hospital, or a waste management facility.

Example 2: Furniture Placements

Imagine yourself on a plane, seated in a window seat. If you had all the window seats to yourself, would you sleep with your head on the side of the walkway?

The same concept applies to our bed. Although there won’t be any flight attendants or passengers walking around our bedrooms, having a headboard against the wall gives us a subtle sense of security that’ll help us fall asleep easier. This relates to our survival instincts and sense of security.

The same also applies to our sofa and desk. If the back of our sofa or desk is a walkway, we may get distracted every time someone walks behind you. Further, any slight noise we hear from behind compels us to look backwards.

We humans are highly visual. Because we do not have eyes at the back of our head, our sense of security may feel threatened when we hear sound or sense movements behind our back. This may be why Feng Shui suggests that having our back against a wall will help us with our rest and concentration.

Example 3: The Science of Color Selection

Most of us respond to colors differently. Most colors can be categorized as warm, cool, and neutral and can make us feel happy or sad. This is how we perceive color’s qi through our five senses, namely, our sense of vision. This is where Feng Shui comes in.

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In Feng Shui, color is also used in a similar way. It can be used to balance the Yin and Yang, which resembles the warm, cool, and neutral feelings that colors can invoke.

For instance, the living room is suitable for more Yang energy because it is a place of high human activity. It is where people congregate, chat, and laugh. Therefore, brighter colors are more favored in the living room, because it wakes us up and gives us more energy.

Conversely, the bedroom is suitable for more Yin energy because it is a place of rest and sleep. Too much light can disrupt our sleep cycle and quality. Therefore, we favor more dimmer colors or lighting in the bedroom.

Conclusion

In a sense, Feng Shui is like science. Both are bodies of knowledge that improve our lives through a better understanding of this world. The major difference is that science uses experimentation, proof and numbers, whereas Feng Shui is based on observations and experiences accumulated over the years. Both are credible sources of knowledge that we can rely on.