Why Feng Shui Needs to Become More Evidence-Based (and Even Scientific)

Feng shui as philosophy and art
Feng shui is both a philosophy and an art, but to remain relevant and credible in the modern world it also needs to become more evidence based and even scientific. Feng shui is a philosophy because it is grounded in Chinese metaphysics and a view of reality that treats place, pattern and person as dynamically interrelated. It is an art because practitioners compose material arrangements, light, colour, form and symbolism into an aesthetic that cultivates harmony. Art produces affects, shaping how we feel, perceive and act within a space. Precisely because feng shui aims to enhance human well-being through design, it deserves a strong evidence base. Decorative claims or inherited maxims are not sufficient when the goal is health, clarity and ethical practice. An evidence-based approach does not replace the philosophical roots of feng shui. Instead, it clarifies them by showing where traditional principles already align with contemporary research in environmental psychology, health and building science, where they do not, and where we simply do not yet know and where more research is required. Read more on What is Feng Shui? Art, Philosophy, or Science?

For example, the principle of placing a bed in a “commanding position” mirrors what environmental psychology calls prospect and refuge theory, where people feel safer and calmer when they can see the entrance but are not directly in line with it (Appleton, 1975). Similarly, feng shui’s advice to introduce natural light and plants resonates with findings from biophilic design research, which shows reduced stress and improved recovery rates in hospital patients when nature is incorporated indoors (Ulrich, 1984).

From Tradition to Science: The Evidence Gap in Feng Shui
To date there is not enough evidence to call feng shui a science (Matthews, 2019). Although feng shui draws on centuries of observation and practice, its claims have not yet been consistently validated through rigorous scientific methods such as controlled experiments, systematic reviews, or meta-analyses. Much of its traditional knowledge is based on authority and cultural transmission rather than empirical testing. This does not mean feng shui has no validity. On the contrary, some of its recommendations overlap significantly with findings in environmental psychology and evidence-based design. For example, the principle of ensuring adequate natural light and fresh air is echoed in research showing that daylight improves cognitive performance and mood (Boubekri et al., 2014). Similarly, feng shui’s emphasis on decluttering parallels studies linking reduced household disorder with improved psychological well-being (Saxbe & Repetti, 2010).

There is, however, a growing movement to bridge feng shui and science. A notable attempt is the book Scientific Feng Shui for Built Environment (Mak & Ng, 2005), which explores how feng shui principles can be interpreted and tested using architectural science and environmental studies. More recently, systematic reviews of empirical feng shui studies suggest there is potential, but research remains sparse and fragmented (Han, 2023). For feng shui to move closer to scientific credibility, it needs a body of evidence that is cumulative, transparent, and reproducible, distinguishing what is universal from what is culturally specific.

In this sense, feng shui today might best be described as a philosophy and an art with scientific aspirations. It operates with valuable insights that can be tested and refined through modern research. By encouraging evidence-based exploration, practitioners can both preserve tradition and demonstrate where feng shui meaningfully contributes to contemporary understandings of health, design and human well-being. Read more on Is feng shui a science?

Ways of knowing
In practice, feng shui advice is often justified in three ways. First, authority, the master says so. Second, intuition, clients or consultants feel it in their bones. Third, observation, we look carefully, measure and compare. Authority and intuition can seed hypotheses and teach sensitivity, however only observation organised as cumulative method can build shared knowledge that others can test, refine and apply. That is what science offers. It is a social practice that produces public reasons, not private revelations, so that we can update our judgments together when new evidence appears.

There are different ways of knowing:

1. Authority, where beliefs are accepted because they are passed down by teachers, cultural systems or traditions. For example, a feng shui master may pass on rules unquestioned by students.

2. Inner experience and intuition, where knowledge comes from felt bodily experience, intuition and inner awareness. A practitioner might intuit that a room feels stagnant, balanced or uplifting.

3. Science and empiricism, where knowledge is built through observation and testing. Science differs from simple empiricism because it is cumulative, systematic and collectively shared, enabling knowledge to grow across generations.

In my work I integrate these three ways of knowing but always return to science as a grounding path.

The question of reality
A useful analogy is the mathematical constant pi. Pi does not exist in any real, imperfect circle, but as an ideal abstraction it functions as a universal principle. This highlights the tension between what is discovered as real and what is socially constructed. Feng shui can be viewed in a similar way: some principles may reflect universal human responses to space, while others may be cultural constructs that require testing to determine their broader relevance.

What counts as reality here, operationalising qi
If feng shui speaks of qi as the felt vitality of a place, the scientific task is not to deny the language but to operationalise it. For example, airflow and ventilation rates, thermal comfort, daylight and melanopic illumination, acoustic profiles, spatial prospect and refuge, crowding, and visual complexity are measurable properties that track many of the experiences feng shui names as stagnant or lively, safe or exposed, calm or agitating. Standards such as CIBSE Guide A for environmental design and the WELL Building Standard already translate several of these properties into actionable criteria for comfort, sleep and alertness (CIBSE, 2015, updated 2021; International WELL Building Institute, n.d.). Using these proxies does not exhaust the meaning of qi, it makes parts of it testable and ethically accountable.

Conceptual clarification in feng shui, before prescription
Feng shui often suffers from conceptual confusion. Shared terms may hide different meanings. Take for example the term energy flow. Some interpret it metaphorically as how people move in a space, others see it as literal qi. Without clarification, practitioners may talk past one another. Similarly, the concept of harmony or balance in feng shui can mean both reverence for nature and an emotional response to symmetry or grandeur in architecture. Clarifying such concepts can help practitioners avoid unnecessary disputes.

Many disputes about rooms and remedies are semantic rather than substantive. For example, some consultants describe the command position for a desk as being diagonally across from the door, while others define it simply as any placement with clear sightlines to the entrance, regardless of diagonal angle. These are related but not identical interpretations, and they lead to different prescriptions. Environmental psychology urges careful construct definitions before outcome evaluation. For instance, the command position can be operationalised with established constructs of prospect and refuge, visibility of entrances, and privacy regulation, which have been examined in empirical studies and meta-analyses (Dosen & Ostwald, 2016; Robson, 2008; Staats, 2019). We should name exactly what is being altered, then choose outcomes in advance, for example, perceived safety, attentional performance, or stress indices.

The Scientific Method and the Scientific Way of Thinking
It is important to distinguish between the scientific method and the scientific/logical way of thinking. The scientific method involves formal steps such as observation, hypothesis, experimentation, measurement and replication. This approach works well when claims are measurable and testable. However, many feng shui principles, such as the symbolic placement of objects to attract prosperity or luck, may not easily lend themselves to controlled experiments. In these cases, the scientific/logical way of thinking is especially valuable. This mindset emphasises logic, rationality, and down-to-earth reasoning. For example, instead of asking whether a fountain at the front door literally attracts wealth, we might ask more practically: does the sound of water reduce stress, improve mood, or create a welcoming impression that benefits social and business interactions? Similarly, when a mirror is placed in a hallway, even if its “energy” effects cannot be tested directly, we can logically assess whether it increases light levels, expands perceived space, or reduces feelings of confinement. In this way, a scientific way of thinking helps to illuminate feng shui practices, distinguishing what is plausible and beneficial from what is purely symbolic or metaphorical.

The challenge of practice
Although many feng shui practices are beneficial, not all are harmless. For instance, advising a client to move their bed under a heavy beam without considering structural or psychological effects may cause stress rather than alleviate it. Recommending expensive cures with no proven value may also harm clients financially or emotionally. Ethical responsibility means we must use evidence to identify which practices help, which may be neutral, and which can do harm.

A good example comes from healthcare design. A randomised controlled trial has shown that hospital rooms designed with principles resonant with feng shui and the golden ratio helped reduce anxiety in patients (Zijlstra et al., 2024). By contrast, many feng shui manuals present recommendations without any supporting evidence, which risks drifting into pseudo-science (Kryžanowski, 2021).

Science, values and cultural traps
Science itself is shaped by values. What we choose to study and how we interpret findings is influenced by culture. Feng shui also faces cultural traps. For example, the historical avoidance of toilets in certain sectors may have made sense in ancient times when sanitation was poor. In modern homes with advanced plumbing, this teaching can become maladaptive if it causes unnecessary fear. As with other fields, much feng shui research is still small-scale or underpowered, but it is growing.

The problem of pseudo-science
Pseudo-science occurs when ideas imitate the appearance of science without substance. In feng shui, this can mean repeating rules in manuals without testing them. For example, saying that a mirror doubles prosperity if placed in a dining room may sound convincing, but unless supported by research into behaviour, mood or financial outcomes, it remains an untested belief.

Cargo Cult Science and Feng Shui
There is a famous story from the Pacific Islands after the Second World War. During the conflict, Allied forces built airstrips on these islands and large planes regularly arrived carrying cargo — food, medicine, radios, tents, even luxuries never seen before. For the islanders, these deliveries seemed magical. When the war ended and the planes stopped, some communities built bamboo runways, control towers, and even life-sized effigies of planes out of straw and wood. They believed that if they recreated the appearance of the airstrips, the cargo would return. These practices looked like aviation, but they were not aviation. They were rituals without the engineering, logistics, and global systems that made the cargo flights possible. This is what Richard Feynman later called “cargo cult science” — practices that wear the costume of science but lack its substance.

In feng shui we sometimes find similar risks. Imagine a consultant insisting that a small water fountain by the front door will guarantee wealth, simply because “water equals money.” If no other factors are considered — such as whether the fountain reduces stress through sound, creates a welcoming impression for clients, or symbolically encourages attentiveness to financial flow — then this becomes the feng shui version of a papier mâché plane. It looks like a rule with power, but without deeper reasoning or evidence it risks being a hollow ritual.

Superstition provides another parallel. For instance, some traditions hold that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck. People may still follow the taboo, but there is no mechanism, no causal link. At best, the superstition may symbolise respect for objects or caution in handling fragile things. At worst, it produces needless anxiety. In the same way, feng shui can drift into superstition if its claims are repeated without clarity, evidence, or context.

By recognising the difference between authentic principles — where evidence or logical reasoning explains outcomes — and cargo cult practices that only mimic authority, feng shui can grow as both an art and a philosophy that remains credible in the modern world.

Ethical imperatives
Anything powerful enough to do good can also do harm. If a consultant’s advice increases anxiety, disrupts relationships, or prompts costly renovations with no benefit, it is not ethically neutral. A scientific ethos protects clients in three ways. First, it promotes the careful matching of interventions to people who are likely to benefit. Second, it uses outcomes that matter, for example, validated sleep and stress measures rather than vague satisfaction ratings. Third, it encourages transparent reporting of adverse events and null results. We should prefer evidence informed practice over ideology, because clients deserve help that is both caring and competent.

Feng shui practitioners therefore have ethical duties:

• to ground recommendations in evidence where possible,

• to avoid promoting unsupported claims that could harm trust or well-being,

• and to place client welfare above rigid adherence to tradition.

Choosing science as a compass
In my career I have seen many alluring systems, from gurus to closed schools of feng shui. They can be attractive, supported by community and ritual, yet they may also exploit followers financially or emotionally. Science provides a compass. By focusing on what can be observed, tested and verified, it allows us to explore feng shui’s rich tradition while protecting clients and practitioners from extremes.

Where feng shui already aligns with evidence

Prospect, refuge and the command position
Feng shui’s advice to sit with a protected back and clear view resonates with prospect–refuge theory. People tend to prefer spaces that offer outlook with a sense of enclosure. Meta-analytic and field evidence show these features predict preference and comfort in interiors and landscapes, and they influence seat choice where intimacy and privacy are at stake (Dosen & Ostwald, 2016; Stamps, 2006; Staats, 2019; Senoglu, 2018; Robson, 2008). Translating the command position into measurable qualities such as rear enclosure, sightlines to doors, and lateral buffering allows fair tests in homes and offices.

Clutter, cognitive load and stress
Feng shui’s emphasis on order is consistent with evidence that visual clutter can degrade search performance and attention, and that the way we describe our homes as cluttered or unfinished correlates with flatter diurnal cortisol slopes and worse mood, at least among women in one naturalistic study (Rosenholtz et al., 2007; Saxbe & Repetti, 2010). There is no single threshold that fits everyone, hence the need for individual baselines, however the direction of effect is plausible and testable.

Nature, biophilia and restorative environments
Recommendations to bring nature in, use natural materials, and open views to sky or greenery are strongly supported. Nature contact promotes restoration of directed attention and stress recovery, with classic work showing that surgical patients with a view of trees recovered more quickly than those facing a brick wall, and theoretical frameworks such as Attention Restoration Theory explaining why soft fascination helps fatigued minds recover (Ulrich, 1984; Kaplan, 1995; Ulrich et al., 1991). Reviews of biophilic design report benefits for well-being and performance across workplaces and healthcare, though effect sizes vary with context and study quality (Bringslimark et al., 2009; DeLauer et al., 2022; Gonçalves et al., 2023; Zhong et al., 2022).

Water, soundscapes and blue space
Water features and gentle nature sounds are often recommended in feng shui to settle a space. Experimental work indicates that nature soundscapes can facilitate physiological stress recovery compared with environmental noise, and public health reviews now describe salutogenic effects of blue spaces, that is, aquatic environments and even views of water, on mood and stress (Alvarsson et al., 2010; Völker & Kistemann, 2011; White et al., 2020; WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2021).

Light, circadian health and sleep
Guidance to invite daylight and calm evening lighting aligns with circadian science. Office workers in daylit environments have better self-reported sleep and activity patterns, and living under natural light–dark cycles rapidly tightens circadian alignment. Contemporary reviews recommend high melanopic illuminance by day and much lower levels in the evening to protect sleep, and building standards now encode these principles for practice (Boubekri et al., 2014; Wright et al., 2013; Fernández et al., 2022; International WELL Building Institute, n.d.).

Noise, temperature and air quality
Advice to reduce sharp noise, avoid draughts and stale air, and maintain comfortable temperatures is strongly evidence based. Night-time noise impairs sleep continuity and next-day functioning. WHO housing guidance and engineering texts specify ventilation, thermal and acoustic parameters that affect health and comfort, which can be brought into feng shui audits as part of the qi of the dwelling (Basner et al., 2014; WHO, 2018; CIBSE, 2015, updated 2021).

Plants and gentle tending
Indoor plants are not a panacea, however critical reviews and experiments suggest small but meaningful psychological benefits, including stress reduction, especially when people actively tend plants. Effects depend on species, density and context (Bringslimark et al., 2009; Lee et al., 2015).

Where feng shui claims are weak or untested

Some frequently repeated rules have little or no peer-reviewed evidence. For example, specific mirror placements in bedrooms are often said to disturb sleep. There is currently no robust empirical literature that isolates mirrors as an independent causal factor once light, temperature, noise, and cognitive arousal are controlled. This does not prove mirrors never matter, only that we should treat the claim as a hypothesis and test it. If we announce categorical warnings without evidence we risk inducing nocebo effects, that is, harm through negative expectation, which is well documented in health contexts and can be amplified by practitioner language and framing (Colloca & Barsky, 2020; Corsi et al., 2017; Colloca, 2011).

Another example concerns the use of compass directions and astrology in feng shui. Traditional schools often prescribe auspicious orientations based on birth dates, zodiac signs, or the eight mansions system, claiming that facing a particular cardinal direction or aligning with certain astrological cycles enhances fortune, health, or relationships. While such practices may provide comfort, symbolic meaning, or a sense of cultural continuity, they are not supported by empirical evidence. To date, there is no scientific research demonstrating causal links between compass orientation based on birth data and measurable outcomes such as wellbeing, productivity, or health. Studies in psychology suggest that astrology more broadly functions as a cultural belief system that can offer reassurance and identity (Hamilton, 2001), but systematic reviews consistently find no evidence that astrological predictions are reliable or valid (Dean & Kelly, 2003). As with mirrors, the ethical stance is not to dismiss these traditions outright but to acknowledge their symbolic and cultural value while being clear that they are not scientifically grounded.

How to make feng shui testable, practical research designs

1. Define constructs precisely
   Replace vague labels with measurable features. For example, instead of improve qi at the desk, specify rear enclosure, view to entrance, lateral buffers, and daylight vertical illuminance at eye level.

2. Choose validated outcomes
   Examples include the Perceived Stress Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, actigraphy for sleep timing, simple attention tasks for distraction, and indoor environmental measurements for air, light and sound.

3. Use simple experimental logic in real homes
   A within person cross-over is feasible. Alternate two desk layouts for two weeks each, hold other factors steady, measure outcomes. Randomise the order. Pre-register what counts as improvement.

4. Start with observational baselines, then iterate
   Photograph layouts, log light and temperature, annotate sound events. Many feng shui adjustments are reversible, which makes them excellent candidates for A–B tests.

5. Share methods and results
   Build a cumulative practice. Even small studies add value when well documented and combined meta-analytically over time.

A hierarchy for evidence informed feng shui

1. High quality systematic reviews and meta-analyses in environmental psychology and public health.

2. Well controlled field experiments or cross-over trials in lived spaces.

3. Observational studies with careful measurement and confound control.

4. Practitioner case series with pre-specified outcomes and transparent reporting.

5. Uncontrolled anecdotes, which are starting points for hypotheses, not stopping points for claims.

Conclusion
Feng shui can remain a living philosophy and an art while gradually embracing evidence. Many traditional principles already converge with research on prospect and refuge, restorative nature contact, low evening light, manageable visual complexity, and supportive soundscapes. Other rules are untested or over-general. A scientific ethos honours the client, clarifies language, and protects against harm by replacing dogma with disciplined curiosity. The task is not to demystify everything, it is to be precise about what we know, what we merely believe, and what we are ready to test together.

Key takeaways

• Feng shui is philosophy, art and hopefully in the future can become more scientific, similar to environmental psychology.

• Science’s cumulative method distinguishes it from intuition or authority. Science can strengthens feng shui, by showing what truly works.

• Pseudo-science and superstition are dangers when claims are repeated without evidence. Cultural traps can turn old rules into modern misguidance.

• Clarifying concepts like energy flow, five elements, different types of the bagua model and different types of chi avoids confusion.

• Ethics must always come first, with client health and well-being prioritised. Some feng shui practices help, others may harm, and ethics require discernment.

Five practical, evidence-linked examples for feng shui

Command position for a desk
Provide a solid backing, ensure a clear view of the entrance, add lateral shelter with a plant or screen where appropriate. Rationale, prospect–refuge and privacy regulation predict preference and comfort in seating choices, and these factors can reduce vigilance load in some occupants (Dosen & Ostwald, 2016; Staats, 2019; Robson, 2008). Measure perceived safety and task focus before and after.

Decluttering as cognitive hygiene
Reduce high-contrast visual noise within the immediate field of view and simplify storage lines. Rationale, visual clutter impairs search and selection efficiency, and language that signals a stressful home correlates with flattened cortisol rhythms and worse mood in daily life, at least for some groups (Rosenholtz et al., 2007; Saxbe & Repetti, 2010). Track attentional errors or self-reported overwhelm.

Invite daylight and protect evenings
Move seating to capture early daylight, raise blinds, use high melanopic illuminance by day, then dim and warm light two hours before bed. Rationale, circadian alignment improves with naturalistic light, and daylit workers report better sleep quality (Wright et al., 2013; Boubekri et al., 2014; Fernández et al., 2022; International WELL Building Institute, n.d.). Monitor sleep timing and daytime sleepiness.

Gentle soundscapes and water
Introduce low-level natural sound where traffic noise dominates. Consider small water features for auditory masking if safe and well maintained. Rationale, nature sounds can facilitate stress recovery, and blue space views and sounds are associated with restoration (Alvarsson et al., 2010; Völker & Kistemann, 2011; White et al., 2020). Track perceived calm and heart rate variability in small pilots.

Green elements with participation
Add manageable plants and invite occupants to tend them. Rationale, indoor plants can reduce stress and improve affect, especially with active interaction (Bringslimark et al., 2009; Lee et al., 2015). Track mood and minor discomforts.

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