A “coherent space” takes into account both local harmonies and universal ones.

As I travel around the world doing research in consciousness, over time I’ve become very aware of the relative coherence of a space. Spending many hours enlivening total brain functioning through transcending, the TM-Sidhi program and Yogic Flying has given me a high baseline standard for what I consider “normal coherence”. Coherent spaces allow a seamless extension of the inner clarity I experience during meditation into the realm of daily activity. Anything less than that I often experience as a space that takes away my energy. The natural and powerful attunement between inner coherence and outer diversity is one reason why I’m a strong advocate for Maharishi Vastu^® Architecture. This design style creates buildings that are in tune with local, global and universal laws of nature.

A building in tune with the universe

You might ask: how can a building be in tune with the universe? At its basis, form is ultimately just vibration or sound. Different forms can be harmonious and display integrity, or not, in the same way that diverse arrangements of musical notes create either pleasant or dissonant effects based on which frequencies are linked together.  The frequencies of the planets and spherical harmonics of the earth contribute to the “cosmic music” that we are all a part of, whether we hear it clearly or not. There are universal frequencies, octaves, and harmonics in music that resonate together. In the same way, there are shapes and proportions that fit well together, on both large and small scales, to create physical resonance in a space. One well-known example of a universally pleasing proportion is the Golden Ratio. 

 “I call Architecture frozen music” – Goethe

The German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe described architecture as music, frozen in time. Next time you observe a building in your environment, consider how you would describe its musical presence. Is it soft and flowing or rough and cacophonous? Does it refine your senses and make you peaceful, or do you try to look away due to its sternness and rigidity? Does it break out into the environment in defiance of its setting, or does it accentuate the natural features of sun and sky?

Like any good music, powerful architecture is an expression of art as much as science. Architects and sculptors who study dance, music, and anatomy as part of their training will gain a concrete experience of the subtleties of harmony and scale in the human body. On that basis, they can later design buildings whose proportions align with those of the human physiology and are thus more comfortable for those living inside them.

In essence, a building is like clothing that exists between an individual body and the extended environment or cosmic body of the universe. Properly tailored and fitted clothing enhances the person wearing it; a properly structured building enhances the fortune and health of those living inside it.

“There is no bad weather, just inappropriate clothing”

With the right gear, any outdoor situation can be enjoyed in its full power. In the same way, a home structured to align with all the laws of nature provides great protection to its inhabitants and allows them to profit from whatever situations come their way through the tools of increased clarity, health, and spontaneous attunement with natural law.

Sthapatya Veda, the aspect of Vedic Literature that highlights Vastu principles, has been linked with the quality of Establishing. While I am a strong supporter of Maharishi Vastu^® homes and buildings, I sometimes come across other spaces in my travels that remind me of the clarity of being in perfect Vastu. When a building’s form and function are seamlessly linked, and it is also connected with the external environment in which it is placed, this alignment creates a coherence or unity that is palpably felt as harmony and peace.

I personally experience this effect as a “cool clear ringing” in my awareness, a liveliness of silence together with a feeling of settled creativity. It is a certain “pitch” of being in tune with natural law that I recognize at once, which allows my awareness to extend beyond the walls of the building, out to the universe, with no friction. Thus my experience of a “coherent space” is one that takes into account both local harmonies and universal ones.

Check back here regularly to learn more about some of the coherent spaces I’ve enjoyed visiting around the world:

• ZAI: a library garden in Bodrum, Turkey, and model coherent space