In November of 2008, I was privileged to be invited as a panelist to the 5th International Feng Shui Convention held at the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The guests included well known Fengshui author Lillian Too, (from Malaysia) who gave a keynote address. Grandmaster Yap Cheng Hai presented on the topic 'Ethics of a Fengshui practitioner'. There were also presentations from Master Tan Khoon Yong and Grand Master Raymond Lo the latter speaking on the highly current and interesting topic of 'Fengshui's take on Stocks and Shares'.

Both those masters were bestowed with the title of Grandmaster during this years convention proceedings. This recognition was well deserved.

The event promised to inspire and enhance the understanding of delegates - proponents and skeptics alike, in the practice of Fengshui with regards to everyday life issues, as well as questioning the very function of Feng Shui in a modern and contemporary society. This is particularly relevant since the modern world, and in general westerners, are more inclined to be interested in science and logic as opposed to metaphysics.

Whilst there are many different cultures throughout the world that have an affinity with the land and its energetic influences, (and certainly this is true for the Aborigines of Australia) the ancient practice of Feng Shui has gone to the next level and has been able to classify this connection with the land into a set of rules and guidelines enabling the user to achieve specific outcomes related to their lives. The use of Feng Shui can therefore provide empowering opportunities to improve certain conditions in their lives by living in harmony and oneness with the land.

With globalization there is more knowledge about respective cultures and this knowledge has led to greater acceptance of one another and consequently the gap between styles of thought between the East and West has narrowed. And in particular, the acceptance of 'something different', 'something outside logic' as we know it, such as Feng Shui, is continuing to grow within the Western World.

So whilst there is a cultural impact involved in the practice of Feng Shui, it does not have to permeate the application of its principles in modern day society. It can transcend its origins and be applied to all environments. For, the power of Feng Shui is indeed in the true understanding of its basic concepts, and fully armed with this knowledge, Feng Shui can be applied to any give situation.

When considering the issue of superstition; this has been defined as a belief or notion not based on any reason or knowledge. Superstition is often used depreciatively to refer to supposedly irrational beliefs of others, and its precise meaning is therefore subjective. For example it was used by medieval scholars to describe beliefs outside of, or in opposition to Christianity. It can also be used to explain why one would not walk under a ladder at any given time, or the seven years of bad luck associated with breaking a mirror. Some superstitions are rooted in circumstantial issues surrounding communities at a particular point in our history, such as the plagues that swept through Europe during the Middle Ages. Nonetheless, all cultures have a range of superstitions and personally, I find the Chinese less superstitious and rather more profound users of symbolism - a particular love of mine. Either way, Feng Shui is not symbolism nor superstition.

Western science and Feng Shui are sometimes seen as being complementary but the western world has been a little slow to catch up. What I mean by this is that western science is now able to verify what the ancients knew and believed. For example, one of my colleagues shared with me that whilst watching a scientific TV programme called Catalyst, discussing Alzheimer's disease, it was noted that the scientist's conclusion was that this ailment is due to a mucous buildup of metal ions of copper and zinc. On the other hand, Feng Shui Grandmaster, Raymond Lo, has long postulated that Alzheimer's can be seen by assessing the five elements of Feng Shui; metal, water, wood, fire and earth. When there is a problem in the interactions with the metal element in a given chart, then this can represent the health issue of Alzheimer's.

Whilst some people can argue that clinical trials in the subject of Feng Shui are difficult to create and promote, the fact remains that 1/3 of all clinical trials trying to obtain specific scientific data are impacted by placebo effect - so, the question is, are they supremely more effective than anecdotal evidence. The conclusion of the day is....that Feng Shui is a body of knowledge that has been formulated and is systematic in its application. Therefore, by its very nature, it's scientific.