Although there are cognitive explanations for why people pick up on negative or positive environmental cues, there are still unanswered questions about why some places seem to have a positive “something” while other places seem to have a corresponding, yet illogical, negative “something.” For example, people may judge a room, a house, promoting overall emotional stability or productivity. Similarly, there are places that are considered by many to be unproductive or unhappy.

The phrases “good energy” and “negative energy” are common, yet the root of these perceptions is mysterious. Whether the conclusions come from biased snap decisions or they are fundamentally accurate reflections of the environment is unclear. But growing evidence suggests that human emotions may be not only contagious, but may stay behind in the environment, potentially infecting or brightening surroundings even after the producer of that emotion has physically moved to a new location.