Acharya Prashant addresses a question from an architecture student about whether the emotional impact of man-made structures is purely due to aesthetics and physics or if there is a spiritual dimension, particularly concerning "consecrated spaces." He begins by stating that the feeling one gets in such places is largely a result of one's own conditioning. For a place to have a so-called consecrated effect, one must be told in advance, and very strongly, that it is a consecrated place, which fully conditions the mind to experience it as such. To illustrate his point, Acharya Prashant recounts an incident from his corporate days. While staying at a guesthouse near a large automobile factory, he and his colleagues were advised to visit a nearby cluster of old, dilapidated temples, with a special recommendation for Temple No. 8, which was surrounded by folklore and stories of miracles. A deeply religious colleague, after visiting what he believed to be Temple No. 8, returned with a peculiar glow on his face, proclaiming he had experienced divinity and a paranormal phenomenon. Acharya Prashant then revealed that the colleague had mistakenly visited Temple No. 6, and he himself had been at the actual Temple No. 8. Upon hearing this, the colleague's divine experience vanished, which, according to Acharya Prashant, proves that the experience was a product of his conditioned belief, not the place itself. He further explains that a structure can indeed be sacred if it serves as a pointer towards higher values. Just as there is beauty in nature, there can be beauty in man-made things like paintings, machines, or even exquisitely written software. A structure becomes a teacher when it reminds you of something truly important. For instance, the swan (hansa) is a significant motif in Vedanta, symbolizing the pure Self or the free bird. The chant "Hanso" inverts to "Soham," meaning "I am That," which is the Vedantic answer to the query "Who am I?" (Koham). If a structure reminds you of the Atma (the Self), then it holds sacredness. However, if one is unaware of the symbol's meaning, it is just a shape, and blindly parroting "sacred" is foolishness. Acharya Prashant concludes that true spirituality is about self-knowledge (Atma-gyan) and is the opposite of blind belief. It is a relentless inquiry that requires the sharp application of intellect and logic. He advises the architecture student to create structures that are not just utilitarian but are pointers to higher values like freedom, knowledge, and courage. A building that encourages understanding and reminds people of what is truly important is a de-facto temple. Consecration is not a ritual but the act of being reminded of what is truly sacred, which is freedom. A building that elevates you and makes you feel that life is worth living is a building that truly speaks.