Liminal Spaces ( A complete guide)

This article will focus on Liminal Space, what it is and what is Liminality and how does it affect individual & his surroundings.

It will also highlight the disadvantages of liminal spaces as well.

What is Liminal Space:

Liminal Space is the gap between “known” and “unknown”. It is the stage of transition from what a person was and what he/she will become.

It is sometimes also referred to as the midway of your conscious and unconscious mind.

You can characterize liminal space in distinct ways.

The derivation of liminal originates from the Latin root word “limen,” which implies threshold. Liminal spaces are transitional or transformative spaces.

They are holding up territories between one point in existence and the following.

Whenever we are in liminal spaces, we have the sentiment of simply being on the edge.

In human sciences, liminality is the nature of equivocalness or bewilderment that happens in the central phase of a soul-changing experience, where members never again hold their pre-custom status yet have not yet started the progress to the status they will hold. 

This feeling might cause discomfort, irritation and sometimes zoning out. The concept can be easily explained through an elevator/staircase.

Imagine yourself entering an elevator or stepping on the staircase with an intention to reach your destination.

Now, if for any reason the elevator stops moving in between or you are unable to move up or down the staircase, the feel is a bit unsettling and might end up as the cause of various emotions.

Liminality:                                       

Liminality is just a human mind’s state but the context we give to them is what makes it abnormal or unusual.

At the point when we become mindful of our liminality, a large portion of us, don’t have a clue who to become or how to explore the progress.

We are unaware of the real potential of ‘in the middle of’ places – we either stand numb or we escape the “horrendous haze of obscure.”

At Liminal Space, if our progress is drawn closer deliberately, you can strikingly move toward it and certainly push ahead into your future.

That you feel lost, stuck, confounded or careless isn’t the issue to unravel; these are the indications of a solicitation to development. 

It’s you, who must figure out how to tune in and read the pieces of information of your life.

The 3-tier Structure:

According to Arnold Van Gennep, who came up with the term “Liminality”, there are following three layers:

• Preliminal- This state is defined as the one where the subject leaves its old practices or state or condition.
• Liminal-At this state an actual passing through the threshold that marks the boundary between two phases happens.
• Postliminal-At this point, the destruction of the old stage has happened, and the transition period is finished. The “new being has evolved.

Liminal Dreaming:

Liminal dreaming is an alternate type of being in a liminal state. It tends to be identified with innovativeness.

Certain people utilize the specialty of liminal dreaming to improve their inventive states.

During Liminal dreaming, you are not exactly sleeping yet, however, your brain encounters distinctive pictures or sounds.

This state is also referred to as hypnoidal dreaming.

You may see physical signs that you are slipping into a liminal dream state when your body jerks during rest, nodding off or shaking while you’re about to get up or while falling asleep.

Sexual orientation Liminality:

Another condition of liminality can happen when an individual feels not to be a part of their sexual orientation or feels to be in between sexual orientations.

This can be a liminal state both of the brain and of the body.

Your psyche can feel like you are switching among sexual orientations, and your body can likewise experience a transformative state.

It’s significant that the end goal of each such state might be different for various people.

EXAMPLES OF LIMINALITY:

Liminal spaces are often considered as physical places. It is like sometimes a space feels liminal and other times it does not.

And for some places, they always seem liminal no matter what.

• Elevators:

Elevators are meant to take you from one place to another, it is their whole-sole purpose and therefore lingering on an empty elevator can sometimes feel creepy.

• Hotel Hallways:

Hotel hallways or hallways have their times when they seem liminal, like during the daytime, you may find people passing by you and therefore space seems more normal then.

But at night especially at late night, they seem as they have been shut down or something.

Although hallways at home don’t make much difference and never seem liminal as they are familiar and one gets used to it pretty easily. Only the unknown spaces create these feelings.

• Abandoned/Empty Buildings and Parking lots:

Abandoned buildings or Empty buildings & Parking lots surely seem creepy, as there are many in-between spaces in them.

These spaces are without function and it doesn’t sound to be your destination and rather stand as husks of civilization. 

Disadvantages:

1. Uneasiness:

Liminal spaces can be terrifying and awkward. At the point when we don’t have the foggiest idea about what’s coming, we’ll regularly feel restless.

The fear of not knowing or as the millennials term it as FOMO can cause a constant worry and anxiousness.

2. Feeling ill-equipped:

We frequently feel that we can be caught off guard when we don’t know what’s about to come.

The unrest follows the preparations of the exam. At the point when we’re graduating college, we may feel like it’s too early to begin a job since we feel ill-equipped.

3. Need for help

Because of this inconvenience and vulnerability, numerous individuals look for help during times of change.

They could search out proficient assistance or search for the unqualified love and backing of their family, friends, and family during this time.

This might lead them to fall into unstable emotional relationships.

4. Fear

Ordinarily, liminality makes us apprehensive.

This is particularly obvious when it appears as though there are numerous cons of going through the edge to the following section of life and relatively few stars.

CONCLUSION:

This blog has described briefly about “Liminal Space”.

Then it described what the Liminality it. Finally, it highlighted the disadvantages of Liminality.

I hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion, we would really appreciate it.

FAQ:

CITATIONS:

inaliminalspace.org

betterhelp.com/

bookriot.com