The Liminal Space, and what it is.
I’m pretty sure you may have encountered this image before. Incase you are unaware, this is the Backrooms. A common internet horror theory. When most of us think about liminal spaces or liminal horror this is what comes to mind. In a way we can say that a liminal space is a place where the human mind feels isolated or disconnected from the real social world, or simply a place where you are alone. There are many possible definitions, many different perceptions about this topic, but there is no incorrect one. Most of us don’t realise how broad it actually is.
Take a moment and scroll back to the image of the Backrooms. Have a good look at it and contemplate, maybe click on the hyperlink and do bit of reading . Then ask yourself, “Why is the backrooms considered a liminal space? What even is a liminal space”. You may be utterly clueless or you may have somewhat comprehended what this means.
A good definition to sum up this broad concept is probably-
A liminal space is a space between two different things, realities, observations, ideas etc,which is not quite here nor there. Now let’s connect this definition to the backrooms. See the backrooms are kind of like a space which is not quite in the real world, but its not even a fantasy. We definitely do feel disoriented when we are there , in a sense it again feels like a space in between fantasy and reality. However even this definition does not consider what it entirely is.
Backrooms is fictional, there are no liminal spaces in real life
The statement above is a common misconception. Liminal spaces can easily be found in real life. Take trains for instance, a train is like a liminal space between your destination and the place you travelled from, similarly in cars, buses airplanes and more modes of travel. In our head we get thoughts which are neither quite right nor quite wrong. For example choosing to bunk an important class before a competition. By staying in class you could probably understand the concept better, but by bunking you could practice more. Is it the wrong decision to make?- not exactly. Is it the right decision to make?- not really either. It is important to note that these thoughts are always specific to the one who is thinking them, so does that mean that liminal spaces cannot be shared by more than one person.
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No, it does not. See liminal spaces are occupied by our mind and many minds can occupy one single liminal space. The clear example is trains, there are so many people on board, yet they experience a similar sense of Liminality.
Why do liminal spaces create such an impact?
Our minds dont like chaos and like to be in control, but when we are in a liminal space our minds lose that control because they cant figure out where they are, if its real, if they are closer to home or the destination, if something is right or wrong, if they are safe or in danger, if they are lonely or alright. That is what we can consider as liminal horror. In a popular liminal horror game known as pools, you feel here eerie, unsettled, alone. You are looking at a simple ambience of a water park, with water slides swimming pools. You are all alone. You think you are dead and in some sort of a heaven realm. Your mind jitters at the thought of that. Then you hear your breathing sounds and instant chaos. Boom! Your alive? That is what liminal horror essentially is. This is what a liminal space is. See while playing the game pools you felt like you were neither dead nor alive. You were in the middle of something. A transient space!
The above picture is the Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali. A surreal world right surely? Now imagine this painting without the queer objects such as the slimy watches and what feels like a lump of meat on the ground below. Its a normal scenery which can be found in earth. Now remove the scenery and just imagine the objects without the scenery, on a monochromatic background. It definitely appears alien. Thats what it creates, a liminal space, not quite real and nor quite fake either. While if you think about it all of the objects except the lump of meat in the middle exist in real life or can exist. The watches could be made of an elastic silicon. Thats why it is so confusing, and makes your mind disoriented.
Is everything technically a liminal space?
Well we can say that everything contains a sense of liminality. However the catch to that statement is that the stimulus for our mind to view something as liminal varies from person to person, to someone like me who somehow catches a reason for liminality easily I would view most things as liminal. For someone with a very fixed view on liminality, they would be more stingy in categorising something as liminal or not. Example a sharpener, its only purpose is to well sharpen a pencil. While you sharpen it you are in a phase between the blunt pencil and a sharpened pencil. In some objects finding liminality is harder, but if you think creatively you definitely will find one.
Can we physically be in a liminal space?
Many people have mixed opinions about this however I say no. A liminal space is basically where you experience liminality. The sensation of liminality begins in our mind ,the disorientation, uneasiness etc. While your physical body may be present in the abandoned mall which is supposed to be bustling, your mind is the one that experiences the liminality. Definitely the state of your mind does affect the physical body. But the uneasiness, or discomfort in your physical body is a result of the confusion in our mind, not the actual liminality in itself.
Our minds will forever occupy liminal spaces. And liminal spaces will forever exist as time moves on. So you now have a pretty good understanding of Liminal Spaces and Liminality.
