A liminal space is the time between the ‘what was’ and the ‘next’. It is a place of transition, a spell of waiting and not knowing. Liminal space is where all transformation takes place.
The word liminal comes from the Latin word “threshold”. A threshold being a door or gap between two spaces.
Liminal space encompasses physical spaces that are transitional in nature (abandoned or empty). Examples would be hallways, waiting rooms, parking lots and rest stops.
They relate to the unique feelings of eeriness, nostalgia, and apprehension when presented with such sites outside of their designed context because they are usually brimming with life and movement.
For instance, an empty stairwell or hospital corridor at night might look sinister or uncanny because they are usually brimming with life and movement. The absence of conversation and people create a forlorn atmosphere.
Since the start of the pandemic, a niche genre of photography called liminal spaces has grown in popularity. Online interest in this specific genre surged early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Google searches for the words “liminal,” “liminality” and “liminal spaces” began climbing in March of 2020, when the pandemic first hit North America.
I had an example of being in a liminal space for a long time, nearly a year. An award that should have been delivered by me wasn’t because a few attempts were rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances. I then left it in the trunk of my car until a further encounter.
As each day passed, it became more of an effort to arrange a transfer than not, perpetuating my stress in this threshold of liminal space. Finally, I made a phone call to explain my dilemma, crossed the threshold, thereby ending my discomfort.
It can also be an in-between state of mind (‘liminality’) such as when you’re half asleep, half awake. Also, moments in your life might be after a breakup or just before starting a new job.
A liminal space is often uncomfortable and disorienting as it is characterized by uncertainty because not knowing what’s to come when you do cross the threshold.
Liminal space is where change can occur and therefore be full of excitement and opportunity. Richard Rohr explains that it is “a good space where genuine newness can begin.” Liminal space often gives us a fresh start with a positive outlook.
Liminal spaces can have disadvantages too – scary and uncomfortable when we don’t know what’s coming. We can often feel unprepared and seek out professional help or look for support from family, loved ones and community during this time.
Our whole village felt like we were in a state of exile last summer, not unlike Napoleon when he was exiled from France. The local cenotaph which had been planned to be relocated to a newly acquired park went into an indeterminate state or a liminal space when it was realized that part of the community wasn’t on board with such a change.
The municipal council put the decision on standby until a special meeting could be held to re-evaluate the initial decision. Whatever the outcome, people were anxious until it was rendered.
There are two other critical venues that are under consideration for change. The ice-plant only opened for a shorter stretch this year rather than for full-time hockey and public skating like it always had been before the pandemic, faces uncertainty. Talk around town wonders if it will return as a hockey arena or renovated into a year-round facility for multiple sports and events.
The other venue is the ballfield, becoming less and less used for playing ball. Almost like investigators, groups are standing by to recommend this appealing piece of landscape for other purposes, thereby benefiting more community members. The proponents of keeping the field status quo are increasingly under pressure. Can enough interest in ‘ball’ be generated to fulfill its intention?
A committee has been struck to recommend outcomes for these local icons, as difficult as it might be. The rest of the community is nervously waiting, feeling a little like hostages to an omni power.
Times of liminality occur regularly as chapters in our story – both pros and cons. While it offers new beginnings, we may also feel a sense of loss for what has passed. Examples of liminal space and liminality are all around us.
