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In anthropology, liminality (from Latin limen 'a threshold') [1] is the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of a rite of passage, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status but have not yet begun the transition to the status they will hold when the rite is complete. [2]
If you’re feeling lost and aimless in today’s world and you can’t figure out what really matters then you’re not alone. The usual diagnosis for this loss of meaning in life is Nihilism. But Nihilism is merely a symptom of a bigger problem.
- Puberty
- Post-College
- Society / Politics
- Creative Efforts
- Heartbreak/Divorce
- Moving
- Career Uncertainty / Retirement
- Engagement
- Pregnancy/Childbirth
One of the first liminal spaces that we identify as individuals happens during adolescence, when our bodies and minds change in countless ways. The pubescent years can be a minefield of insecurity and uncertainty as we move away from the innocence of childhood into the awareness and behavioral patterns of young adulthood. It feels as though we are ...
For many individuals, the track of education runs from early childhood through their college years, providing a somewhat predictable bubble of structure and validation. However, when college ends and people enter the “real world”, the sense of freedom can be both liberating and terrifying. This is the liminal space where the framework of academia f...
This sense of instability of betweenness is not limited to individuals. Entire societies, cities and regions can also be immersed in such liminality. Anytime someone mentions a political or social revolution, they are describing a liminal space, where the established patterns of the past are being drastically altered or destroyed, in order to make ...
One of the most challenging examples of liminal space is often in the creative process for artists. Whether you are writing, painting, playing music, dancing, or practicing in any other artistic medium, there is a liminality to the act of creation. This period may be the years of outlining a novel before writing it, the struggle of songwriting for ...
When you commit yourself to a person or a relationship, it can feel as though you are laying a foundation for the future—a stable path with a loving partner. However, when a relationship ends or your heart gets broken, it can cause you to flounder as everything in life feels turned upside down. A breakup or divorce can cause massive shifts in your ...
Related to the pain of a breakup, physically moving can also create a sense of liminality in the mind. Our home is an integral part of our identity, regardless of where that home is, or what form it takes. Thinking about a relocation, packing up one’s possessions, and then moving to a completely new place are all activities that happen in a liminal...
Many people define their place in the world and their stability by their employment. If you lose your job, or if you decide to make a career shift to something new, it can destabilize a major pillar of confidence and certainty in life. While this may feel uncomfortable or stressful, remember that this liminal space is a chance to explore new intere...
The period of time when a couple is engaged is an ideal example of liminality. The romance has clearly passed the dating stage, but marriage is still lying in the distance, often with months or years before the wedding actually occurs. In terms of being on a threshold, engagement is like a waiting room between the world of dating and the forever (h...
Children play a role in many liminal periods of life. Pregnancy itself represents such a transition, the period of instability and change (physical, emotional, maternal etc.) that will affect you forever. Giving birth to a child is like stepping through a doorway into a completely new chapter of life, while the nine months of pregnancy can feel lik...
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Liminality is a state of transition between one stage and the next, especially between major stages in one’s life or during a rite of passage. The concept of liminality was first developed and is used most often in the science of anthropology (the study of human origins, behavior, and culture).
Liminality is a term used to describe the psychological process of transitioning across boundaries and borders. The term “limen” comes from the Latin for threshold; it is literally the threshold separating one space from another.
- Paul Larson
- plarson@thechicagoschool.edu
Jul 13, 2024 · A liminal space is a boundary between two points in time, space, or both. It’s the middle ground between two grounds, the mid-structure between two structures. When you’re in a liminal space, you’re neither here nor there, neither this nor that. At the same time, you’re both here and there. Both this and that.
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Need a summary of the primary concepts and definitions of liminality? Here it is - a comprehensive description in concise terms.
