Exploring liminal spaces

Among the subjects that have caught my attention lately are the so-called "liminal spaces". These are places like service corridors or stairs that feel like a transition zone, or completely normal places that feel odd because normally you would expect someone to be there, but nobody shows up, like an empty classroom or a closed mall.

Corridor at Disney's Contemporary Resort by KyleSirTalksAlot, licensed under CC0

It's hard to put your finger on a definition, but I would say that they are places that transmit to you the sensation that you shouldn't be there, or at least that you shouldn't remain on them for very long. Sometimes misplaced or unexpected objects, like a giant teddy bear in a completely normal corridor, add to this sensation of unease.

There are many games that consist of concatenating lots of these spaces, giving you the impression that you are nowhere and you are going nowhere. Even when nothing happens, some people get anxious, but some people may find them relaxing. I've completed one of them recently called "Pools" that consists of walking through 'liminal spaces' with lots of... pools.

It's curious the effect this game has had on me. As someone who is used to being alone, I felt the experience was quite relaxing. Except when the... game? ... experience?... tried very hard to be sinister I didn't appreciate the scary aspect of it.

But... Do you know what the "Tetris effect" is? It consists of the inertia that your mind has to continue playing Tetris when you get back to the real world after playing it for a very long time. Something like that happens to me now. Areas of buildings that I have traversed many times now scare me slightly, as if the game has been operating all this time at a subconscious level, and I was merely containing a fear that is now being released in real life.

If you want to experience more about this subject, you can check:

• The backrooms, the web series that started this trend.
• The upcoming feature film by A24 based on the web series.
• Gallery of liminal spaces' pictures from Wikimedia Commons.

 

No AI has been used to generate this article.