Hiiii! I recently have been interested in topics like liminal spaces and uncanny valley stuff, so this blog serves as an output to al I've learned.
The word liminal stems from the latin word "limen", plural "limina", meaning on the threshold. It's used to describe a place that transitions from one point to another.
F.E: If the bedroom is point 1, and the elevator is point 2, the hallway between 'em is the liminal.
Liminal spaces in the literal sense can mean a transitional place (like a hallway). BUT, nowadays people changed the meaning into a space that's empty when it's not supposed to (say, an empty school hallway). It feels eerie, making you wonder why the cameraman is there in the first place.
One of the most popular type is Analog Horror. The term refers to a footage with an outdated device, VHS tapes, grainy footage, CRT screens, etc etc.. But, these videos aren't just what makes it liminal. It's the way it's presented, making you feel like you're watching something you shouldn't. The way it's warped it too, making something as innocent as a PS5 f.e look wrong.
Take Gemini Home Entertainment, f.e. There's an innocent documentary about animals but suddenly the music just.. stops. you're stuck with silence and the eerie humming of the VHS. You're not sure whether to be scared or comforted. This is where the feeling of terror comes in. Terror is a word linked to 2 completely different words: terrific and terrifible, and that sums up analog horror perfectly. You're not sure whether to stay on alert or relax. The fear comes from what you can't explain, not from what you can't see.
But not all analog horror is like this. There's Analog comfort. It uses old media, lofi backgrounds and calming ambience to create warmth. It's soft and slow, making you relaxed and at ease.
There's also Weirdcore and dreamcore. These often feel confusing, showing a reality of something that is just.. wrong. Floating eyes, doors leading to nowhere, our brain feels confused trying to comprehend the rules of a world that doesn't have any.
Some games perfect the liminal feeling without even trying, like Valve games. A game like Half-Life has this ambience, non-existent birds chriping, cars honking yet you're alone.. or atleast you feel like you are. This uncertainty is what liminality is.
Nah, there's more. Spatial liminality thrives on a place that was meant to be full of people, without any people. A school at nighttime, an empty mall with the music still playing.. it doesn't reserve to one lane too. It can be mixed with nostaligiacore, something that feels like home but just at the wrong time. Sometimes it can be more like analog horror, take the backrooms f.e.
Frutiger Aero is also a good example. It doesn't feel comforting nor creepy, just.. off. Blue skies, sky scrapers, bubbles, a perfect future.. it all feels like a distant memory.
There's also sound liminality. It doesnt need a physical setting to evoke nostaligia. Take a listen to "i feel fantastic" or "tiptoe through the tulips" but hide the video. The music itself makes you uncomfy, giving a feeling that can't be described.
Liminality reminds us that sometimes not everything has meaning. Sometimes, somethings exist to.. exist.