If you’re not familiar with the concept, liminal spaces can be described as places or moments where you feel like you're in between two different things, neither here nor there. It's like that strange feeling you get when you're in an empty parking lot at night or in a quiet, empty hallway.
To get to know more about why liminal spaces can feel so unsettling and intriguing, Bored Panda spoke with Francis McAndrew, Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology at Knox College. Keep scrolling to learn more about the psychology behind these eerie but fascinating experiences and what makes them so captivating.
“By definition, a liminal space represents a transition from something familiar and safe to something new and uncertain. It can be an actual physical space that one moves through or a more abstract period of time during which a significant life change is taking place. In either case, it is unsettling and is often experienced as unpleasant,” McAndrew told us. But why do these places make us feel this way?
According to the professor, creepiness is entirely about uncertainty. “We are uncomfortable with ambiguity and unpredictability. A place that is hard to figure out is troubling to us because we are unsure about whether there is something to fear from it or not. This feeling of getting ‘creeped out’ marshals our resources and keeps us paying attention in order to resolve the uncertainty.”
Liminal spaces can be fascinating and a bit eerie at the same time. They grab our attention, but they can also make us feel uncomfortable. So, why do we find them both creepy and captivating? McAndrew shared that liminal spaces capture our curiosity - “we don't usually like them, but we can't look away. Liminal spaces violate our expectations; empty places that are usually crowded or places with features that seem out of context are fascinating because we feel compelled to try and make sense of them.”
So, the next time you find yourself in a quiet, empty space that's neither here nor there, remember that you're experiencing a liminal space. What are your thoughts on these pictures? Did you find them eerie and unsettling? Share your experiences in the comments!
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