Lecture on Liminal Spaces

Personal Anecdote

• Exploration of school as a child.
• Fascination with empty spaces: hallways, auditorium, cafeteria.
• Realization of appreciation for liminal spaces.

Definition and Characteristics

• Liminal Spaces: Transitional spaces that provoke discomfort.
• Represent the in-between of two states (e.g., childhood to adulthood).
• Visually represented by hallways or spaces lacking life.

Emotional and Psychological Aspects

• Nostalgia: Elicited by familiar yet impersonal spaces.
• Frozen in Time: Old decors and architecture evoke nostalgia for times that cannot return.
• Uncanny Valley of Architecture: Spaces that seem slightly off or eerie.

Study on the Uncanny in Spaces

• Contributors to Uncanny Feelings:
  1. Lack of meaningful objects.
  2. Repetition of elements.
  3. Misplaced objects.
  4. Controlled distortion.
  5. Absence of people.

Liminal Spaces in Media

• 2.22am Game:
  • Captures dreamlike, aimless tasks within liminal worlds.
  • Evokes anxiety and dreamlike states.

Liminal Spaces and Horror

• The Backrooms:
  • Creepypasta phenomenon based on being trapped in eerily endless spaces.
  • Explores the horror of existing in a place that feels wrong.

Impact and Evolution

• Growth of the Backrooms surpassing liminal spaces in popularity.
• Creation of levels and lore by community members.
• Shift from environmental horror to monster-focused stories.

Liminal Spaces in Film

• American Psycho: Highlights the liminality of life and monotony.
  • Protagonist trapped in his identity crisis despite having success.

Conclusion

• Liminal spaces as metaphors for life’s transitions.
• COVID pandemic as a global liminal experience.
• Quote emphasizing the journey and transitional nature of life by Ursula K. Le Guin.