Them spaces sure are liminal

I’m sure most people visiting this site are familiar with liminal spaces. If you’re new to the concept, it’s an aesthetic surrounding uncannily empty spaces that usually should be occupied. Like a convention center after hours, or a shut-down mall that hasn’t been touched in years.

Liminal spaces lack the usual context that goes with them, such as the crowds of people found in malls and conventions. The emptiness contrasts with that expectation, giving off the uncanny feeling that some kind of transition has occurred. Hence the term “liminal”. It’s mainly about vibes. People report feelings of nostalgia, the “uncanny valley” effect, or subtle disturbances just outside their field of perception.

This video by Super Eyepatch Wolf gives a deeper look into the history of liminal space, with an emphasis on liminal horror. He’s much better at the words than I am. He even talks about a book that predates a lot of liminal-space stuff online, called House Of Leaves. It’s a book that also deals with strange and impossible spaces, and someone—or something—hunting you down just outside your notice, hungry and immortal and knowing nothing of want. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

It’s not a book you could adapt to a film or a TV show, but surprisingly enough, it runs pretty well on DOOM.

Personally, I’m into liminal spaces because they evoke a sense of nostalgia and belonging to me. So admittedly, I’m not much for liminal horror in particular. Just the spaces themselves. As unsettling as some of them are, a lot of liminal spaces feel like home to me. I’m not sure if that’s because of my deep-seated tendencies towards isolation, or if it’s just because I like the vibes. Perhaps a mix of both.

I tend to group my liking for dreamcore/weirdcore/traumacore stuff into my liminal space interest, as well. I know there’s little differences and nuances with each, but they share a room in my headspace. Many of the photos I take are re-used in little edits I make in my spare time. A lot of these edits are pretty personal, so I’m likely not going to share the bulk of them here. But here’s a little selection: