Liminal Space

Respond to this Friday Faithfuls challenge by writing anything about liminal space, or if you went through a period of change in your life where you existed in a liminal space, or you could write about whatever else that you think might fit.  Liminal space can be expressed on a Venn diagram where the area that overlaps between two different things and in the diagram above the chrysalis represents the liminal space between what was once a caterpillar and that which will soon become a butterfly.  Liminal space is the uncertain transition between where you’ve been and where you’re going physically, emotionally, or metaphorically.  To be in a liminal space means that you are on the precipice of something new, but you are not quite there yet.  Liminal spaces are transitional or transformative spaces, and such places are often associated with a forlorn atmosphere, a disconnection from the concept of reality, and a fluid or sometimes neglected aesthetic.  They are the waiting areas between one point in time and space and the next.

The only way that you can know where you are, is to first determine where you have been, and to know where you are going, you have to first know where you are.  You are where you are because of every step that you have taken in your past.  Every choice that you made and every choice that was made for you determines your tomorrow.  The past is what has gone by in time, and it no longer exists outside of our memories.  The past happened before you became the person that you are and this liminal space that you are in, is in between the person that you once were and the person who you will become.  We must confront our past, as that will allow us to step into the unknown with courage and curiosity.  Your past will always push you in some direction and if you feel like you can’t change the direction that your life is heading, then try to adjust your attitude, so you can enjoy what you have when you reach your destination.  Liminal is based on a time construct, and just like the morning transitions into noon and then time moves ahead into the afternoon, which is followed by dusk, then night arrives, and all of a sudden it is midnight, and we are waiting for the dawn, as our days pass by one by one, while the unstoppable force of time is guiding all of us towards our all but inevitable death.  Yearly liminal times include equinoxes when day and night have equal length, and solstices, when the increase of day or night shifts over to its decrease dependent on whether Earth’s axis is tilting toward or away from the Sun.  The only way for us to understand time is by distinguishing it between its many successive moments and events.

Liminal spaces can be disconcerting and / or disorienting, especially when they arise during major life events such as a career change or a move.  However, you can view liminal spaces as something that is giving you another chance, offering you hope and inspiration.  Liminal space can be used to reflect on what you did in your past, so you can make a new plan that opens up new possibilities for learning how to navigate better when you get to the next phase.  Blaise Pascal once said, “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known”, so use the liminal space to move from the dark into the light.  This is the time to face all of your fears, so you can get to know all of your vulnerabilities, so you can gain the strength to succeed and not end up being disappointed.  Breathe out the old air and let in the new as you surrender to the transformative space, so you can open yourself up to the new possibilities and insights that are waiting to shape your life in meaningful ways.

Space is so much more than a physical dimension, and understanding what constitutes space is what links man to reality, because matter needs a place to exist.  There are three fundamental components of existence, space, matter/energy and time and Einstein developed an extremely complicated theory illustrating that time and space constitute a fabric and that is how they should be viewed, essentially stating that time and space are inseparable.  Nothing can move through space without also moving through time, as it takes time to go anywhere, inextricably linking these two constructs together.  Our perception of space will always be linked to our perception of time, and this is essential for us to know how our world works.  Space and time have to exist together in order to give structure to our world and allow us to grasp and understand it.  We do know a lot about space, but some of it still remains a mystery, however I feel that one day we will get a better understanding about quantum entanglement and why and how quarks pop in and out of existence with their antimatter pairs.