"When I was finishing university, I was so anxious about what came next that I started applying for jobs an entire year before graduation. When I left a big tech job, I threw myself straight into a startup. I rushed into new relationships after breakups, or into the next project as soon as the previous one ended. I've often filled the gaps too quickly, because the in-between felt impossible to sit with. And I know I'm not the only one."
"The word "liminal" comes from the Latin limen, which means "threshold." Anthropologist Arnold van Gennep first described liminal spaces in 1909 as the middle phase of rites of passage, that ambiguous period when we leave an old identity behind but haven't yet stepped into a new one. Liminal spaces change how the brain processes information. The anterior cingulate cortex, your brain's conflict detector, becomes hyperactive in ambiguous situations. Meanwhile, your amygdala starts firing warning signals about potential threats lurking in the unknown."
Liminal spaces are transitional periods between old and new identities or life stages, often triggered by job changes, moves, or relationship endings. These periods provoke anxiety because the brain's anterior cingulate cortex detects conflict and the amygdala signals potential threats. That neurological response evolved to protect ancestors in real danger but can create disproportionate fear in modern life transitions. Filling gaps quickly often serves to avoid the discomfort of uncertainty. When approached differently, liminal spaces can function as laboratories for transformation, creativity, and growth, offering opportunities to rethink identity and explore new possibilities.
Read at Big Think
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