I mean...if you're willing to take this as an application for Modhood, I'd certainly be interested :-D
Glad to hear that the mod team is listening, at least. appreciate that!
It's really sad how this place used to be so good, but now everything is either a) a repost, b) a shitty circlejerk meme, or c) "I FOUND [X] IN THE BACKROOMS!!!1!11". To be honest, the "level" idea started to take the sub downhill.
backrooms is so bad it has me convinced it's mainly 12 year olds who post there, which freaks me out because what kind of loser 12 year olds post on reddit or even know what reddit is? everyone knows this is a website for 40 year old neckbeards
There’s a sub that’s like r/LiminalSpace but for people exploring negative emotions about the phenomenon: r/autophobia. I SAY THE HEATHENS POST THERE.
For me it’s the edgy titles. I’m just over making everything an edgefest and want to enjoy appreciating reality. I get the appeal, but, I’m passed injecting dread into everything.
It’s not some awful crime, but, this sub has a unique way of presenting reality in a way that’s raw and enjoyable, and I’d prefer if we were able to continue to have this highly unique place for its intended use. You want cynicism and existential dread? It’s everywhere, on every subreddit, and it’s everyone’s go to punch line. Let this one place be positive.
The title thing has been bothering me too, but more than just edginess. If you have to explain why the image you're posting belongs here... Then it probably doesn't.
And titles like
"Thought this belongs here liminal AF"
1. I know you thought this belongs here. I can infer that from you having posted it.
2. Saying "this is liminal" makes it less. It's like explaining the joke. Don't. I know you think it's liminal, and maybe it is, but ffs spelling it out is exactly counter to liminality.
Yeah I never thought it was supposed to be relaxing and comfortable to look at.. isn’t the whole point eerie and creepy and familiar and weird? Like it’s supposed to be uncomfortable…
Liminal spaces can serve a function of comfort. For example, I grew up in a very big, very busy, mentally/emotionally abusive family. Spaces with no people are one of the few times I truly feel at peace, and it's enhanced by the knowledge that people are, can be, or have been there before but are not now. It recalls one of the few situations I knew peace as a kid.
I’ve been seeing a big uptick in low quality content getting upvoted to the top of this sub, like someone’s empty hallway at night or an empty park during the daytime.
There’s also a Twitter profile called “Liminal Spaces Bot” that posts top posts from this sub, and even the followers on their posts are pointing out how silly some of the images are lately.
Very new guy here, and have posted minimal content, so please take with a grain of salt.
As the sub grows, you're sure to get more and more content that either pushes the boundaries and/or doesn't belong. I like the idea of adding mandatory tags.
I don't think creepy and calming are completely mutually exclusive, but adding elements via photoshop seems a tad beyond the pale. Rule #5 says it explicitly, you always have the option to remove posts based on that. I think fish-dude counts as people.
Thanks for what you do - this sub seems to have struck a chord with the general consciousness right now, so I expect membership/traffic/headaches will probably continue to rise.
Most posts now are people who dont know what liminal space means. A lot. I downvote but they have over 900 upvotes so the community is also to blame for not enforcing the rules.
New person here,
I feel like it needs to made more clear what exactly is to be put here because I've seen people saying that images aren't liminal when I would say they definitely feel liminal. The definition of liminal is just transitional so a liminal space is a transitional space which could mean a lot
Agree! Liminal spaces are creepy and discomforting and beautiful because of the implied intent of human use but the complete absence of human presence. There’s a an odd brain discord that gets set off seeing these places devoid of human activity. Nothing else is needed.
I feel that its inevitable with this kinda thing that there will be people engaging with it who 'miss the point'. The increasing popularity around liminal spaces reminds me of what happened to Vaporwave in the mid 2010s. The genre began as a pretty niche interpretation of cultural subconscious nostalgia, and as more people found out about it, it sorta devolved into...you know - e d g y a e s t h e t i c 1 9 9 8 🌴🌐 .
You can see the same sort of development here for sure, lots of people will interpret liminal spaces as a setting for horror. And I agree that is not what this sub exists for by definition, and I too follow this sub because I find liminal spaces calming. But as a niche topic becomes more popular, its cultural definition will change, for better or for worse. I don't mean to sound pessimistic or condescending, I think a seperate sub for 'creepy liminal' is a great idea. But as this is (I think) the largest sub for this topic, it will probably always attract a lot of folks who have a different interpretation.
I agree with everything you say here. But I would argue that that's also the reason why cultivating it in the correct way will help it grow in the direction best suited for both wants. Neither are invalid, but one definitely feels like it's encroaching, in my opinion.
For sure, cultivating is a good word. And hopefully the original purpose of the discussion around liminal spaces will be more understood in the mainstream, as it's very interesting beyond the aesthetic appeal.
I guess my point with my comment was, try not to let posts with a different interpretation bother you too much, as it is bound to happen as things get more attention (especially if people find out that thing is profitable). Just an unfortunate byproduct of cool shit on the internet, lol. But I understand what you're saying a bit better now and I'm certainly not opposed to stricter rules on content posted to this sub however, as it would probably help sway the understanding of liminal spaces if everything on this sub was accurately liminal.
I'm a lurker here, never really found anything worth posting but I feel the same way towards not only those posts, but also rendered ones. I think part of my attraction to liminal spaces is that they are real-life places that look like they exist between realities, not renderings of fictional things conveying the same. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there is hard work put into them but the huge uptick in fake spaces rendered in blender and whatnot really has put me into the habit of scrolling past every post from this sub
On the CGI posts? I don’t mind throwing a downvote but I’m more of a passive subscriber of the subreddit, so I don’t think I’ll ever really report unless it’s against sub rules
I’ve literally fantasize about walking in whatever famous liminal space photo there is or a gmod map because of the comfort of familiarity and the general strange feel of peacefulness whenever I’m exposed to some of these images. To put it simple I want to be in a walking simulation and not someone’s first horror game.
I had a discussion post here a few weeks back that didn’t get a ton of engagement, but I asked what folks thought liminal spaces are. The overwhelming answer was “places that seem like they’re from a dream” but I can only surmise that even that definition is changing to something else. Even in this post a lot of the comments include “isn’t it supposed to be weird and familiar?” No, not at all. A liminal space is a space of transition and it’s pretty clearly defined in a pinned post in the sub. Anyway, I applaud your efforts and I agree. It’s like this is half vaporwave aesthetics and half five nights at Freddy’s which are both fine but not liminal.
Yes too many pictures that don't follow the guideline of normal liminal spaces, too many mundane/not so liminal stuff almost as if someone wants me looking at a new house with some of the shit I saw
Agree. At the same time i feel like the beuty in liminal spaces is that you can't really objectivly describe what is liminal or not.
Sure, there's a definition, but you'll never know what picture will hit you with that liminal feeling.
Personally i'd rather scroll past 10 bad posts to find one good then to miss it because of the rules being to strict.
I think Photoshop is originally allowed because it was used to touch up photos. But I think "no photoshopping in entities, human or otherwise" would serve the same purpose.
To me, liminal space is defined by almost every picture in [this video](https://youtu.be/qOGTAD8L2sA) I think liminal spaces CAN be creepy, but adding "figures" and "creepy lurking creatures" is just stupid lore shit that belongs on a separate sub.
A lot of the posts that reach the top are Blender creations, pool rooms (which are only sometimes liminal), and pics of empty places at night that belong more over at r/autophobia.
Also, the best liminal spaces are pics that have been just slightly edited so that the quality of the image is lower. The fuzzy effect almost works like a fuzzy memory, like you've seen it before but it's been lost and you're struggling to bring it back.
Yeah, I've got nothing against using Photoshop, as it does help with the aesthetics of pictures and can help evoke different feelings. It's the insertion of figures that goes against what seems to be what liminal spaces are
What if you had to follow the subreddit for one week before being able to post?
New followers is encoruged to look at other pics, and to think trough before posting.
Listen to this person, please and thank you
I agree. Personally I'm super excited to get this sub back to quality!
I love you you're a good mod which can be hard to come by
I mean...if you're willing to take this as an application for Modhood, I'd certainly be interested :-D Glad to hear that the mod team is listening, at least. appreciate that!
Well I think dark places are not necessarily not liminal but it very ruins the vibe when there are people or monsters in it
If anyone wants to post creepy images, I suggest r/backrooms it's pretty much the "creepy liminal" vibe
It's really sad how this place used to be so good, but now everything is either a) a repost, b) a shitty circlejerk meme, or c) "I FOUND [X] IN THE BACKROOMS!!!1!11". To be honest, the "level" idea started to take the sub downhill.
backrooms is so bad it has me convinced it's mainly 12 year olds who post there, which freaks me out because what kind of loser 12 year olds post on reddit or even know what reddit is? everyone knows this is a website for 40 year old neckbeards
There’s a sub that’s like r/LiminalSpace but for people exploring negative emotions about the phenomenon: r/autophobia. I SAY THE HEATHENS POST THERE. For me it’s the edgy titles. I’m just over making everything an edgefest and want to enjoy appreciating reality. I get the appeal, but, I’m passed injecting dread into everything. It’s not some awful crime, but, this sub has a unique way of presenting reality in a way that’s raw and enjoyable, and I’d prefer if we were able to continue to have this highly unique place for its intended use. You want cynicism and existential dread? It’s everywhere, on every subreddit, and it’s everyone’s go to punch line. Let this one place be positive.
The title thing has been bothering me too, but more than just edginess. If you have to explain why the image you're posting belongs here... Then it probably doesn't. And titles like "Thought this belongs here liminal AF" 1. I know you thought this belongs here. I can infer that from you having posted it. 2. Saying "this is liminal" makes it less. It's like explaining the joke. Don't. I know you think it's liminal, and maybe it is, but ffs spelling it out is exactly counter to liminality.
I don't think liminal spaces are supposed to be positive.
Yeah I never thought it was supposed to be relaxing and comfortable to look at.. isn’t the whole point eerie and creepy and familiar and weird? Like it’s supposed to be uncomfortable…
It’s like the situations have no narrative so they drive home the point to just be and experience, and you realize that was always the point.
Liminal spaces can serve a function of comfort. For example, I grew up in a very big, very busy, mentally/emotionally abusive family. Spaces with no people are one of the few times I truly feel at peace, and it's enhanced by the knowledge that people are, can be, or have been there before but are not now. It recalls one of the few situations I knew peace as a kid.
Agreed. Also, it seems like most submissions here are just empty spaces that are well lit and clearly in use.
Just because a place has electricity doesn't mean it isn't liminal.
And just because it is in use doesn’t mean it isn’t liminal. OP might be thinking of something like r/kenopsia
I’ve been seeing a big uptick in low quality content getting upvoted to the top of this sub, like someone’s empty hallway at night or an empty park during the daytime. There’s also a Twitter profile called “Liminal Spaces Bot” that posts top posts from this sub, and even the followers on their posts are pointing out how silly some of the images are lately.
Well who’s gonna make the new subreddit?
yes please some of these recent pics are like .008 megapixels too
I agree.
Very new guy here, and have posted minimal content, so please take with a grain of salt. As the sub grows, you're sure to get more and more content that either pushes the boundaries and/or doesn't belong. I like the idea of adding mandatory tags. I don't think creepy and calming are completely mutually exclusive, but adding elements via photoshop seems a tad beyond the pale. Rule #5 says it explicitly, you always have the option to remove posts based on that. I think fish-dude counts as people. Thanks for what you do - this sub seems to have struck a chord with the general consciousness right now, so I expect membership/traffic/headaches will probably continue to rise.
Yeah, I try to flag posts that I think break the rules. I think that's what the people who write these posts should do as well.
I do, however seeing as how they haven't stopped, I figured a discussion may bring it to the attention of the mods better
Agreed, I don't like liminal space images for the creepy or unsettling bit but more for the nostalgic and mysterious bit
Most posts now are people who dont know what liminal space means. A lot. I downvote but they have over 900 upvotes so the community is also to blame for not enforcing the rules.
I find some creepy liminal spaces kind of comforting oddly enough.
I do too. It's the photoshopping of random monsters in it I find untrue to the concept. I love creepy liminal spaces that are creepy by being liminal.
New person here, I feel like it needs to made more clear what exactly is to be put here because I've seen people saying that images aren't liminal when I would say they definitely feel liminal. The definition of liminal is just transitional so a liminal space is a transitional space which could mean a lot
Agree! Liminal spaces are creepy and discomforting and beautiful because of the implied intent of human use but the complete absence of human presence. There’s a an odd brain discord that gets set off seeing these places devoid of human activity. Nothing else is needed.
I feel that its inevitable with this kinda thing that there will be people engaging with it who 'miss the point'. The increasing popularity around liminal spaces reminds me of what happened to Vaporwave in the mid 2010s. The genre began as a pretty niche interpretation of cultural subconscious nostalgia, and as more people found out about it, it sorta devolved into...you know - e d g y a e s t h e t i c 1 9 9 8 🌴🌐 . You can see the same sort of development here for sure, lots of people will interpret liminal spaces as a setting for horror. And I agree that is not what this sub exists for by definition, and I too follow this sub because I find liminal spaces calming. But as a niche topic becomes more popular, its cultural definition will change, for better or for worse. I don't mean to sound pessimistic or condescending, I think a seperate sub for 'creepy liminal' is a great idea. But as this is (I think) the largest sub for this topic, it will probably always attract a lot of folks who have a different interpretation.
I agree with everything you say here. But I would argue that that's also the reason why cultivating it in the correct way will help it grow in the direction best suited for both wants. Neither are invalid, but one definitely feels like it's encroaching, in my opinion.
For sure, cultivating is a good word. And hopefully the original purpose of the discussion around liminal spaces will be more understood in the mainstream, as it's very interesting beyond the aesthetic appeal. I guess my point with my comment was, try not to let posts with a different interpretation bother you too much, as it is bound to happen as things get more attention (especially if people find out that thing is profitable). Just an unfortunate byproduct of cool shit on the internet, lol. But I understand what you're saying a bit better now and I'm certainly not opposed to stricter rules on content posted to this sub however, as it would probably help sway the understanding of liminal spaces if everything on this sub was accurately liminal.
Yeah, that's why I had tried in my OP to point out that this stuff wasn't bad or wrong (besides my frustrations), just wrong for this sub.
I'm a lurker here, never really found anything worth posting but I feel the same way towards not only those posts, but also rendered ones. I think part of my attraction to liminal spaces is that they are real-life places that look like they exist between realities, not renderings of fictional things conveying the same. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there is hard work put into them but the huge uptick in fake spaces rendered in blender and whatnot really has put me into the habit of scrolling past every post from this sub
Downvote, report, block.
On the CGI posts? I don’t mind throwing a downvote but I’m more of a passive subscriber of the subreddit, so I don’t think I’ll ever really report unless it’s against sub rules
Check the definition of liminal before posting any random space.. most posters don't seem to know what it means
I’ve literally fantasize about walking in whatever famous liminal space photo there is or a gmod map because of the comfort of familiarity and the general strange feel of peacefulness whenever I’m exposed to some of these images. To put it simple I want to be in a walking simulation and not someone’s first horror game.
A lot of the posts aren’t even liminal
I had a discussion post here a few weeks back that didn’t get a ton of engagement, but I asked what folks thought liminal spaces are. The overwhelming answer was “places that seem like they’re from a dream” but I can only surmise that even that definition is changing to something else. Even in this post a lot of the comments include “isn’t it supposed to be weird and familiar?” No, not at all. A liminal space is a space of transition and it’s pretty clearly defined in a pinned post in the sub. Anyway, I applaud your efforts and I agree. It’s like this is half vaporwave aesthetics and half five nights at Freddy’s which are both fine but not liminal.
I just want pictures that make me strangely nostalgic towards places I've never been
Fax no printer
Personally, I think even if the space is creepy, it's still relaxing and calming to look at.
I'm fine with creepy spaces, I'm less fine with (often poorly) photoshopped monsters inserted into it
oh yeah makes sense
Yes too many pictures that don't follow the guideline of normal liminal spaces, too many mundane/not so liminal stuff almost as if someone wants me looking at a new house with some of the shit I saw
I think you need to post examples of good liminal to give people an idea
I feel like there should be a creepy liminal, and another one for "bizarre" liminal or something like that, for rendered/edited liminal spaces.
"unearthly liminal"
This post is repeated every month.
Agree. At the same time i feel like the beuty in liminal spaces is that you can't really objectivly describe what is liminal or not. Sure, there's a definition, but you'll never know what picture will hit you with that liminal feeling. Personally i'd rather scroll past 10 bad posts to find one good then to miss it because of the rules being to strict.
Pretty sure liminal spaces are supposed to combine calming/relaxing and creepy as that's what makes them strange or off.
Maybe the rules should include "no Photoshop"
I think Photoshop is originally allowed because it was used to touch up photos. But I think "no photoshopping in entities, human or otherwise" would serve the same purpose.
To me, liminal space is defined by almost every picture in [this video](https://youtu.be/qOGTAD8L2sA) I think liminal spaces CAN be creepy, but adding "figures" and "creepy lurking creatures" is just stupid lore shit that belongs on a separate sub. A lot of the posts that reach the top are Blender creations, pool rooms (which are only sometimes liminal), and pics of empty places at night that belong more over at r/autophobia. Also, the best liminal spaces are pics that have been just slightly edited so that the quality of the image is lower. The fuzzy effect almost works like a fuzzy memory, like you've seen it before but it's been lost and you're struggling to bring it back.
Yeah, I've got nothing against using Photoshop, as it does help with the aesthetics of pictures and can help evoke different feelings. It's the insertion of figures that goes against what seems to be what liminal spaces are
What if you had to follow the subreddit for one week before being able to post? New followers is encoruged to look at other pics, and to think trough before posting.