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Understanding the Mind

Liminality

Liminality

Liminality is the psychological state of being 'in between' — having left a previous stage of life but not yet arrived at the next one.

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Liminality

From the Latin "limen" (threshold), liminality was introduced by anthropologist Arnold van Gennep and developed by Victor Turner. In psychology, it describes the "in-between" experience during major life transitions.

Liminal periods can feel disorienting — the old self is dissolving while a new one hasn't yet formed. Yet this very uncertainty creates a unique creative and transformative space.

Common Liminal Experiences

  • Career changes and unemployment between jobs
  • Grief after loss
  • Adolescence and midlife transitions
  • Ending of a long relationship
  • Liminal space isn't something to escape quickly — it's something to inhabit with curiosity. Mindy is here beside you, right on that threshold.

    💡 Real-Life Example

    Finishing university but not yet having started a career — feeling neither student nor professional, uncertain about who you are becoming.

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    This content is for educational purposes and does not replace professional medical diagnosis.

    Liminality (Liminality) | 마음스캔 심리학 용어사전