Have you ever walked down an empty hallway late at night and felt a strange sense of unease, as if the world was holding its breath? Or maybe you’ve stared at a flickering fluorescent light in a deserted office and wondered if you were really alone. Welcome to the world of liminal spaces—a realm where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, where reality feels thin, and where, some believe, the boundaries between dimensions blur.
In this article, we’re diving deep into the mysteries of liminal spaces, the phenomenon of The Backrooms, and the tantalizing idea that these in-between places might be more than just eerie—they might be gateways to other worlds and states of mind. Whether you’re a curious explorer, a believer in the uncanny, or just someone who loves a good story, this is your guide to understanding, experiencing, and perhaps even navigating the hidden doorways in the backrooms of reality.

What Are Liminal Spaces? The Thresholds of Reality

Liminal spaces are the ultimate “in-between” zones. Imagine standing in a hallway, a train station, or a waiting room—places designed not as destinations, but as transitions. These are the physical liminal spaces: corridors, airports, bridges, stairwells, and even abandoned malls. They’re places where you’re not supposed to linger, where time feels suspended, and where the familiar rules of reality seem to loosen their grip.
But liminality isn’t just about physical locations. It’s also about moments in life and states of mind. Think about the uncertainty after a breakup, the anticipation before a big move, or the strange calm after a major life event. These are emotional liminal spaces—periods where you’re no longer who you were, but not yet who you will become. They’re filled with ambiguity, potential, and sometimes, a profound sense of vulnerability.

Key Characteristics of Liminal Spaces:

• Ambiguity: No clear purpose or identity; open to interpretation.
• Transitional Nature: Always between two states, places, or moments.
• Minimalism: Sparse, undecorated, often eerily empty.
• Temporal Uncertainty: Time feels slowed, suspended, or irrelevant.
• Emotional Impact: Can evoke unease, nostalgia, or even excitement.

The Backrooms: From Internet Legend to Dimensional Portal

The Backrooms began as a simple yet unsettling idea that quickly spread across the internet, capturing imaginations with its blend of horror, mystery, and surrealism. The concept centers around a hidden expanse that exists just beyond the surface of our everyday world—a sprawling, seemingly infinite series of rooms and corridors that defy logic and normal spatial rules. This place is not accessed through any ordinary means; instead, entry is achieved through a phenomenon called “noclip,” a term borrowed from video game culture.
To understand noclip, picture the way certain games allow players to bypass the usual boundaries of the digital environment. By activating noclip mode, a player can move through walls, floors, or other solid objects, ignoring the restrictions that define the playable area. In the lore of the Backrooms, noclipping out of reality means slipping through the cracks of existence itself, unintentionally phasing through the invisible walls that separate our world from something else entirely. It’s not a deliberate action—people describe it as an accident, a sudden and disorienting transition that leaves you stranded in a place that should not exist.
Once inside the Backrooms, the environment is immediately oppressive and alien. The most iconic and widely recognized version is a maze of endless office-like spaces. The walls are covered in faded, yellowish wallpaper that peels at the edges, and the floors are blanketed in damp, stained carpeting that emits a persistent, musty odor. The overhead fluorescent lights flicker and buzz with a relentless, almost aggressive intensity, filling the air with a constant background hum that drowns out all other sounds. There are no windows, and the rooms are sparsely furnished—maybe a single chair, a battered filing cabinet, or a forgotten desk, but never anything that suggests comfort or safety.
As you wander, the rooms and hallways repeat with subtle variations, creating a disorienting sense of déjà vu. Each turn leads to more of the same: identical corridors, dead ends, and branching paths that seem to rearrange themselves when you’re not looking. The monotony is broken only by the occasional, inexplicable change in architecture. Some explorers report industrial sections with exposed pipes and concrete walls, while others stumble into areas that resemble abandoned hotels, arcades, or even indoor swimming pools. The deeper you go, the stranger and more dangerous the environment becomes.
The Backrooms are not empty. The lore describes multiple levels, each with its own hazards and entities. The first level is the most familiar, with its yellow rooms and office ambiance. As you descend to deeper levels, the surroundings grow darker, more industrial, and increasingly hostile. Some levels are said to be filled with hazardous machinery, flooded tunnels, or pitch-black corridors where unseen threats lurk. The entities that inhabit these spaces are rarely seen clearly, but their presence is often felt—footsteps echoing behind you, fleeting shadows at the edge of your vision, or the unmistakable feeling of being watched. Survival becomes a matter of luck, resourcefulness, and the ability to avoid attracting attention.
What makes the Backrooms so compelling is the sense that they exist outside the normal framework of reality. The rules that govern the physical world—space, time, logic—are unreliable here. Some believe that the Backrooms are a genuine hidden layer of existence, a parallel dimension that can be accessed only by those who accidentally slip through the seams of our world. The uncanny familiarity of the environment, combined with its endless, inescapable nature, taps into deep-seated fears: the terror of being lost, the anxiety of isolation, and the dread that comes from knowing you might never find your way back.
The Backrooms have taken on a life of their own within internet culture. What began as a single, unsettling image and a brief description has grown into a vast, collaborative mythos. Online communities have expanded the lore, inventing countless new levels, creatures, and survival strategies. Videos, games, and stories explore the experience of being trapped in the Backrooms, each adding new details and interpretations. Some creators focus on the horror, emphasizing the threat of hostile entities and the psychological toll of endless wandering. Others treat the Backrooms as a kind of alternate reality, a place to be explored and mapped, however dangerous it may be.
Despite its fictional origins, the Backrooms resonate with many people on a level that feels almost real. The idea that there are places just out of sight—hidden rooms, forgotten corridors, and secret spaces that exist alongside our own—strikes a chord. For some, the Backrooms represent the ultimate liminal space: a zone of transition and uncertainty, where the boundaries between worlds are thin and permeable. The concept suggests that reality is not as solid as it seems, and that with the right (or wrong) set of circumstances, anyone could find themselves slipping through and encountering something beyond comprehension.
This sense of possibility is what gives the Backrooms their enduring appeal. They are a metaphor for the unknown, a symbol of the places and experiences that exist outside the ordinary. The fear of being lost and alone is universal, but so is the curiosity about what lies beyond the familiar. The Backrooms represent a powerful and truthful intuition, and energetic fact born of actual seeing into a reality that exists all around us. We don’t need to go into the forest to find the odd and the strange, the anomalous and the bizarre odd corners have come to the cities with us. Imagine a reality where the mundane and the bizarre coexist, where the rules are fluid, and where the only certainty is that nothing is quite as it seems. This may have started as fiction, but that’s only because fiction is the only way to describe the truth that lies around every corner, a truth far beyond rationality yet as concretely real as anything else in our world.

Possibilities from the Threshold: What Might Happen in Liminal Events

Liminal events have a way of catching people off guard, pulling them into situations that feel both familiar and deeply unsettling. These are not tales of what has happened, but rather possibilities—scenarios that could unfold (perhaps things that have happened to those that have disappeared to never be found again). These are possibilities for anyone who finds themselves drifting into the uncanny spaces between worlds. Here are a few imagined stories that show what might await the unwary, and how one might make it back to safety.

The Elevator to Nowhere

Imagine stepping into an old elevator late at night, the building nearly silent. As the doors close, the lights above flicker, and the elevator lurches in a way that feels wrong. Instead of stopping at a familiar floor, the doors open to reveal a corridor you don’t recognize—long, dimly lit, with wallpaper peeling from the walls and no windows in sight. The air feels heavy, and the silence presses in.
If someone were to find themselves in this situation, they might feel compelled to step out and explore, curiosity battling with caution. But those who trust their instincts might stay inside, pressing the button for the lobby again and again, hoping the doors will close and return them to the world they know. If escape is possible, it may require a clear head and a refusal to give in to fear. Some say focusing on a familiar object, repeating a phrase, or even closing your eyes and imagining your destination can help re-anchor you to reality.

The Infinite Garage

Picture entering a parking garage after a long day, only to realize that every level looks exactly the same. The rows of cars stretch on, each turn leading to another identical section. The exit signs point in conflicting directions, and the usual sounds of the city outside are gone. As time slips by, the sense of being lost deepens.
For someone caught in this endless loop, the key might be to break the pattern. Instead of following the signs or retracing steps, they could try something unexpected—walking in a straight line without turning, or choosing a direction at random and sticking with it. Some believe that showing determination or acting with purpose can disrupt the strange logic of liminal spaces, allowing a way out to reveal itself. Others suggest that focusing on a strong memory, or calling out for help, might draw the attention of something—or someone—who can guide you back.

The Dream Corridor

Consider the experience of drifting off to sleep and finding yourself wandering through a maze of hallways and staircases. The place feels oddly familiar, yet you know you’ve never been there before. The rooms change shape as you move, and doors appear and vanish without warning. Sometimes, the dream feels so real that you wake up with the sensation that you’ve actually been somewhere else.
If a person realizes they’re dreaming, they might try to take control—seeking out a door marked “exit,” or focusing on waking up. Some suggest that recognizing the dream for what it is can weaken its hold, allowing the sleeper to return to their body. Others believe that these dream spaces are more than just imagination, and that leaving a mark—like drawing a symbol on the wall or leaving an object behind—can help you find your way back if you ever return.

Doorways Through the In-Between

The idea that liminal spaces are more than just strange environments is both thrilling and unsettling. Some believe that when you find yourself in a place that feels “in-between”—whether it’s a deserted hallway, a looping parking garage, or a vivid dream—you’re closer to the edge of reality itself. The usual rules are weaker, and the possibility of slipping through to somewhere else is real. These are the threshold spaces that I have been exploring in past articles, and while in those articles I may have spoken about caves or ancient pre-Columbian architecture, here we find those threshold spaces in the everyday, in those odd little breaks in the routine of rationality.
If someone suspects they’ve crossed into one of these spaces, staying calm is essential. Panic can deepen the sense of isolation, while curiosity and awareness might reveal subtle clues—a flicker in the corner of your eye, a door that wasn’t there before, or a sound that reminds you of home. Some say that retracing your steps, focusing on what’s real and familiar, or even speaking aloud your intention to return can help you find your way back.
These stories are possibilities, not certainties. Liminal events are unpredictable, but those who find themselves caught between worlds may discover that the way out is as strange and personal as the experience itself. The key is to remember that while these spaces feel endless, there is always a path back—sometimes hidden, sometimes obvious, but always waiting to be found by those who keep looking.

How Liminal Spaces Might Work as Portals:

• Weakened Boundaries: The usual “walls” between realities are thinner in liminal spaces.
• Heightened Awareness: Being in a liminal state makes you more attuned to subtle shifts and hidden doorways.
• Intentional Transition: Rituals, meditation, or focused intention can help you “tune in” to these thresholds.
Some traditions and belief systems have long recognized the power of liminality. Shamans, mystics, and seekers have used liminal spaces—both physical and mental—to journey between worlds, access hidden knowledge, and transform themselves. The Backrooms, in this view, are just the latest incarnation of an ancient mystery.
Liminal Mental States: The Backrooms of the Mind
It’s not just about places—it’s about states of consciousness. When you’re in a liminal mental state, you’re between identities, beliefs, or phases of life. This can be unsettling, but it’s also a time of immense potential. You’re free from the constraints of the past, but not yet bound by the future.

Examples of Common Liminal Mental States:

• Post-breakup Uncertainty: Who am I now?
• Career Transitions: Am I leaving behind my old self?
• Grief and Loss: The world feels different, and so do I.
• Creative Blocks: Waiting for inspiration to strike.
These states can feel like wandering the endless rooms of The Backrooms—searching for meaning, direction, or a way out. Such states reverberate with their own kind of emotion, such as the feeling of loss, lost, uncertainty, different, weird, fear. These emotional states are in essence energetic vibrations of the body, and these vibrations are in essence movement. In the best of cases, most commonly, we can see these states as opportunities for growth, transformation, and discovery.
But they can also be true doorways to other realities if explored correctly. You might say that an aspect of sorcery is about exploring these energetic states in that correct way, which is the odd way. And if you approach them with curiosity and courage, these odd spaces can indeed reveal hidden doors.

Frequently Asked Questions About Liminal Spaces and The Backrooms

What makes a place feel “liminal”?

A place feels liminal when it’s ambiguous, transitional, and stripped of clear identity. Think of empty hallways, airports at midnight, or abandoned buildings. These places evoke a sense of being “between worlds,” where anything feels possible.

Are The Backrooms real?

For many, The Backrooms are more than just a story—they’re a metaphor for the hidden layers of reality. Whether or not they exist as a physical place, they capture the feeling of stepping outside the normal flow of life and into the unknown. And that is the essence of their magic, they are not bound by what dogma considers as existing, and as such they allow for a transition from the here… To the there.

Can you really travel to other dimensions through liminal spaces?

Some believe that liminal spaces are natural portals, where the boundaries between dimensions are thinner. While there’s as of yet no modern rational proof, countless stories and traditions suggest that these thresholds can be crossed—if you know how to look.

Why do liminal spaces feel so unsettling?

Liminal spaces disrupt our sense of stability and identity. They’re places where the usual rules don’t apply, and where we’re forced to confront the unknown. This can be both frightening and exhilarating.

How can I use liminal spaces for personal growth?

Embrace the uncertainty. Use liminal moments to reflect, explore new possibilities, and let go of old patterns. Whether you’re in a physical or mental liminal space, remember that these are times of transformation and potential.

Are there dangers in exploring liminal spaces?

Certainly! Here’s a revised and more engaging version:
Like any true journey into the unknown, exploring liminal spaces comes with risks—especially psychological ones. It’s easy to become disoriented or overwhelmed by the strange thresholds you encounter. Yet, with mindful awareness and clear intention, these in-between places can become powerful gateways for self-discovery and transformation.
If you’re serious about venturing into liminal spaces—those mysterious realms that might just conceal doorways to other realities—it’s wise to approach them as you would a deep, uncharted cave. Don’t go alone; bring trusted companions, and treat the experience with the same respect and preparation as a spelunker descending into the earth. Above all, always remember your way back. Just as cavers rely on a long static rope to mark their path, you, too, should anchor yourself—whether with a physical token, a ritual, or even a simple string. Sometimes, the smallest tether is all that stands between you and getting truly lost.

Can liminal spaces be positive?

Absolutely. While they can be unsettling, they’re also places of renewal, creativity, and possibility. Many breakthroughs—personal, artistic, or spiritual—happen in liminal states.

How have liminal spaces and The Backrooms evolved over time?

Liminal spaces have always existed, but our awareness of them has grown. The Backrooms, in particular, have evolved from internet folklore to a powerful symbol of the unknown. As our world becomes more connected—and more disorienting—these concepts resonate more than ever.

What’s the connection between liminal spaces and altered states of consciousness?

Liminal spaces often induce altered states—heightened awareness, dreamlike perceptions, or even mystical experiences. They’re fertile ground for transformation, insight, and, some believe, contact with other realities. I will refer you to this article, if you are interested in exploring liminal consciousness further.

How can I find a doorway in the Backrooms of reality?

Stay curious. Pay attention to moments and places that feel “off.” Trust your intuition. Sometimes, the doorway is a literal place; other times, it’s a shift in perspective. The key is to remain open to the possibility that reality is bigger—and stranger—than it seems.

The Evolution of Liminal Spaces and The Backrooms: From Ancient Rituals to Modern Myths

Liminal spaces aren’t new. Ancient cultures recognized the power of thresholds—doorways, crossroads, and twilight hours—as times and places of transformation. Rituals were often performed at these boundaries to mark transitions and create change.
In the modern era, our environments have changed, but the sense of liminality remains. Urbanization, technology, and the 24/7 pace of life have created new liminal spaces—subway stations, office parks, empty malls. The internet itself is a kind of liminal space, connecting us but also leaving us adrift.
The Backrooms emerged from this landscape as a digital-age myth, capturing the anxiety and wonder of being lost in the endless corridors of modern life. Over time, they’ve become a symbol for the hidden depths of reality—a place where the mundane becomes magical, and where, if you’re brave enough, you might just find a doorway to something more.

Conclusion: Embracing the In-Between

Liminal spaces are not limited to a single type of environment or experience—they can appear in the physical world, within our emotions, or even in the digital places we visit every day. These are the moments and places where the boundaries that usually define our lives become less rigid. In these areas, the familiar can suddenly feel strange, and the rules we rely on seem less certain. This is where the ordinary shifts and takes on a new, almost mysterious quality, opening up the possibility for change, growth, and discovery.
The concept of The Backrooms, whether you see it as a real phenomenon or a creation of collective imagination, is a powerful reminder that reality is not always as straightforward as it appears. There are layers and hidden corners in the world—and within ourselves—that we rarely notice until we find ourselves standing on the threshold. The Backrooms symbolize those hidden depths, showing us that there is always more beneath the surface.
Whenever you find yourself alone in a quiet corridor, sitting in a waiting room with nothing but your thoughts, or experiencing a period of transition in your life, it’s worth taking a moment to be fully present. Pay attention to the stillness, the subtle shifts in your surroundings, and the feelings that arise. These moments are not empty—they are filled with potential. They offer a chance to reflect, to sense possibilities you may have overlooked, and to consider new directions.
Standing in these in-between spaces, you might notice a sense of anticipation, as if something is just out of sight or about to reveal itself. This is the essence of liminality: the awareness that you are on the verge of something different, whether it’s a new understanding, an unexpected opportunity, or even a doorway to another way of seeing the world.
Rather than rushing through these moments or trying to avoid them, try to embrace them. Let yourself be curious about what might be waiting just beyond your current experience. The next time you encounter a silent, empty space or find yourself in a period of uncertainty, remember that these are the places and times where transformation is possible. You may be closer to a new reality than you think, with unseen doors ready to open if you are willing to look for them.

It is entirely possible to encounter doorways into other realities—sometimes, they find you. At first, brushes with liminal spaces are often accidental. You might stumble into a place or moment that feels oddly out of sync, leaving you with nothing more than a fleeting psychological impression. At this surface level, it’s the liminal that intrudes on your reality, hinting at something deeper.
However, as your awareness grows, these encounters can deepen. Through what some call “liminal consciousness,” these spaces become more tangible—and sometimes, people have vanished after wandering too far, too unprepared. With conscious practice and the right techniques, though, you can learn to seek out these thresholds deliberately, turning them from accidents into opportunities. Eventually, a skilled practitioner can even create liminal spaces within reality itself, shaping them as needed.
In my book, The Art of Transmutation, I explore some of these advanced methods— I very briefly touched upon how these spaces may be constructed in order to find liminal sanctuaries that offer refuge from the weight of ordinary life. The journey begins by noticing those subtle, uncanny moments and places —and then learning how to step through. But always travel in groups if possible, and don’t forget about your ‘static rope’ so that you can find your way back!