Back from the In-Between: Exploring Liminality

In this episode of LilWeird Podcast, we explore the concept of liminality, that strange in-between state where you're no longer where you were, but not yet where you want to be. From eerie empty spaces and ghostly balete trees to the unsettling phenomenon of sleep paralysis, we dive into the mysteries that lie on the edges of reality. Join me as we journey through liminal spaces, time, and life transitions, and uncover the profound, and often creepy, transformations that happen in these threshold moments.

Show Notes:

• Introduction: What is liminality? The feeling of being stuck between two worlds—like standing at the crossroads of change.
• Part 1: Exploring liminality in life, spaces, and time.
  • Empty Parking lots, hotel hallways, doors and thresholds, and my personal story.
  • Liminal times- twilight and midnight.
• Part 2: Liminality in the paranormal world.
  • Ghosts and liminal spaces—spirits caught between life and death.
  • Balete Tree as a Liminal Space: From Balete Drive, Siquijor, to the Millenium Tree in Aurora Province, we explore the supernatural lore surrounding these iconic trees.
  • Sleep Paralysis: The terrifying in-between state between sleep and wakefulness, known as bangungot in Filipino folklore.

If you enjoyed today’s dive into the strange world of liminality, don’t forget to subscribe to the LilWeird Podcast so you never miss an episode. I’d love to hear your own stories about those eerie, in-between moments, so feel free to share them with me on social media or via email. Who knows, maybe your story will make it into a future episode! And don’t forget to tune in for our upcoming Spooky October special, where we’ll explore the spooky stuff and haunting tales. 

Subscribe, share, and leave a review to support the podcast. Stay curious and stay fascinatingly weird.

Thanks for listening!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Have you ever found yourself suspended in time, standing at
a crossroads where you are no longer where you onceware,
but they're not yet where you want to be. It's
a strange in between place, a mix of uncertainty and anticipation,
where both hesitation and excitement take Ruth, I'm sure you've
felt this too. It's that moment of transition, like the

(00:23):
twilight hours, neither fully day nor entirely night. It's the
space where light begins to fade and darkness hasn't yet
claimed the sky. This is the essence of liminality, a
time or place of in between, This where you have
lefty all behind, but haven't fully stepped into the new.

(00:43):
It's a face filled with uncertainty, but also right with
potential for transformation. And here's the exciting part. Liminality is
where possibilities are born. It's the gateway to something greater,
a space where you can shed old limitations and embrace
what's waiting just beyond the horizon and the uncertainty lies.

(01:05):
The magic of becoming who you are and what you
could be begins in this very moment. Welcome back to
the Little Word Podcast. I'm your host Jane and it
feels good to be back after a month long break.
I've been through a major transition, balancing a new phase

(01:27):
of work and study. A lot was happening around me
during this time, and it got me thinking about life
speak shifts, those moments when you say goodbye to the
familiar and embrace something completely, like starting a new job
or taking on a project that you know will change
your life in a big way. But there's the interesting part.

(01:48):
During that waiting period where you are in the midst
of the transition, it can feel like nothing is happening,
Yet underneath it all, you get this strange, uncunny feeling
that something's brewing, something is about to change. I'm sure
many of you can relate to that experience, standing at

(02:11):
the crossroads of the old and the new, cut in
the space between. We're talking about the hudsuminality, that in
between space, or uncertainty, myths transformation. Remember when you left
your last job and had those weeks before starting a
new one. You weren't part of your older teen anymore,

(02:32):
but you hadn't yet stepped into the new one either.
Time seemed to stretch, and in that space you felt
like you were somewhere else. Not quite grounded in either reality. Recently,
I've been in a similar space, navigating a new phase
of work and study. It felt like standing at the

(02:52):
threshold of something new. One food still planted in the familiar,
while the other reaches into the unknown. For men, this
in between phase is the time of vulnerability. You might
feel uncertain or even lost, but it's also a time
when something new is brewing beneath the surface, even if

(03:13):
you can quite see it yet. Think about the last
time you were waiting for a big change, maybe moving
to a new city or starting a new job. Not
add blend of anticipation and unease, that's liminality. The concept
of liminality is fascinating, especially when explored through folklore, rituals,

(03:35):
and the paranormal. Liminality refers to the transitional state between
two different conditions, faces, or places. It's where normal rules
don't quite apply and where strange or other worldly events
are often believed to occur. The world liminal comes from
the Latin word leamen, meaning threshold, the boundary between two spaces.

(04:01):
Have you ever walked through an empty school hallway on
a weekend where there should be noise, but there's only silence?
Or pain in an airport late at night, when the
usual bustle is replaced by stillness. These places feel eerie
because they exist in a state of movement and pause,
suspended between two worlds. These are animal spaces where you

(04:25):
feel disconnected from time and reality. These spaces aren't meant
for staying in, but when you pass through them, they
evoke a unique, almost unsettling feeling. Some examples include empty
parking lots at night, usually full of cars and people.
They feel vast and strangely desolate under the yellow glue

(04:47):
of street lights, as if time has passed. Hotel hallways
at night. Walking down the carpeted halls is since the
trunsient existence of people behind the doors, yet the hallway
itself feels suspended between rooms, doors and thresholds. Doorways and
thresholds in homes also hold liminal significance, symbolizing the boundary

(05:12):
between the outside world and the inner room. In some
Philipino traditions, when entering or leaving a house at night,
you may ask for permission from spirits who might be
occupying the threshold. Another example of liminal spaces, let's talk
about empty public markets in the rural areas of the Philippines.

(05:33):
Public markets are usually buzzing with life during the day,
but they close early, often around six pm. Once the
vendors have packed up, the stores have shuttered, and public
transportation has disappeared. The place feels utterly deserted. But once
a busy, vibrant space during the day, seems completely hollowed

(05:56):
out by night. There's an settling stillness that creeps in.
Something about these dark empty markets gives off an eerie,
almost uncanny vibe. I have this strange connection to public
markets at night. In fact, one of the recurring nightmares
I've had involves being stuck in an empty public market

(06:17):
after dark. I dream of wandering through the silent, empty buildings,
feeding dropped and searching for someone to rescue me. The
darkness feels like it's closing in, and soon shadowy figures
appear out of nowhere, chasing me through the empty stalls.
The sense of being abandoned in that cold, hollow space

(06:40):
is what hunts me the most. I think this nightmare
system from a very real fear I had as a child.
When I was younger, especially in high school, I commuted
to school in a nearby town. Even though my family
had a private car, there were times when I had
to take public transportations, especially on weekends. My commit always

(07:03):
ended at our local public market, where I would wait
for a tricycle to take me home. But tricycles were limited,
and if you miss the last trip, you were stuck
have to call someone to pick you up. The market
would be completely empty and dark by then, and standing
there alone was honestly terrifying. I think that's where this

(07:24):
fear comes from, the sense of being stranded in a
place that's familiar during the day but turns into something
dark and foreboding at night. It's the fear that follows
me into my dreams, where the darkness and emptiness feel
like they're chasing me. These spaces create a sense of dislocation,

(07:46):
where the familiar becomes is strange, and times seems to bend.
They remind us that even ordinary locations can take an
a surial underworldly quality when they become lean. The Backroom's phenomenon,
an Internet subculture exploring aerially familiar yet unsettling spaces, taps

(08:09):
into this concept. These environments, familiar but vacant, like empty
office spaces, provoke a feeling of being lost in reality glitch.
Liminality isn't just about spaces, It's also about time. Liminal
times are those moments where the boundaries of reality blur.

(08:32):
Think of twilight, when it's neither day nor night, or
that quiet just before midnight, when time seems to stretch.
In many cultures, twilight is believed to be when supernatural
forces are most active. In Filipino culture, for example, twilight
is seen as a time when spirits rom which were

(08:53):
discussed back in episode one. Midnight often seen as a
magical or hunted time in various cultures. It's the moment
when one day becomes the next. This liminal pocket makes
the usual rolls of time feel different. These moments, like
the hours or days before a big live event, feel

(09:16):
heavy with expectations, yet seem to stretch out endlessly. You're
caught in a liminal face, waiting for the shift. Now
the main thing's clear, weird. Let's step into the spooky
side of liminality and talk about how it manifests in
the paranormal world. Because we're better to explore the eerie

(09:38):
and the unknown than in those spaces between life and death,
between waking and dreaming. Criminality is it's just a concept
for life transitions. It's simply embedded in folklore and supernatural experiences.
Goes and liminal spaces. In many traditions, goes believed to

(10:00):
be stuck in a liminous state drop it in life
and death, unable to fully cross over to the other side.
This in between state makes them more likely to interact
with the living. Caught between two realms, It's the suspended
existence that gives goose their otherwordly restless nature. Here in

(10:22):
the Philippines we have on das all since day and
also stay when it said the spirits of the disease
linger close to the world of the living. During this
liminal period when the veil between the two reals is sinus,
families offer prayers and food to the dead. Will actually
be diving deeper into this tradition and its supernatural elements

(10:46):
in the future episode the same time for our Halloween special,
so stay tuned for that as to explore the mysteries
and retails surrounding on us. The Balata tree as aliminal
space in in folklore, the Baleta tree is one of
the most iconic examples of a liminal space. This massive

(11:06):
tree often found in forests or near old roads is
believed to be home to spirits and supernatural beings such
as encanto or capre. The balleta tree is seen as
a boundary between the human world and the spirit realm,
making the threshold a liminus space where ordinary reality and
the supernatural can overlap. It's a place where people are

(11:30):
advised to be cautious, as it's believed that disturbing the
spirits who reside there could lead to strange illnesses or misfortunes.
Many Filipinos still offer a sign of respect, like saying
tabi tabipo when passing by a balletted tree to avoid
offending the spirits regard the space. This reverence shows how

(11:50):
the baleta tree is deeply tied to the idea of liminality,
serving as a portal between our world and something beyond.
If you want to explore more about the roads of
Philippines superstitious beliefs, check out episode two, where we explore
deeper into these concepts. One of the most infamous belletta
tree in the Philippines is located on Balletted Drive in

(12:11):
Kessan City, Metro Manila. This road has become notorious for
ghost sightings, especially that of the White Lady, who is
that to haunt the area. According to legend, a woman
was murdered near a Ballota tree on Balletted Drive, and
her restless spirit now wanders the street, particularly in the
dead of the night. Numerous motteries have reported the spine

(12:35):
shiitting encounters, seeing her in their rearview mirrors, sometimes sitting
in the backseat of their cars or standing eerily by
the roadside, only to disappear moments later. The Ballata tree,
which once stood prominently along this road, was believed to
be a portal through which the White Ladies' spirit traveled

(12:56):
between realms. Many locals still refused to drive down the
drive after dark, fearing an encounter with the restless spirit.
Over time, these stories have cemented the road's hunted reputation,
making it a key part of Filipino ghost lore. But
Paletta Drive isn't the only place where Balleta trees carry

(13:17):
such mystiq. The enchanted Paleti tree of Sikihore is another
famous example. Sikihr itself is often regarded as one of
the most mystical islands in the Philippines, and it's Paleti
tree estimated to be over four hundred years old. What's
a special place in local lore. Nestled in the town
of Lazi, the tree is said to be home to

(13:39):
encanto nature, spirits, and elemental beings. Locals believe the tree
to be enchanted and disturbing. It is said to bring strange,
often ominous consequences. If you want to know more about
encantos and mystical places, check out episode three, where we
talk about an enchanted metropolis believe to be the home

(14:00):
of a catast that cannot be easily seen by the
naked eye. What adds to the tree's mystical aura is
the natural spring flowing from its base, which feeds a
pull where visitors can deep their feet. The water is
humored to have heating properties, yet many visitors have reported
feeding a sense of unease while near the tree, as

(14:21):
if unseen eyes are watching. According to local legend, the
balleted tree also serves as a gathering place for manco
pulam or sorcerers and albolario, or traditional healers, who are
set to perform with tools under the cover of night.
You can also check episode four if you're interested about
sorcery and witchcraft. In Philippine folk magic, where we talk

(14:44):
about renowned and feared practices in the Visayan region. And
then there's the Millennium Tree in Maria Aurora, Aurora Province.
Said to be the largest Baaletta tree in the Philippines.
Standing at over six hundred years old, this colosal t
tree is revered not only for its age, but also
for its mystical significance. I had the chance to see

(15:06):
this tree up close, and let me tell you, it's
not just massive. It has an almost palpable energy. The
way its enormous roots tweets and form natural tunnels gives
you the feeling the tree standing at the entrance to
another dimension. What's even more fascinating is that you can
actually walk inside the trees hollow trunk, which only adds

(15:27):
to its mysterious allure. The Millennium Tree, like other Baaletta trees,
is considered aluminous space, a threshold between the physical world
and the spirit realm. The tree's towering presence and ancient
roots create a sense of timelessness, making you feel like
you're standing on the edge of two worlds. But beyond

(15:47):
its mystical reputation, the Millennium Tree is also of great
environmental significance as a protected tree. Its massive root system
symbolizes the resilience of the natural world, having withstood centuries
of environmental changes and natural disasters, now has died deeper into.
One of the most terrifying liminal experience the phenomenon of

(16:11):
sleep paralysis. Known locally as bangowa. It happens when you're
stock between wakefulness and sleep, caught in that uncomfortable transition
where your mind is awake but your body hasn't quite
caught up. During sleep paralysis, many people report seeing shadowy
figures or feeling an oppressive presence in the room. This

(16:33):
is a classic liminal experience, being caught between two worlds,
unable to move or screen, as if trapped in that
unsettling state where reality works. You're no longer fully asleep,
but not yet awake, leaving you vulnerable to those dark,
mysterious forces seem to linger just beyond our understanding. In

(16:57):
Verlipino folklore, bummud is often seen as something far more
sinister than just a sleep disorder. It is considered a
supernatural ATAVERA spirit or demon is trying to take your
soul while you're stuck in this liminal space. We actually
explored this in episode seven Ancient Practices in a Modern World,

(17:20):
so if you're curious to learn more about the terrifying
phenomenon of sleep paralysis, be sure to check that out.
Liminality is strange is that moment when we're caught between
two worlds, not fully of the past and not yet
in the future. It's a space where time seems to stretch,

(17:42):
reality feels uncertain, and something unspoken lingers in the air.
Whether you're walking through an empty market long after the
vendors have left, standing at the edge of twilight, or
drop in a recurring dream, criminality pulls you into the end.
It's in these moments where life feels uncunny, where the

(18:04):
usual rules dissolve and you can quite put your finger
on what's wrong, but you know something is different. It's
that aerie feeling, that sensation of being watch or the
sound of your own footsteps echoing in an empty street.
You feel like you're walking through a portal where anything
could happen, where the world around you is familiar yet foreign.

(18:27):
At the same time, Liminality essential just an experience, It's
also a reminder, a reminder that life itself is full
of treasholds, moments of transition where we're forced to confront
the unknown. Sometimes it's in these unsettling spaces where the
most profound transformations happen. But it's also in these spaces

(18:51):
where we confront our deepest spheres, the fear of being stuck,
of being lost, of not knowing what comes next. And
maybe that's what makes liminality so powerful. It's not just
a passage between faces, but the moment where you can
feel the universe holding its breath, waiting. It's for your
old self and your future self collide, and for just

(19:13):
a brief moment, you're surrounded in between, unsure of who
you are or where you're headed. It's both terrifying and exhiliarying.
The question is, when you find yourself in that criminal space,
will you try to escape or will you embrace the discomfort,
to the uncertainty and see what the weights on the other side.

(19:33):
If you've enjoy this dive into liminality and the mysteries
of the in between, make sure to subscribe to delail
Word podcast from our thought provoking and eerie explorations. Do
you have your own liminal experiences or paranormal encounters? Share
stories with me on social media or email, and who knows,
you might hear your story featured in a future episode.

(19:55):
Don't forget to check out my previous episodes and stay
tuned for our upcoming Halloween special, or we'll dive deeper
into Hunted Stories. You won't want to miss it until
next time. Keep embracing the weird and wonderful moments around you,
stay curious, and step closer, because sometimes the most extraordinary

(20:17):
discoveries happen in the places where release expect, just beyond
the shadows. Thanks for listening.