The best way out is always through

ROBERT FROST

Liminal experiences are transitions from one place, state, or emotion to another

This is an extract from Susan Bell’s article in the magazine QRCA Views (Spring 2025). QRCA Views is published by the Qualitative Research Consultants Association.

‘Liminal experiences are transitions from one place, state, or emotion to another. When experiencing liminal transitions, people or things seem to be in limbo …. The uncertainty this limbo status creates often makes people feel tense and confused. Liminal experiences typically occur at halfway points between where people have been and where they are going or between their past and future selves.

For marketers, liminality becomes a new way of thinking about customer journeys because it highlights the need to support people as they prepare and get mentally ready to consume their products and services.

As qualitative researchers, we can learn to listen for and recognize the concept of liminality as it shows up in the lives of our participants and how this state affects them and their decision-making. People may tell us that they are “weighing  the options” or are “not sure what to do.”  If we simply think of this kind of indecision as a pain point or an obstacle in a customer journey, we may frame the problem as a communications problem— recommending for example that people need more specific information.

On the other hand, if we hear this said by people going through some form of change, then we can hypothesize that they are in a liminal phase in their life, that they are experiencing some form of identity transformation. … marketers and businesses can support people at these liminal times in a variety of different ways.

Hallways are liminal spaces

They exist for people to move through, which is why hallways are furnished with few, if any, places to sit. For example, the hallway that leads to the front door exists to allow people to transition easily from indoors and out and vice versa.

It is a halfway point between their past and their future. Without a hallway, the transition between indoors and outdoors would be abrupt and sudden, which helps us recognise that hallways—real and symbolic—help make transitions smooth and gradual.

Read the full article here

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