Turner describes liminality when discussing pilgrimage. He defines liminality as an inbetweeness type of state. This is like a state of mind where what came before doesn’t matter and the future is yet to come. Turner describes it as a in the womb, or death like state. In this state you do not question time, or think about the next stage. It is being inbetween a rite of passage. You experience this liminality when on a pilgrimage. You do not question why or what you are on a journey and have only one goal. The best example I have heard of liminality is the example used in class, it defines liminality perfectly.
Dr Redick went to boot camp where he was stripped of his rank and demoted to nothing. He was on a journey to becoming a man, on a rite of passage. He was with others going through the same struggles as he was. Dr Redick was in a luminal state of mind. He had his goal to live through the camp and become a man, everything else didn’t matter. Turner describes pilgrimage as a liminal action because to be successful on a pilgrimage you must be in a luminal state of mind. Part of a pilgrimage is resisting what you are used to, dealing with the loss of your comforts. In a liminal state of mind you are able to complete your pilgrimage and achieve your goal. A pilgrimage is almost a spiritual rebirth, thus to complete one you must have an “in the womb” type mind set, also known as liminality.
The idea of liminality is very interesting, it allows you to get through a enduring task, or take on a difficult adventure. Liminality is most certainly a part of pilgrimage. People worry when completing a pilgrimage whether or not they will be alright when the go back. This is because they have been in a liminal mind set, they have forgotten the past, and they feel as if all they know if the pilgrimage.
No comments:
Post a Comment