People usually have a very short list of ‘turning points’ in their life. Those are these liminal states? Exactly, and they feel like losing your mind. We feel like nothing makes sense in those moments. We may even feel like we lack any real identity at all. It is at this point that we have the potential to make real choices, and only in this state of being.
Which is one reason that traditional societies have ritualized the process of moving in liminal space, perhaps. Indeed, exactly why.
I ponder the power of the sweat lodge and the healing circle. It is also why the rituals to induce the liminal state are often frightening, using trials or hallucinogenics. Vision quests are perhaps the most commonly known trial ritual, but ever notice every faith seems to be defined almost exclusively by an epic degree of trial? Strife?
Like the confessional booth? That would be one, creating stress through human instinctive fear of social alienation.
Pilgrimage, sacrifice, ceremonial wounds… All trials. The dynamic runs deep. How hard is it to break a habit? Let’s say even a perceptual habit. The idea that going out to eat is always bad would be one habit of perception.
Especially difficult if that habit fulfills an archetypal framework at deeper levels.
It’s hard, perhaps because we don’t know the source? Barring reaching a point of crisis, it can even seem virtually impossible.
We are like the centaur of mythology, but we almost always seem to forget this. Part of us wants to run free, and the destination never matters to it. The other part wants to control everything, and in the resistance to change that control is in essence, and never can reach anywhere at all.
We’re breaking the pattern that we’ve attached to our self identity? When you reach that liminal or crisis point, but we can recognize the liminal in any moment at will. In the Chinese, their words for crisis and opportunity are identical.
The idea that all of it can be a choice is actually frightening. Well, I think that’s the point. It’s frightening. There is little guidance for making an informed choice in this state, little example of maintaining poise or composure.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~