In the past year, three intriguing internet mysteries caught my attention. They seem different but are somehow connected. The first involves a girl who discovered an abandoned shopping mall behind a door in her Airbnb basement. The second story is about Javier, who claims he woke up in a hospital in 2027, an alternate future where everyone has vanished. The third mystery centers on the back rooms, a creepy alternate reality that appears as endless, dingy rooms filled with yellow wallpaper and fluorescent lights.

At first, you might wonder what these stories have in common. They all revolve around liminal spaces. These are places of transition or emotional experiences marking major life changes, like a breakup, moving cities, or switching careers. Think of an airport at night or a school during summer break; you’ll recognize the eerie feeling of these spaces.

In the first mystery, the girl’s video shows her awkward mix of fun and unease as she explores the abandoned mall. Liminal spaces often evoke a strange nostalgia and can make you feel like you’ve been there before, even if you never have. It’s out-of-context places like a plane with no seats or a flooded Metro station that trigger this unsettling feeling.

Javier’s story takes it to another level. He shares videos on TikTok showing him alone in busy places like stadiums, supermarkets, and hotels in Valencia. He claims he woke up alone in 2027 and records himself in deserted environments. Skeptics have suggested his videos are staged early in the morning to avoid people, but he responds with footage showing public clocks. Despite the doubt, his videos capture the essence of being the last person on earth, every space a liminal space.

The back rooms mystery started on 4chan with an unsettling image of a yellow-wallpapered room. Descriptions and stories about being trapped in these endless, empty rooms followed. The back rooms felt both familiar and totally foreign. The idea transformed into a community-driven lore with hundreds of levels and intricate stories about this uncanny place. The eeriness of the back rooms has been brought to life in videos by Kane Parsons, merging live-action and 3D animation to capture the loneliness and horror of these liminal spaces.

Liminal spaces have long fascinated us. Movies like “The Shining” and shows like “Severance” use them to amplify tension and fear. They remind us of life’s transitions and the unease that comes with change.

Finally, unraveling the truth, it turns out Javier’s account is a media project called “The Lonely Survivor,” created with Valencia’s city backing. The discovery of the mall was at Ocean Walk Mall, a “dead mall” in Florida, where people rarely go anymore.

Liminal spaces, whether physical or emotional, resonate with us because they capture a world in transition. They evoke a sense of nostalgia and discomfort, reminding us of past and future changes. Whatever the setting, these spaces push us to find our way out and move forward.