Threshold atmospheres: Conjuring the affective in inflection

This article explores the affective atmospheres of thresholds, which have been overlooked as consumption spaces. We argue that the emphasis on liminality within our field eclipses the related concept of thresholds. In particular, we contend that threshold points of inflection exist not just in the liminal phase but also in preliminal and postliminal phases, extending far beyond the context of any rite of passage. In turning our attention to thresholds, we consider and particularly contribute to understanding their atmospheric qualities and affects. Threshold atmospheres are conceptualised as affective atmospheres generated at or by inflection points – those critical sites and/or moments of significant change or transformation. Four affective qualities of threshold atmospheres are identified and described: modulation, suspension, hauntology, and transformation. Threshold atmospheres modulate affect by shaping our emotional states, priming us for upcoming experiences, and mediating between various realms. They create a suspension or a momentary pause of affect and feelings, amplifying the awareness of the boundary being crossed or the moment of crossing. Threshold atmospheres can be imbued by a spectral hauntological quality, providing glimpses into or a heightened sense of other realms, alternative forms of knowing and being, and a feeling of what might have been and what might yet be. Furthermore, atmospheres of thresholds frequently connect with moments of transformation and transgression. Based on our conceptualisation of threshold atmospheres as a new unit of analysis, several potential future lines of inquiry for marketing and consumer researchers have been proposed.