1. The Primary Circle: Foundations of Being

Human existence is fundamentally "round." This is not a geometric fact, but a deep cognitive template—a phenomenological mode of thinking that allows us to affirm our existence from an internal center. The perfect model for this perception is the bird and its nest: the bird, in its spherical and concentrated form, represents a protected cosmic being, and the round nest it builds is a reflection of wholeness, cyclicality, and domesticity.

From this circular core, the first dialectic of existence is born—the distinction between "Inside" and "Outside." The contour of the circle is not merely a physical boundary, but a powerful existential distinction:

Inside: The protected space, corresponding to the internal "Yes" and self-affirmation.
Outside: The alien world, corresponding to the external "No."

Yet the circle, despite the security it provides, is only the starting point. From within it, a new movement is destined to emerge that will transform the face of consciousness.

2. Transcendence: From the Circle to the Vertical Spiral

If the circle provides a static center, verticality introduces "movement" into being. In the architecture of the soul, this movement is not a rigid straight line but a spiral—a form that combines the security of the circle with the eternal human aspiration upward, turning construction into a "geometry of the spirit." Man, like the bird in its nest, climbs from his protected core along a vertical axis toward knowledge.

The peak of this movement is found at the highest point—in the tower or the spire. There, in the extreme vertical dimension, the boundary between inside and outside blurs. The closed existence opens and becomes a sovereign vantage point, allowing man to observe the entire world from the center he has fashioned for himself. This vantage point is the psychological prototype of the modern gaze—the satellite view, the drone photograph, and the total data perception that defines the visual age. The idea of verticality gives birth to the dynamic forces that organize all of space.

3. Spatial Forces: The Dynamics of Center and Periphery

Every space is organized through two opposing yet complementary forces, known from physics as center-periphery relations:

Centripetal Movement: Movement from the margins (the periphery) toward the center.
Centrifugal Movement: Movement from the center outward toward the margins.

Human history can be narrated through the dominant emergence of these forces:

Centripetal Movement (The Neolithic Period): This was the primary movement. Approximately 10,000 years ago, humans gathered into groups, established permanent settlements, and developed a shared language—a clear movement of inward convergence.
Centrifugal Movement (From 5000 BCE): The movement from the center outward became dominant during the Bronze Age and reached its peak in Ancient Greece.

The appearance of centrifugal movement did not negate its predecessor. The two integrated to create a powerful mechanism: when the centripetal accumulation of space is complete, a central "Mega-Junction" is formed. Once created, this mega-junction (whether a city, an empire, or an idea) reacts back outward, radiating power and channeling movement in every direction. This dynamic system sets the stage for the next great cognitive shift—the transition to the visual age.

4. The Era of the Image: The World Perceived by the Eye

Today, we are witnessing a sharp reversal: visual-spatial thinking is prevailing over verbal thinking. As argued by the thinker Rudolf Arnheim, our understanding of the world consists primarily of "pure visual perceptions," with language playing a secondary role. This perception even finds a scientific basis in studies discovering the thematic preferences of the retina. Our worldview has become cinematic—one in which the filmed world is perceived as more real than reality itself.

The dramatic reversal between the past and the present is demonstrated in the following table:

Feature	The Past (Verbal World)	The Present (Visual World)
Primary Resource	Words were in abundance	Images are in abundance
Rare Resource	Images were a rare commodity	Words are rare
Foundation of Thought	Conceptual structures of knowledge	Pure visual perceptions

The shift to visual thinking has completely changed the way spatial and vertical forces are expressed in our world.

5. Modern Expressions: The Circle, the Line, and the Image in Our Lives

The ancient ideas of the circle, line, and center continue to operate within modern visual reality. The following table summarizes how these abstract templates function in contemporary arenas of life:

Field	Forces at Play	Brief Description of Application
Modern Architecture	Verticality, Center-Periphery Relations	Skyscrapers and the "City Center" express the idea that "higher" is "more important" and "more central."
Airports	Visual and Cinematic Thinking	Airports are a vision and script of the city of the future; the experience within them is a staged sequence of events.
Education System	Centripetal vs. Centrifugal	The teacher acts as a centripetal force (instilling central knowledge) against students acting as a centrifugal force (self-expression).
The Internet	Centripetal vs. Centrifugal	Giant corporations are a centralizing and unifying force (centripetal), while individuals and small groups act as a dispersing force (centrifugal).

Beyond these daily arenas, center-periphery dynamics shape the major geopolitical processes of our time. Globalization is a powerful expression of centripetal forces, while phenomena such as social polarization in the United States, the European Union's deliberations over its continued existence, or China's efforts to subordinate Hong Kong to its center, illustrate the constant struggle between unifying and disintegrating forces. From the tallest building to the global balance of power, every aspect of our lives is an arena for the dynamic encounter between ancient and modern modes of thought.

6. Conclusion: The Ongoing Journey of Consciousness

Our story begins with the round being—closed and protected. From there, it climbs upward through the vertical spiral of human aspiration, until it bursts out into an open world governed by the dynamics of center and periphery, finally arriving at the current era—a visual, fast-paced, and cinematic world.

This evolution is not the end of the road; it is merely another chapter in the ongoing and fascinating journey of human consciousness in its search for form and meaning.