The Phase-Shift Hypothesis: The Influence of Homeostasis Within Neural Networks During Sleep and the Emergence of Dream Phenomenology
Douwe Fennema
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) September 26, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22980419 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Key points | Proposes that sleep-dependent homeostatic rearrangement of previously activated neural networks shifts the relative activation threshold of representations, a process the authors call a "phase shift." When consciously perceived, this internally generated activity manifests as transformed dream content. The authors argue dream phenomenology has no necessary independent function and predict dream transformations are neither random nor uniform but determined partly by individually formed network relationships and their activation history, with shared culture and language producing similar patterns without universal symbolism. |
Abstract
Abstract During wakefulness, experience continually changes the functional organization of neural networks. Repetition, attention, emotional significance, and other forms of experience-dependent activation can affect the relative strength of synaptic relationships (Hebb, 1949; Bliss & Lømo, 1973; Dudek & Bear, 1992). During sleep, direct coupling to external sensory input and behavioral output decreases substantially, while neural activity, metabolism, reactivation, and synaptic reorganization continue (Tononi & Cirelli, 2014; Klinzing et al., 2019). The Phase-Shift Hypothesis proposes that this altered state leads to a homeostatic rearrangement of previously activated relational networks. In this process, not all prior activations retain the same relative influence. Relationships formed or strengthened during wakefulness exist within a plastic system in which different stimuli can vary in both intensity and functional relevance. Through plasticity, neural networks retain the capacity for experience-dependent change (Tononi & Cirelli, 2014; Klinzing et al., 2019). Selective weakening of certain relationships can thereby affect the relative influence of others. The central new hypothesis of this article is that this nocturnal rearrangement can shift the relative activation threshold of representations. Synaptic rearrangement can change the position of a previously activated network relative to other networks. Activity that remained in the background during wakefulness because of stronger or competing activity can thus become relatively more prominent during sleep. This process is generally not consciously observed. The resulting shift within the relational network is referred to here as a phase shift. When such internally generated activity is consciously perceived, it can manifest as transformed dream content. Within this model, dream phenomenology has no necessary independent function. It provides an incidental observational window onto a largely unconscious homeostatic process. The hypothesis predicts that dream transformations are neither random nor uniform, but are determined in part by individually formed network relationships and their prior history of activation. At the same time, considerable relational overlap can exist within a shared language, culture, or time period, because people share many concepts, experiences, and semantic relationships. Similar patterns in dream content can therefore arise without implying universal symbolism or identical underlying network structures. This prediction allows prospective experimental testing. Keywords: sleep, dream phenomenology, homeostasis, neural plasticity, homeostatic rearrangement, phase shift, LTP, LTD
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