Consciousness as a Reference in the Mental Hyperspace – N1, N2, N3, Tonic REM and Phasic REM - SBNec – FALAN – LatBrain – SfN 2025 – Brain Bee
Consciousness as a Reference in the Mental Hyperspace – N1, N2, N3, Tonic REM and Phasic REM - SBNec – FALAN – LatBrain – SfN 2025 – Brain Bee
If we understand the Damasian Mind as a hyperspace composed of interoceptive and proprioceptive interactions, consciousness can be seen as a reference point within this space.
Each infant, throughout development, learns to link words, emotions, and behaviors to the environments in which they grow. This leaves neural traces that act as “reference addresses”: for each environment, a specific consciousness emerges, shaped by the restrictions of interoceptive and proprioceptive tensions that the environment demands.
Sleep and Functional Adjustments of Consciousness
N1 – The threshold
The body begins releasing motor tensions, opening space for minimal reorganizations of perception.N2 – Stabilization
Marked by sleep spindles and K-complexes, this stage consolidates referential anchors of attention and belonging within the mental hyperspace.N3 (deep sleep) – Metabolic integration
Tensions are reduced to a minimum, allowing somatic repair and reinforcement of the structural basis of consciousness.Tonic REM – Functional adjustment of consciousness via proprioception
The body remains paralyzed, but the brain reorganizes internal body maps. This is like recalibrating the APUS (extended proprioception), ensuring that the reference of consciousness maintains coherence with the body-territory.Phasic REM – Functional adjustment of feelings via interoception
Rapid eye movements, autonomic oscillations, and vivid imagery promote the recombination of emotional tensions. At this stage, tensional selves (stabilized feelings) are revisited and reconfigured.
Central Insight
Thus, Tonic REM and Phasic REM are not just two facets of the same sleep stage but rather complementary mechanisms for adjusting consciousness:
The tonic maintains coherence of the body and proprioception.
The phasic reorganizes feelings and interoceptive tensions.
Together, they ensure that consciousness can navigate flexibly between different environments and restrictions, preserving its role as a reference point within the mental hyperspace.
Reference Table
Reference | Year | Main Contribution |
Simor et al. | 2021 | HEP differs between phasic and tonic REM; interoception in tonic REM resembles wakefulness. |
Simor et al. | 2025 | Cardiac activity in the thalamus distinguishes REM microstates, indicating interoceptive variation. |
Teaford | 2022 | Interoceptive signals impact spatial orientation — integration of interoception and proprioception. |
Weiniger et al. | 2024 | Postural consciousness and insula: interoceptive–proprioceptive integration for bodily awareness. |
Ueno et al. | 2023 | Interoception linked to autonomic regulation, emotion, and sense of self. |
Chen et al. | 2021 | Interoception as a bidirectional and expanded process (including proprioceptive signals). |
Neuroscientific References (post-2020)
Simor, P., et al. (2021). Heartbeat-evoked potentials during phasic and tonic REM sleep.
Simor, P., et al. (2025). Differential interoceptive processing in the anterior thalamus across phasic and tonic REM sleep.
Teaford, M. (2022). Interoceptive contributions to spatial orientation and proprioceptive integration.
Weiniger, C., et al. (2024). Postural consciousness and the integration of interoception and proprioception in the insula.
Ueno, H., et al. (2023). Interoception, autonomic regulation, and the sense of self.
Chen, W. G., et al. (2021). The emerging science of interoception: sensing, integrating, and regulating signals within the body.
