[scns]

Interesting, you wrote circles but OP wrote cycles, which can be circular, sinuslike, shaped like a sawtooth/ramp-wave (LISPs AI-winter anyone?) or even deformed variations with a bit of randomness or reinforcing patterns in them. Hypecycles and speculation bubbles come to mind.

This reminded me of the writings of a german Philsopher, Heidegger maybe? The proposition was, that development happens in cycles similar to a pendulum swinging while moving upwards. Thesis and Antithesis leading to Synthesis.