You call it “wave”, and that’s not wrong, but not exactly worded. Exactly worded it is – of course – a spiral-cyclic move (which may be also called “wave”). The third dimension is – for example – a kind of technique (technology) or the human evolution (eventually human history, but I doubt that a real human history - in general - exists, because I believe that, referring to all humans, merely cultural history of humans exists). The most interesting point (especially for you, James) is, that the medium, which “communicates” with the cultural “actors” could be “affectance” or a kind of an ”aether“
Planets, moons, and other bodies of a solar system can merely then exist, if a star has “created” them. And so it is for cultures, economies, and art (artefacts) as well: cultures, economies, and arts (artefacts) can merely exist, if a technique (technology) has “created” them. Such a technique can also be a cultural technique, if any culture already exists. Important is that there must be three dimensions when it comes to “start” such a culture (unfortunately the English language requires the word “civilisation”) as described. If there are merely two dimensions, then there are merely techniques as the “primitive” cultures possible, and they are very important as the third dimension for “higher” cultures.
The spiral motion of suns and techniques are quite powerful and quite generous. In their systems, they are even absolutely powerful and absolutely generous; because like every sun in its system any technique in its system is the absolute tyrant and the absolute sponsor.
It is very likely that it is a superior technique of all of nature or what we call the universe, which is identical with what we call creation. Whether we call the creator God, the “unmoved mover”, the “big bang-maker”, the “universe builder”, the “string musician” or simply the “original technician”, that is perhaps more a matter of faith, religious sensitivities and the theological justifications than one of the exact knowledge; but at the beginning everything needs an impulse, a help from - despite the later self-help. I believe that there are several other characteristics, namely different spiral cycles-setting techniques in addition to the initial technique, to some extent as descendants of the early technology, the original technique.
So also a culture needs energy, force to ever come into motion and thus development, or point(s), bodies, “parents” of culture (s) as the start or forerun or circuit object, an object of its spiral cycle.
As we move spirally through the universe, we turn simultaneously to ourselves.