In order to research the relations between rock energy dissipation and the dilation evolution during process of failure，an incremental loading for one cyclic loading mode is designed and put into practice. Granite gneiss rock are taken as research objects sampled from Southern Sinkiang region，and variable cyclic loading triaxial tests are carried out under confining pressure from 0 to 50 MPa all over the whole process stress-strain curve. From viewpoint of energy dissipation，the damage variable is defined，and its relationships with the energy dissipation parameters and principal strain(residual strain and residual shear strain) are deeply analyzed during cyclic loads. Moreover，the confining pressure effect on the energy parameters and variables are studied as well. For each cyclic loading and unloading，the relationship between residual volumetric strains versus residual principal strains are acquired from the curves，which provide the fundamental data for further dilation property research. According to the evolution law of damage variable versus plastic shear strain curves，the relationships between energy dissipation ratio and shear dilation angle are constructed. Summarily，the research reveals that the damage evolution process of rock based on energy dissipation mechanism and these relationships with its dilation to failure has important significant for which sets up a bridge between energy mechanism and dilation during failure process.