Concepts

Core Concepts

This page explains the fundamental building blocks of MindFry. Understanding these concepts is essential for effective use.

Lineage (Memory Unit)

A lineage is the fundamental unit of memory in MindFry — analogous to a “record” in traditional databases, but alive.

interface Lineage {
  key: string // Unique identifier
  energy: number // 0.0 to 1.0 — "aliveness"
  created: number // Timestamp
  accessed: number // Last access timestamp
}

Energy

Energy represents how “alive” a memory is:

High energy (>0.7): Vivid, readily accessible
Medium energy (0.3-0.7): Present but not prominent
Low energy (<0.3): Fading, may be inaccessible based on mood

Energy is affected by:

Decay: Natural decrease over time
Stimulation: Direct energy injection
Cascade: Energy from connected memories via bonds
Observer Effect: +0.01 on each read (unless bypassed)

Bond (Synaptic Connection)

A bond connects two lineages with a strength and polarity.

interface Bond {
  from: string // Source lineage key
  to: string // Target lineage key
  strength: number // 0.0 to 1.0 — connection intensity
  polarity: number // +1 (synergy), 0 (neutral), -1 (antagonism)
}

Polarity

graph LR
    A[Source] -->|+1 Synergy| B[Target gains energy]
    A -->|0 Neutral| C[Pure association]
    A -->|-1 Antagonism| D[Target loses energy]

Synergy (+1): Activating source amplifies target
Neutral (0): Pure metadata association
Antagonism (-1): Activating source suppresses target

Propagation

When a lineage is stimulated, energy cascades through bonds:

δ_target = δ_source × strength × polarity × damping

Default damping is 0.5 (50% loss per hop) to prevent runaway activation.

Cortex (Decision Engine)

The Cortex is MindFry’s cognitive filter — it decides what’s accessible.

Components

Mood

A value from 0 (depressive) to 1 (euphoric) that modulates the consciousness threshold.

Personality Octet

8 dimensions defining the system’s character traits, affecting resonance with data.

Consciousness Threshold

Computed from mood: τ = 0.5 × (1 - mood). Memories below τ are inaccessible.

Threshold Visualization

Mood	Threshold	Effect
1.0 (Euphoric)	0.0	All memories accessible
0.5 (Neutral)	0.25	Low-energy memories hidden
0.0 (Depressive)	0.5	Only high-energy memories surface

Decay

Decay is the automatic, time-based reduction of energy.

E(t) = E₀ × e^(-λt)

Where:

E₀ = Initial energy
λ = Decay coefficient (default: 0.001 per tick)
t = Time since last access

Resisting Decay

High-significance memories resist decay through:

Frequent access (resets decay timer)
High initial energy
Incoming cascade from active neighbors

Consciousness States

Each lineage exists in one of three states, determined by energy and threshold:

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> LUCID: energy > τ + 0.2
    [*] --> DREAMING: τ < energy < τ + 0.2
    [*] --> DORMANT: energy < τ

    LUCID --> DREAMING: decay
    DREAMING --> DORMANT: decay
    DORMANT --> DREAMING: stimulate
    DREAMING --> LUCID: stimulate

State	Accessibility	Description
LUCID	✅ Normal queries	Active, conscious memory
DREAMING	⚠️ Contextual	May surface via association
DORMANT	🔒 Executive Override only	Subconscious, requires explicit bypass

Executive Override

For debugging and forensic purposes, MindFry supports bypassing cognitive filters:

// Normal: Subject to mood, decay, filters
const memory = await brain.lineage.get('secret')

// Executive Override: Bypass all filters
const forensic = await brain.lineage.get('secret', 0x07)
// Flags: BYPASS_FILTERS | INCLUDE_REPRESSED | NO_SIDE_EFFECTS

Quick Reference

Concept	Key Points
Lineage	Memory unit with key, energy, timestamps
Bond	Connection with strength and polarity
Cortex	Decision engine (mood + personality)
Decay	Lazy energy reduction over time
States	LUCID / DREAMING / DORMANT
Override	Forensic bypass of filters

Next: Learn how to create your first memory or explore the Architecture.