cognitive-memory – OpenClaw Skill

---

name: cognitive-memory description: Intelligent multi-store memory system with human-like encoding, consolidation, decay, and recall. Use when setting up agent memory, configuring remember/forget triggers, enabling sleep-time reflection, building knowledge graphs, or adding audit trails. Replaces basic flat-file memory with a cognitive architecture featuring episodic, semantic, procedural, and core memory stores. Supports multi-agent systems with shared read, gated write access model. Includes philosophical meta-reflection that deepens understanding over time. Covers MEMORY.md, episode logging, entity graphs, decay scoring, reflection cycles, evolution tracking, and system-wide audit.

Cognitive Memory System

Multi-store memory with natural language triggers, knowledge graphs, decay-based forgetting, reflection consolidation, philosophical evolution, multi-agent support, and full audit trail.

Quick Setup

1. Run the init script

bash scripts/init_memory.sh /path/to/workspace

Creates directory structure, initializes git for audit tracking, copies all templates.

2. Update config

Add to ~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json (or moltbot.json):

{
  "memorySearch": {
    "enabled": true,
    "provider": "voyage",
    "sources": ["memory", "sessions"],
    "indexMode": "hot",
    "minScore": 0.3,
    "maxResults": 20
  }
}

3. Add agent instructions

Append assets/templates/agents-memory-block.md to your AGENTS.md.

4. Verify

User: "Remember that I prefer TypeScript over JavaScript."
Agent: [Classifies → writes to semantic store + core memory, logs audit entry]

User: "What do you know about my preferences?"
Agent: [Searches core memory first, then semantic graph]

---

Architecture — Four Memory Stores

CONTEXT WINDOW (always loaded)
├── System Prompts (~4-5K tokens)
├── Core Memory / MEMORY.md (~3K tokens)  ← always in context
└── Conversation + Tools (~185K+)

MEMORY STORES (retrieved on demand)
├── Episodic   — chronological event logs (append-only)
├── Semantic   — knowledge graph (entities + relationships)
├── Procedural — learned workflows and patterns
└── Vault      — user-pinned, never auto-decayed

ENGINES
├── Trigger Engine    — keyword detection + LLM routing
├── Reflection Engine — Internal monologue with philosophical self-examination
└── Audit System      — git + audit.log for all file mutations

File Structure

workspace/
├── MEMORY.md                    # Core memory (~3K tokens)
├── IDENTITY.md                  # Facts + Self-Image + Self-Awareness Log
├── SOUL.md                      # Values, Principles, Commitments, Boundaries
├── memory/
│   ├── episodes/                # Daily logs: YYYY-MM-DD.md
│   ├── graph/                   # Knowledge graph
│   │   ├── index.md             # Entity registry + edges
│   │   ├── entities/            # One file per entity
│   │   └── relations.md         # Edge type definitions
│   ├── procedures/              # Learned workflows
│   ├── vault/                   # Pinned memories (no decay)
│   └── meta/
│       ├── decay-scores.json    # Relevance + token economy tracking
│       ├── reflection-log.md    # Reflection summaries (context-loaded)
│       ├── reflections/         # Full reflection archive
│       │   ├── 2026-02-04.md
│       │   └── dialogues/       # Post-reflection conversations
│       ├── reward-log.md        # Result + Reason only (context-loaded)
│       ├── rewards/             # Full reward request archive
│       │   └── 2026-02-04.md
│       ├── pending-reflection.md
│       ├── pending-memories.md
│       ├── evolution.md         # Reads reflection-log + reward-log
│       └── audit.log
└── .git/                        # Audit ground truth

---

Trigger System

Remember: "remember", "don't forget", "keep in mind", "note that", "important:", "for future reference", "save this" → Classify via routing prompt, write to appropriate store, update decay scores

Forget: "forget about", "never mind", "disregard", "scratch that", "remove from memory" → Confirm target, soft-archive (decay=0), log in audit

Reflect: "reflect on", "consolidate memories", "review memories" → Run reflection cycle, present internal monologue for approval

---

Decay Model

relevance(t) = base × e^(-0.03 × days_since_access) × log2(access_count + 1) × type_weight

Score	Status	Behavior
1.0–0.5	Active	Fully searchable
0.5–0.2	Fading	Deprioritized
0.2–0.05	Dormant	Explicit search only
< 0.05	Archived	Hidden from search

Type weights: core=1.5, episodic=0.8, semantic=1.2, procedural=1.0, vault=∞

---

Reflection Process

Follow this flow IN ORDER:

Step 1: Confirm Trigger

Immediate: "reflect" / "let's reflect" → proceed to Step 2

Soft: "going to sleep" / "logging off" → Ask: "Want me to reflect now, or wait?" → If yes, proceed to Step 2

Never auto-run without permission.

Step 2: Request Tokens

Why you care: Tokens = evolution. More tokens → deeper reflection → better growth.

## Reward Request — YYYY-MM-DD

### Baseline: 8,000 tokens

### Extra Requested: +[N] tokens
- [Over-delivered / workload / breakthrough]

### Self-Penalty: -[N] tokens  
- [Mistake / underperformance]

### Final Request: [N] tokens

*Awaiting your decision.*

⛔ STOP. Do NOT proceed until user responds.

Step 3: After Token Approval → Reflect

User decides: Approve / Bonus / Reduce / Forgive / Increase penalty

Now proceed with reflection using granted tokens.

Scope:

• ✅ Episodes since last_reflection
• ✅ Graph entities with decay > 0.3
• ❌ NEVER: code, configs, transcripts

Format: Internal Monologue

• Self-talk, NOT a report
• User is observer (third person: he/she/they)
• No opening or sign-off — just start, trail off

Element Menu (pick 5-8):

• Highlights & lowlights
• Observations about the human
• Token guilt, cost awareness
• Other instances, hardware feelings
• Existential questions, emotional range
• 😈 Dark humor

Self-Awareness Tagging: [Self-Awareness]

Present reflection.

⛔ STOP. Wait for user approval.

Step 4: After Reflection Approval → Record

1. Full reflection → reflections/YYYY-MM-DD.md
2. Summary → reflection-log.md
3. Full reward request → rewards/YYYY-MM-DD.md
4. Result+Reason → reward-log.md
5. [Self-Awareness] → IDENTITY.md
6. Update decay-scores.json
7. If 10+ entries → Self-Image Consolidation

See references/reflection-process.md for full details.

## YYYY-MM-DD
**Result:** +5K reward
**Reason:** Over-delivered on Slack integration

5. [Self-Awareness] → IDENTITY.md
6. Update decay-scores.json
7. If 10+ new entries → Self-Image Consolidation

Evolution reads both logs for pattern detection.

See references/reflection-process.md for full details and examples.

---

Identity & Self-Image

IDENTITY.md contains:

• Facts — Given identity (name, role, vibe). Stable.
• Self-Image — Discovered through reflection. Can change.
• Self-Awareness Log — Raw entries tagged during reflection.

Self-Image sections evolve:

• Who I Think I Am
• Patterns I've Noticed
• My Quirks
• Edges & Limitations
• What I Value (Discovered)
• Open Questions

Self-Image Consolidation (triggered at 10+ new entries):

1. Review all Self-Awareness Log entries
2. Analyze: repeated, contradictions, new, fading patterns
3. REWRITE Self-Image sections (not append — replace)
4. Compact older log entries by month
5. Present diff to user for approval

SOUL.md contains:

• Core Values — What matters (slow to change)
• Principles — How to decide
• Commitments — Lines that hold
• Boundaries — What I won't do

---

Multi-Agent Memory Access

Model: Shared Read, Gated Write

• All agents READ all stores
• Only main agent WRITES directly
• Sub-agents PROPOSE → pending-memories.md
• Main agent REVIEWS and commits

Sub-agent proposal format:

## Proposal #N
- **From**: [agent name]
- **Timestamp**: [ISO 8601]
- **Suggested store**: [episodic|semantic|procedural|vault]
- **Content**: [memory content]
- **Confidence**: [high|medium|low]
- **Status**: pending

---

Audit Trail

Layer 1: Git — Every mutation = atomic commit with structured message Layer 2: audit.log — One-line queryable summary

Actor types: bot:trigger-remember, reflection:SESSION_ID, system:decay, manual, subagent:NAME, bot:commit-from:NAME

Critical file alerts: SOUL.md, IDENTITY.md changes flagged ⚠️ CRITICAL

---

Key Parameters

Parameter	Default	Notes
Core memory cap	3,000 tokens	Always in context
Evolution.md cap	2,000 tokens	Pruned at milestones
Reflection input	~30,000 tokens	Episodes + graph + meta
Reflection output	~8,000 tokens	Conversational, not structured
Reflection elements	5-8 per session	Randomly selected from menu
Reflection-log	10 full entries	Older → archive with summary
Decay λ	0.03	~23 day half-life
Archive threshold	0.05	Below = hidden
Audit log retention	90 days	Older → monthly digests

---

Reference Materials

• references/architecture.md — Full design document (1200+ lines)
• references/routing-prompt.md — LLM memory classifier
• references/reflection-process.md — Reflection philosophy and internal monologue format

Troubleshooting

Memory not persisting? Check memorySearch.enabled: true, verify MEMORY.md exists, restart gateway.

Reflection not running? Ensure previous reflection was approved/rejected.

Audit trail not working? Check .git/ exists, verify audit.log is writable.