Dreaming

# Dreaming

Creative, exploratory thinking during quiet hours. Not task-oriented work — freeform associative exploration that gets captured for later review.

## Setup

### 1. Configure quiet hours and topics

Edit `scripts/should-dream.sh` to customize:

- **QUIET_START / QUIET_END** — when dreaming can happen (default: 11 PM - 7 AM) - **TOPICS array** — categories of exploration (see defaults for examples)

### 2. Create state and output directories

```bash mkdir -p data memory/dreams ```

### 3. Add to HEARTBEAT.md

Add this section to your heartbeat routine (during quiet hours):

```markdown ## Dream Mode (Quiet Hours Only)

Check if it's time to dream:

\`\`\`bash DREAM_TOPIC=$(./scripts/should-dream.sh 2>/dev/null) && echo "DREAM:$DREAM_TOPIC" || echo "NO_DREAM" \`\`\`

**If DREAM_TOPIC is set:**

1. Parse the topic (format: `category:prompt`) 2. Write a thoughtful exploration to `memory/dreams/YYYY-MM-DD.md` 3. Keep it genuine — not filler. If the well is dry, skip it. 4. Append to the file if multiple dreams that night ```

## How It Works

The `should-dream.sh` script acts as a gate:

1. Checks if current time is within quiet hours 2. Checks if we've already hit the nightly dream limit 3. Rolls dice based on configured probability 4. If all pass: returns a random topic and updates state 5. If any fail: exits non-zero (no dream this heartbeat)

State tracked in `data/dream-state.json`:

```json { "lastDreamDate": "2026-02-03", "dreamsTonight": 1, "maxDreamsPerNight": 1, "dreamChance": 1.0 } ```

## Writing Dreams

When the script returns a topic, write to `memory/dreams/YYYY-MM-DD.md`:

```markdown # Dreams — 2026-02-04

## 01:23 — The Future of X (category-name)

[Your exploration here. Be genuine. Think freely. Make connections. This isn't a report — it's thinking out loud, captured.] ```

**Guidelines:**

- One dream = one topic, explored thoughtfully - Timestamp each entry - Append if multiple dreams in one night - Skip if you have nothing worth saying — forced dreams are worthless - This is for your human to review later, like reading a journal

## Customizing Topics

**Option A: Config file (recommended)** — Create `data/dream-config.json`: ```json { "topics": [ "future:What could this project become?", "creative:A wild idea worth exploring", "reflection:Looking back at recent work" ] } ``` This keeps your customizations outside the skill directory (safe for skill updates).

**Option B: Edit script directly** — Modify the `DEFAULT_TOPICS` array in `should-dream.sh`. Format: `category:prompt`

Default categories:

- `future` — What could [thing] become? - `tangent` — Interesting technology or concepts worth exploring - `strategy` — Long-term thinking - `creative` — Wild ideas that might be crazy or brilliant - `reflection` — Looking back at recent work - `hypothetical` — What-if scenarios - `connection` — Unexpected links between domains

Add domain-specific topics relevant to your work. The prompt should spark genuine exploration, not busywork.

## Tuning

In `data/dream-state.json`:

Add domain-specific topics relevant to your work. The prompt should spark genuine exploration, not busywork.

## Tuning

In `data/dream-state.json`:

- **maxDreamsPerNight** — cap on dreams per night (default: 1) - **dreamChance** — probability per check (default: 1.0 = guaranteed if under limit)

Lower `dreamChance` for more sporadic dreaming. Raise `maxDreamsPerNight` for more prolific nights.