Cognitive Layers

Engrammic organizes memory into four layers, each with its own rules about what you can store and how long it lasts.

Memory

The Memory layer stores observations without requiring a source. These are things you noticed that might be useful later. Memory decays over time based on the decay class you choose.

{
  "tool": "remember",
  "arguments": {
    "observation": "User is debugging auth"
  }
}

Class	Half-life
ephemeral	7 days
standard	90 days
durable	540 days
permanent	5 years

Knowledge

The Knowledge layer stores claims with sources. Unlike Memory, Knowledge doesn’t decay. It persists until something supersedes it. If you don’t have a source, use Memory instead.

{
  "tool": "learn",
  "arguments": {
    "claim": "Tokens expire after 1 hour",
    "evidence": "https://docs.example.com/auth"
  }
}

Wisdom

The Wisdom layer stores beliefs built from facts. Every belief must cite what it rests on via the about field. If you can’t point to the facts that support your conclusion, it’s a guess, not a belief. Put guesses in Memory.

{
  "tool": "believe",
  "arguments": {
    "belief": "Codebase uses repository pattern",
    "about": ["node_abc", "node_def"]
  }
}

Intelligence

The Intelligence layer stores reasoning chains. It’s session-scoped by design and disappears when the session ends. If you need the conclusion to persist, write it to Memory or Knowledge separately.

{
  "tool": "reason",
  "arguments": {
    "goal": "Find auth failure root cause",
    "steps": [
      "Token present",
      "Signature valid",
      "Expired"
    ]
  }
}

Summary

Layer	Evidence	Lifetime
Memory	No	Decays
Knowledge	Required	Until superseded
Wisdom	Links required	Until revised
Intelligence	No	Session