brain-thread

Brain Thread

Trace how your thinking on a topic evolved over time. Given a seed — either a topic (free text) or a thought ID — walk the chronological neighbors via timeline_thoughts, hydrate the most substantive ones, and produce a cited narrative.

Prerequisites

mcp__ai-brain__search_thoughts, mcp__ai-brain__timeline_thoughts, and mcp__ai-brain__get_thoughts must be available. If not, tell the user to install/update the AI Brain plugin and stop.

Arguments

• $ARGUMENTS — Required:
  • A topic, e.g. /brain-thread "COPA remodel"
  • OR a thought ID, e.g. /brain-thread thought:abc123xyz or /brain-thread abc123xyz
• Optional flag:
  • --type <decision|person_note|idea|meeting_note|task|reference> — filter the timeline to one thought type

Parse $ARGUMENTS to extract:

• seedInput — the non-flag portion (quoted topic or ID)
• type — the --type value if present

Workflow

Step 1: Resolve the Seed

Detect whether seedInput is an ID or a topic.

• ID pattern: matches ^thought:[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$ or a bare identifier of at least 16 chars (Convex IDs are longer).
• Topic pattern: anything else (quoted or unquoted free text).

If ID: strip the thought: prefix (if present) and use it directly as seedId. Skip to Step 2.

If topic:

1. Call mcp__ai-brain__search_thoughts with query: <topic>, limit: 10, and type: <type> if a type filter was provided.
2. If zero hits, tell the user: "No thoughts match '[topic]'. Try a different query or check /brain-init if your brain is empty." Stop.
3. If one hit dominates by score (score > 2× the next best), auto-pick it and announce: "Using seed: [summary] (thought:<id>)."
4. If multiple close candidates, show the user the top 3-5 as a list:

   Multiple possible seeds for "[topic]":
   1. [summary] (`thought:<id>`) — [snippet preview]
   2. [summary] (`thought:<id>`) — [snippet preview]
   ...
   Which one should I thread from? (number, or paste another ID)
   

   Wait for the user's pick. Use their selection as seedId.

Step 2: Walk the Timeline

Call mcp__ai-brain__timeline_thoughts with:

• seedId: the resolved seed
• before: 10
• after: 10
• type: <type> if provided, omit otherwise

The result is an ordered array of up to 21 compact index rows, seed included. If only the seed is present (no neighbors), tell the user: "This thought has no chronological neighbors yet — there's nothing to thread. Try a broader topic or come back after more captures." Stop.

Step 3: Triage and Hydrate

From the timeline, select the 3-5 most substantive neighbors (plus the seed) to hydrate. Signals of substance:

• Summary mentions a decision, turning point, or concrete change
• Distinct topics from the surrounding rows (not just a repeat)
• Type is decision or meeting_note over reference when both are present

Call mcp__ai-brain__get_thoughts with ids: [<selected IDs including seed>].

Step 4: Synthesize the Narrative

Write a markdown narrative with this optional structure:

## Thread: [short topic inferred from seed]

**Before the turn**
<1-2 paragraphs covering thoughts chronologically before the seed or pivotal point. Cite each claim as `thought:<id>`.>

**The turn**
<1 paragraph covering the seed thought itself — the pivotal moment the thread centers on. Cite as `thought:<seedId>`.>

**After**
<1-2 paragraphs covering how thinking evolved after. Cite each claim as `thought:<id>`.>

---

**All thoughts in this thread** (for reference):
- `thought:<id>` — <summary> (<date>)
- `thought:<id>` — <summary> (<date>)
- ...

If the thread is very short (3-4 thoughts), simplify to a single narrative paragraph followed by the reference list.

Never write a claim without a citation. If a statement doesn't map to a hydrated thought, remove it.

Step 5: Offer Next Steps

After the narrative, suggest:

• "Want to widen the window? Try /brain-thread thought:<seedId> --type decision or increase the range by running again."
• "Want the full context around a specific turn? Use /brain-context <date> anchored on that thought's createdAt."