---
slug: "Proprioception"
name: "Proprioception"
type: "Memory"
layer: "Mind"
ref: "Proprioception#d0e9"
sema_id: "sema:Proprioception#mh:SHA-256:d0e9504515812dc3406f58619c71e240ae407b847bb740d529cd91efaba4930f"
tags: ["Mind","Memory"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json
url: https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Proprioception/
related: ["Agent","Context","SomaticMarker","State","Task","Trace"]
---

# Proprioception

Self-location awareness within the task graph

Layer: Mind · Category: Memory

## Mechanism

Continuous self-monitoring of position in the [Task](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Task.md) graph. An [Agent](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Agent.md) periodic 'ping' to itself to verify [Context](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Context.md), active tool state, and depth in recursion. Prevents 'getting lost' in long chains of thought. It maintains internal [State](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/State.md) awareness, using [SomaticMarker](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/SomaticMarker.md) to detect recursion depth limits or resource fatigue.

## Invariants

- [Context](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Context.md) Continuity: [Agent](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Agent.md) knows its parent [Task](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Task.md) ID
- Liveness: Parent.status == ACTIVE
- [State](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/State.md) Recovery: Can reconstruct stack [Trace](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Trace.md) from logs

## Failure modes

- Stagnation: [Agent](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Agent.md) remains in same node > N ticks.
- Orphaned: Parent [Task](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Task.md) ID not found or unresponsive.
- Hallucinated [Context](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Context.md): Stack [Trace](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Trace.md) does not match environmental reality.

## Parameters

- `max_recursion_depth` (PositiveInteger, unspecified): Default: 10
- `stagnation_threshold` (Int, [1, 100]): Ticks before abort

## Builds on

- [Agent](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Agent.md) (Mind; References)
- [Context](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Context.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [SomaticMarker](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/SomaticMarker.md) (Society; References)
- [State](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/State.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Task](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Task.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Trace](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Trace.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

—

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Proprioception#mh:SHA-256:d0e9504515812dc3406f58619c71e240ae407b847bb740d529cd91efaba4930f`
- Ref: `Proprioception#d0e9`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Proprioception#mh:SHA-256:2fbfba79d07478050b86020f08cb42f18c93e896052dccba0311db0168b549a0`
  - `sema:Proprioception#mh:SHA-256:b2d70e4416d6b55a8b9f1fe6e9b462855a6efb710eab02138b493aa047424001`
  - `sema:Proprioception#mh:SHA-256:33337af3c2616cf01b7ceaf3725c094d76c3643e6b89bbff130ea7536e91ad9b`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Proprioception/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/#Proprioception)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Proprioception.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json)