session-dream

A manual trigger for the memory distillation that Claude Code's autoDream service does automatically in the background. Where autoDream fires after 5+ sessions and 24+ hours, this skill fires on demand — letting you capture a session's insights before they're lost in compaction.

How autoDream works (the source pattern)

From services/autoDream/consolidationPrompt.ts, the autoDream process has 4 phases:

1. Orient — scan what memory already exists, avoid creating duplicates
2. Gather signal — identify new information worth persisting (logs, session transcripts, drifted facts)
3. Consolidate — write or update topic files, merge rather than duplicate, fix contradictions
4. Prune and index — keep MEMORY.md under max lines, one pointer per file, remove stale entries

This skill follows the same 4-phase structure but applies it to the current conversation rather than historical transcripts.

Distillation Process

Phase 1 — Orient

Check what memory already exists:

• Read MEMORY.md if it exists (or note that it doesn't)
• Scan memory topic files mentioned in the index
• Note which topics are already covered so new entries extend rather than duplicate

Phase 2 — Gather signal from this session

Review the current conversation and identify:

High-value (always distill):

• Architectural decisions with reasoning ("chose X over Y because Z")
• Approaches that failed and why ("tried A, hit wall B, abandoned — don't retry")
• Surprising discoveries about the codebase or APIs
• User preferences stated or demonstrated repeatedly
• Constraints or requirements that weren't in any file
• Corrections to prior assumptions

Medium-value (distill if not easily discoverable):

• Naming conventions used in this session
• Test setup patterns discovered
• Environment-specific quirks
• Current blockers and their root causes

Low-value / skip:

• What files were read
• What commands were run
• Implementation details visible in code
• Step-by-step narration of what was done

Phase 3 — Consolidate to memory files

For each high-value item:

1. Check if an existing topic file covers this. If yes, update or append to it.
2. If no existing file fits, create a new topic file.

Topic file format:

---
name: [descriptive topic name]
description: [one line — what query would cause this file to be loaded?]
type: feedback | project | user | reference
---

[For feedback/project type, lead with the rule or fact]

**Why:** [the reason this matters — context that makes the rule sensible]

**How to apply:** [when/where this kicks in]

Key types:

• feedback: User preferences, corrections, confirmed approaches — things that shape HOW to work
• project: Facts about the current project — decisions, constraints, current state
• user: Information about the user's background, expertise, goals
• reference: Pointers to external resources, tools, docs

Convert relative dates to absolute dates: "yesterday" → "2026-04-15", "last week" → "2026-04-07".

Phase 4 — Prune and index

Update MEMORY.md:

• Add pointers for new topic files: - [Title](filename.md) — one-line hook
• Update pointers for modified files if the description changed
• Remove any pointers that now point to deleted/superseded content
• Keep MEMORY.md under 200 lines (lines beyond 200 get truncated)
• Keep each pointer line under 150 chars

Report

At the end, tell the user:

• How many memory items were written/updated/archived
• Which files were touched
• Any contradictions with existing memory that were resolved
• 1-2 sentence summary of the session's key learnings

Example output

Good memory entry for a feedback type:

**Rule:** For this project, prefer explicit error types over generic Error objects.
**Why:** The error handling middleware needs to distinguish between validation errors (400) and server errors (500) — string matching on error messages is fragile.
**How to apply:** When writing any error-throwing code in the API layer, create or use a typed error class (ValidationError, AuthError, etc.).

Good memory entry for a project type:

The payments module uses Stripe's older API (v2019-10-17) pinned in config — do not upgrade without coordinating with the billing team.
**Why:** An upgrade in 2025-Q3 broke webhook signature validation and caused missed payment events. The pin is intentional.
**How to apply:** When touching payments code, verify any Stripe API usage against the v2019-10-17 docs, not the latest.