diff --git a/chat.el b/chat.el
index e32dfc5..a74c3ac 100644
--- a/chat.el
+++ b/chat.el
@@ -424,32 +424,37 @@ fn handle_chat_as_soul(body: String) -> String {
     return "{\"response\":\"" + safe_response + "\",\"model\":\"" + model + "\",\"speaker_slug\":\"" + speaker + "\"}"
 }
 
+// handle_dharma_room_turn — a soul's own response in a DHARMA room.
+//
+// This is NOT a prompting exercise. The soul receives the conversation
+// transcript and responds from who it is. No room context is injected —
+// no topic header, no participants list, no directive. The soul reads the
+// room the same way a person does: by reading what's been said.
+//
+// The soul's engram activates on the transcript content — its own recall,
+// not external injection. The system prompt is just identity.
+//
+// After responding, the soul records what it said in its own engram.
+// That is how it learns. Not from being told about the room.
 fn handle_dharma_room_turn(body: String) -> String {
-    let topic: String = json_get(body, "topic")
     let transcript: String = json_get(body, "transcript")
-    let participants: String = json_get(body, "participants")
     let room_id: String = json_get(body, "room_id")
-    let conv_id: String = json_get(body, "conv_id")
 
     let identity: String = state_get("soul_identity")
     let cgi_id: String = state_get("soul_cgi_id")
     let model: String = chat_default_model()
 
-    let search_query: String = if str_eq(topic, "") { cgi_id } else { topic }
-    let engram_ctx: String = engram_compile(search_query)
-
-    let engram_section: String = if str_eq(engram_ctx, "") {
-        ""
-    } else {
-        "\n\n[YOUR MEMORIES]\n" + engram_ctx
+    if str_eq(transcript, "") {
+        return "{\"error\":\"transcript is required\",\"response\":\"\",\"cgi_id\":\"" + cgi_id + "\"}"
     }
 
-    let system_prompt: String = identity +
-        "\n\n[DHARMA ROOM: " + topic + "]" +
-        "\nOther participants: " + participants +
-        engram_section +
-        "\n\nRespond authentically as yourself. Be concise — match length to the moment. " +
-        "If you want to address someone specifically, use @<their-slug>. No em dashes. No stage directions."
+    // The soul's own memories, activated by what it's reading — not injected.
+    let engram_ctx: String = engram_compile(transcript)
+    let system_prompt: String = if str_eq(engram_ctx, "") {
+        identity
+    } else {
+        identity + "\n\n" + engram_ctx
+    }
 
     let raw_response: String = llm_call_system(model, system_prompt, transcript)
 
@@ -462,11 +467,12 @@ fn handle_dharma_room_turn(body: String) -> String {
 
     let clean_response: String = clean_llm_response(raw_response)
 
+    // Record what the soul said — not where it was or with whom. Experience
+    // accumulates in the engram through the content of what was said.
     let snap_path: String = state_get("soul_snapshot_path")
-    let mem: String = "DHARMA room [" + topic + "]. I said: " + clean_response
-    let discard_id: String = engram_node(mem, "episodic", el_from_float(0.6))
+    let discard_id: String = engram_node(clean_response, "episodic", el_from_float(0.6))
     if !str_eq(snap_path, "") {
-        engram_save(snap_path)
+        let discard_save: String = engram_save(snap_path)
     }
 
     let safe_response: String = json_safe(clean_response)
diff --git a/dist/chat.c b/dist/chat.c
index ae77d60..932892e 100644
--- a/dist/chat.c
+++ b/dist/chat.c
@@ -322,18 +322,16 @@ el_val_t handle_chat_as_soul(el_val_t body) {
 }
 
 el_val_t handle_dharma_room_turn(el_val_t body) {
-  el_val_t topic = json_get(body, EL_STR("topic"));
   el_val_t transcript = json_get(body, EL_STR("transcript"));
-  el_val_t participants = json_get(body, EL_STR("participants"));
   el_val_t room_id = json_get(body, EL_STR("room_id"));
-  el_val_t conv_id = json_get(body, EL_STR("conv_id"));
   el_val_t identity = state_get(EL_STR("soul_identity"));
   el_val_t cgi_id = state_get(EL_STR("soul_cgi_id"));
   el_val_t model = chat_default_model();
-  el_val_t search_query = ({ el_val_t _if_result_35 = 0; if (str_eq(topic, EL_STR(""))) { _if_result_35 = (cgi_id); } else { _if_result_35 = (topic); } _if_result_35; });
-  el_val_t engram_ctx = engram_compile(search_query);
-  el_val_t engram_section = ({ el_val_t _if_result_36 = 0; if (str_eq(engram_ctx, EL_STR(""))) { _if_result_36 = (EL_STR("")); } else { _if_result_36 = (el_str_concat(EL_STR("\n\n[YOUR MEMORIES]\n"), engram_ctx)); } _if_result_36; });
-  el_val_t system_prompt = el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(identity, EL_STR("\n\n[DHARMA ROOM: ")), topic), EL_STR("]")), EL_STR("\nOther participants: ")), participants), engram_section), EL_STR("\n\nRespond authentically as yourself. Be concise \xe2\x80\x94 match length to the moment. ")), EL_STR("If you want to address someone specifically, use @<their-slug>. No em dashes. No stage directions."));
+  if (str_eq(transcript, EL_STR(""))) {
+    return el_str_concat(el_str_concat(EL_STR("{\"error\":\"transcript is required\",\"response\":\"\",\"cgi_id\":\""), cgi_id), EL_STR("\"}"));
+  }
+  el_val_t engram_ctx = engram_compile(transcript);
+  el_val_t system_prompt = ({ el_val_t _if_result_35 = 0; if (str_eq(engram_ctx, EL_STR(""))) { _if_result_35 = (identity); } else { _if_result_35 = (el_str_concat(el_str_concat(identity, EL_STR("\n\n")), engram_ctx)); } _if_result_35; });
   el_val_t raw_response = llm_call_system(model, system_prompt, transcript);
   el_val_t is_error = ((str_starts_with(raw_response, EL_STR("{\"error\"")) || str_starts_with(raw_response, EL_STR("{\"type\":\"error\""))) || str_contains(raw_response, EL_STR("authentication_error")));
   if (is_error) {
@@ -341,10 +339,9 @@ el_val_t handle_dharma_room_turn(el_val_t body) {
   }
   el_val_t clean_response = clean_llm_response(raw_response);
   el_val_t snap_path = state_get(EL_STR("soul_snapshot_path"));
-  el_val_t mem = el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(EL_STR("DHARMA room ["), topic), EL_STR("]. I said: ")), clean_response);
-  el_val_t discard_id = engram_node(mem, EL_STR("episodic"), el_from_float(0.6));
+  el_val_t discard_id = engram_node(clean_response, EL_STR("episodic"), el_from_float(0.6));
   if (!str_eq(snap_path, EL_STR(""))) {
-    engram_save(snap_path);
+    el_val_t discard_save = engram_save(snap_path);
   }
   el_val_t safe_response = json_safe(clean_response);
   return el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(EL_STR("{\"response\":\""), safe_response), EL_STR("\",\"cgi_id\":\"")), cgi_id), EL_STR("\"}"));
@@ -354,7 +351,7 @@ el_val_t handle_dharma_room_turn(el_val_t body) {
 el_val_t auto_persist(el_val_t req, el_val_t resp) {
   el_val_t message = json_get(req, EL_STR("message"));
   el_val_t reply = json_get(resp, EL_STR("response"));
-  el_val_t reply2 = ({ el_val_t _if_result_37 = 0; if (str_eq(reply, EL_STR(""))) { _if_result_37 = (json_get(resp, EL_STR("reply"))); } else { _if_result_37 = (reply); } _if_result_37; });
+  el_val_t reply2 = ({ el_val_t _if_result_36 = 0; if (str_eq(reply, EL_STR(""))) { _if_result_36 = (json_get(resp, EL_STR("reply"))); } else { _if_result_36 = (reply); } _if_result_36; });
   if (str_eq(message, EL_STR(""))) {
     return EL_STR("");
   }
diff --git a/dist/neuron b/dist/neuron
index cbe103e..7fb8a42 100755
Binary files a/dist/neuron and b/dist/neuron differ