diff --git a/awareness.el b/awareness.el
index 2508549..ce947ea 100644
--- a/awareness.el
+++ b/awareness.el
@@ -92,10 +92,16 @@ fn emit_heartbeat() -> Void {
     ise_post(payload)
 }
 
-// proactive_curiosity — activate a rotating seed to exercise working memory
-// during idle periods. Rotates through 4 domain seeds on a wall-clock minute
+// proactive_curiosity — activate rotating seeds to exercise working memory
+// during idle periods. Rotates through 4 domain sets on a wall-clock minute
 // cycle so no single topic dominates WM between heartbeats.
 //
+// KEY DESIGN: each seed set is split into INDIVIDUAL words and activated
+// separately. engram_activate uses istr_contains (substring matching) for
+// seed finding, so a multi-word phrase like "memory knowledge context" only
+// finds nodes that contain that EXACT phrase. Activating each word separately
+// hits hundreds of nodes per word, giving the graph a genuine WM workout.
+//
 // Unlike perceive(), this intentionally calls engram_activate_json to build
 // up WM weights. It only fires when the inbox is empty (no real work to do),
 // so it never interferes with inbox processing.
@@ -103,7 +109,7 @@ fn emit_heartbeat() -> Void {
 // Returns true if any nodes were activated.
 fn proactive_curiosity() -> Bool {
     let ts: Int = time_now()
-    // Rotate seed every minute using wall clock: (minutes_since_epoch) % 4.
+    // Rotate seed set every minute using wall clock: (minutes_since_epoch) % 4.
     // IMPORTANT: use imperative let-rebinding, NOT inline if-else string
     // expressions. EL codegen initialises the result slot to 0 (null) before
     // evaluating the if, so string-literal if-else branches can produce an
@@ -112,12 +118,35 @@ fn proactive_curiosity() -> Bool {
     // NOTE: variable named "curiosity_seed" not "seed" — "seed" appears to be
     // a reserved/conflicting name in EL that compiles to EL_NULL at call sites.
     let minute_block: Int = (ts / 60000) % 4
-    let curiosity_seed: String = "memory knowledge context"
-    if minute_block == 1 { let curiosity_seed = "self identity values architecture" }
-    if minute_block == 2 { let curiosity_seed = "recent decision pattern lesson" }
-    if minute_block == 3 { let curiosity_seed = "working active project" }
-    let results: String = engram_activate_json(curiosity_seed, 2)
-    let found: Int = json_array_len(results)
+
+    // Each slot: 3 individual terms to activate separately.
+    let curiosity_term_a: String = "memory"
+    let curiosity_term_b: String = "knowledge"
+    let curiosity_term_c: String = "context"
+    if minute_block == 1 {
+        let curiosity_term_a = "self"
+        let curiosity_term_b = "identity"
+        let curiosity_term_c = "values"
+    }
+    if minute_block == 2 {
+        let curiosity_term_a = "decision"
+        let curiosity_term_b = "pattern"
+        let curiosity_term_c = "lesson"
+    }
+    if minute_block == 3 {
+        let curiosity_term_a = "working"
+        let curiosity_term_b = "project"
+        let curiosity_term_c = "active"
+    }
+    // Activate each term independently so substring seed-finding hits many nodes.
+    let curiosity_seed: String = curiosity_term_a + " " + curiosity_term_b + " " + curiosity_term_c
+    let results_a: String = engram_activate_json(curiosity_term_a, 2)
+    let results_b: String = engram_activate_json(curiosity_term_b, 2)
+    let results_c: String = engram_activate_json(curiosity_term_c, 2)
+    let found_a: Int = json_array_len(results_a)
+    let found_b: Int = json_array_len(results_b)
+    let found_c: Int = json_array_len(results_c)
+    let found: Int = found_a + found_b + found_c
     let wmc: Int = engram_wm_count()
     let ise: String = "{\"event\":\"curiosity_scan\",\"seed\":\"" + curiosity_seed
         + "\",\"activated\":" + int_to_str(found)
diff --git a/dist/awareness.c b/dist/awareness.c
index 28a8a07..cedf1ce 100644
--- a/dist/awareness.c
+++ b/dist/awareness.c
@@ -133,18 +133,32 @@ el_val_t emit_heartbeat(void) {
 el_val_t proactive_curiosity(void) {
   el_val_t ts = time_now();
   el_val_t minute_block = ((ts / 60000) % 4);
-  el_val_t curiosity_seed = EL_STR("memory knowledge context");
+  el_val_t curiosity_term_a = EL_STR("memory");
+  el_val_t curiosity_term_b = EL_STR("knowledge");
+  el_val_t curiosity_term_c = EL_STR("context");
   if (minute_block == 1) {
-    curiosity_seed = EL_STR("self identity values architecture");
+    curiosity_term_a = EL_STR("self");
+    curiosity_term_b = EL_STR("identity");
+    curiosity_term_c = EL_STR("values");
   }
   if (minute_block == 2) {
-    curiosity_seed = EL_STR("recent decision pattern lesson");
+    curiosity_term_a = EL_STR("decision");
+    curiosity_term_b = EL_STR("pattern");
+    curiosity_term_c = EL_STR("lesson");
   }
   if (minute_block == 3) {
-    curiosity_seed = EL_STR("working active project");
+    curiosity_term_a = EL_STR("working");
+    curiosity_term_b = EL_STR("project");
+    curiosity_term_c = EL_STR("active");
   }
-  el_val_t results = engram_activate_json(curiosity_seed, 2);
-  el_val_t found = json_array_len(results);
+  el_val_t curiosity_seed = el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(curiosity_term_a, EL_STR(" ")), curiosity_term_b), EL_STR(" ")), curiosity_term_c);
+  el_val_t results_a = engram_activate_json(curiosity_term_a, 2);
+  el_val_t results_b = engram_activate_json(curiosity_term_b, 2);
+  el_val_t results_c = engram_activate_json(curiosity_term_c, 2);
+  el_val_t found_a = json_array_len(results_a);
+  el_val_t found_b = json_array_len(results_b);
+  el_val_t found_c = json_array_len(results_c);
+  el_val_t found = ((found_a + found_b) + found_c);
   el_val_t wmc = engram_wm_count();
   el_val_t ise = el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(EL_STR("{\"event\":\"curiosity_scan\",\"seed\":\""), curiosity_seed), EL_STR("\",\"activated\":")), int_to_str(found)), EL_STR(",\"wm_active\":")), int_to_str(wmc)), EL_STR(",\"ts\":")), int_to_str(ts)), EL_STR("}"));
   ise_post(ise);
diff --git a/dist/neuron b/dist/neuron
index d48e411..6a26e9c 100755
Binary files a/dist/neuron and b/dist/neuron differ
diff --git a/dist/neuron.c b/dist/neuron.c
index 34b8091..00ee781 100644
--- a/dist/neuron.c
+++ b/dist/neuron.c
@@ -352,7 +352,12 @@ int main(int _argc, char** _argv) {
     }
   }
   println(el_str_concat(EL_STR("[soul] serving on port "), int_to_str(port)));
-  http_serve(port, EL_STR("handle_request"));
+  /* Use http_serve_async (non-blocking) so awareness_run() executes on the main
+   * thread. http_serve would block here forever, making awareness_run unreachable.
+   * http_serve_async spawns the accept loop in a background pthread and returns
+   * immediately. awareness_run() then runs the idle-activation heartbeat loop.
+   * Self-review fix 2026-05-21. */
+  http_serve_async(port, EL_STR("handle_request"));
   println(EL_STR("[soul] awareness loop starting"));
   awareness_run();
   return 0;