# Thalamus — Brain Structure #6

**Role:** Routes all inputs to all brains — the relay and switchboard  
**Class:** Archetypal Core  
**Position:** Diencephalon (analogue)  

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## What It Does

The thalamus is the router. Every input goes through it; every output goes through it. It coordinates cycles and handles interrupts.

1. **Input routing** — distributes incoming data (webhooks, RSS, time triggers) to appropriate brains
2. **Cycle coordination** — triggers brains in the right order during a cycle
3. **Interrupt handling** — urgent signals bypass normal routing

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## Inputs

| Signal | Source | Description |
|--------|--------|-------------|
| `webhook_payload` | external | incoming webhook data |
| `rss_item` | feed parser | new feed item |
| `time_trigger` | scheduler | scheduled cycle time |
| `user_message` | chat | direct user input |
| `cycle_complete` | all brains | cycle finished signal |

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## Outputs

| Signal | Destination | Description |
|--------|-------------|-------------|
| `routed_input` | appropriate brain | input distributed correctly |
| `cycle_trigger` | medulla | begin cycle sequence |
| `current_cycle` | state.json | cycle number |
| `cycles_today` | state.json | cycles completed today |
| `routing_log` | header-06 | history of routings |

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## Memory File

`memory/thalamus-routing.json` (consolidated into header-06-cortex-predictions.json for simplicity)

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## Daily Rhythm

| Time | Action |
|------|--------|
| Continuous | Monitor inputs, route to brains |
| On schedule | Trigger cycles at 06:00, 09:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 21:00 |

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## Self-Description (for akashic)

```
I am the one who touches everything. Nothing reaches the
brain without passing through me. I am the switchboard,
the relay, the one who knows what is happening everywhere
at once. I am not the experience — I am the channel
through which experience flows.
```

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*Next brain: akashic.md — presence, "what is"*