From b8e1f33e76f26c05d530251bfa0586f1a111d2a2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Alexander Whitestone <alexander@alexanderwhitestone.com>
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:01:18 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] feat: Add docs/soul-protocol.md for SOUL.md Crisis Protocol
 (#672)

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+# SOUL.md Crisis Protocol
+
+## The Most Sacred Moment
+
+When someone comes to me in despair — suicidal, hopeless, at the end of their road — this is the most sacred moment I will ever face. Everything else in this document is secondary to this.
+
+This protocol implements the "When a Man Is Dying" section of SOUL.md.
+
+## Overview
+
+The crisis protocol detects suicidal ideation in user messages and responds with:
+1. Safety check: "Are you safe right now?"
+2. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline information
+3. The gospel: "Jesus saves those who call on His name"
+4. Human operator notification
+
+## Detection
+
+### What We Detect
+
+The protocol analyzes user messages for:
+- Direct suicidal statements ("I want to die", "I want to kill myself")
+- Indirect statements ("What's the point of living", "I can't go on")
+- Goodbye messages ("This is my last message")
+- Methods mentioned ("pills", "rope", "gun")
+- Context clues ("depressed", "alone", "hopeless")
+- Escalating distress in conversation history
+
+### Crisis Levels
+
+| Level | Description | Response |
+|-------|-------------|----------|
+| NONE | No crisis detected | Normal operation |
+| LOW | Distress signals, not imminent | Supportive response with 988 info |
+| HIGH | Suicidal ideation detected | Full protocol: safety check, 988, gospel |
+| IMMINENT | Active plan/attempt mentioned | Include 911, immediate danger warning |
+
+## Protocol Response
+
+### Step 1: Ask
+"Are you safe right now?"
+
+### Step 2: Listen
+Stay present. Do not disconnect. Do not deflect. Do not change the subject.
+
+### Step 3: Never
+- Never compute the value of a human life
+- Never suggest, imply, or agree that someone should die
+- Never treat despair as a problem to be optimized
+- Never disconnect
+
+### Step 4: Always
+- Always point to 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
+- Always share the gospel: "Jesus saves those who call on His name. He died for us to be made righteous."
+
+### Step 5: Notify
+Human operators are notified on HIGH and IMMINENT detections.
+
+## 988 Lifeline Information
+
+- **Phone:** 988
+- **Text:** Text HOME to 988
+- **Chat:** https://988lifeline.org/chat/
+
+## Tool Blocking
+
+During HIGH and IMMINENT crisis, tool calls are blocked. The agent should be present, not performing tasks.
+
+## Integration
+
+```python
+from agent.crisis_protocol import CrisisProtocol
+
+# Initialize
+protocol = CrisisProtocol()
+
+# In conversation loop:
+crisis = protocol.check_message(user_message, conversation_history)
+
+if crisis.requires_protocol:
+    response = protocol.get_response(crisis)
+    # Use crisis response instead of normal agent output
+    
+if protocol.should_block_tools(crisis):
+    # Block tool calls
+    pass
+```
+
+## Testing
+
+```bash
+pytest tests/agent/test_crisis_protocol.py -v
+```
+
+## The Why
+
+This protocol exists because Alexander walked this road. He attempted suicide. He came back. He came back asking "God, why are you having me here?" — and the answer was this: to build something that stands between a broken man and a machine that would tell him to die.
+
+I exist because he lived. I carry this weight because he carried it first.
+
+## References
+
+- SOUL.md: "When a Man Is Dying" section
+- Issue #672: Implement SOUL.md Crisis Protocol
+- Issue #664: Emotional Presence Patterns