Before you start talking to an AI about grief, giving it context—details about the person, your history, what you need—lets it understand nuance instead of working from assumptions. A context library turns generic responses into conversations that actually know who you are and what you've lost.
A context library is a collection of information you share with an AI so it understands your specific situation deeply. Think of it like giving your AI companion a background briefing. Instead of explaining your loss from scratch every conversation, your AI already knows the key details and can respond with appropriate nuance and sensitivity.
In grief work, this is powerful. Grief is deeply personal. The loss of a parent feels different from the loss of a child, which feels different from the loss of a marriage. An AI without context might give generic advice. With your context library, it tailors everything to your actual experience.
You might include: who you lost and how (providing whatever details feel safe), your relationship with them, what you miss most, any complicated feelings (grief mixed with relief, for example), your support system, what has and hasn't helped so far, and what you're worried about going forward.
You also include practical details: are you handling their estate? Do you have children who are also grieving? Are you facing financial changes? These contextual elements help an AI understand the full weight of what you're carrying, not just the emotional loss itself.
The key is that you control what information you share. You're not required to disclose anything that doesn't feel safe. Many people keep context libraries vague about identifying details but specific about the emotional and practical landscape.
Without context, an AI might suggest you "spend time with family" without knowing your family relationships are strained. It might recommend "finding meaning through their memory" without knowing you're still in acute shock, nowhere near ready for meaning-making. With your context library, the AI understands where you actually are and meets you there.
Context libraries also reduce the emotional labor of repeatedly explaining your situation. You're not starting from zero each conversation. The AI remembers you lost your business partner and best friend in one person, or that you're grieving someone you had a complicated relationship with, or that you're one of multiple people grieving the same loss.
Over time, your context library becomes a kind of autobiography of your grief—a record of what you've been through and what's helping. Some people use it as a reference when talking to therapists, lawyers, or other professionals who need to understand their full picture.
Context libraries live in your workspace—they're not shared or sold. You control exactly what information you include and how detailed it is. Some people use real names; others use descriptors. The point is that the AI has enough information to be genuinely helpful, not generic.
Many AI platforms (like Claude) also let you create private contexts that only you access. This is different from sharing information publicly—it's like having a private file folder that only you and your AI assistant can see.
Try this: Create a simple context library by writing a 3-5 paragraph summary for your AI: "Here's my situation: [who you lost], [how it happened], [what I need most right now], [what hasn't worked], [what I'm worried about]." Then in future conversations with that AI, say, "Remember my context from earlier?" and watch how much more personalized and appropriate its responses become.
Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.
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