Conscious Ground Journal

Support

The app

What is Conscious Ground Journal?

The feeling-first journal. You describe how you feel, we help you find the word for it from 88 emotions, and you write what happened. Then your day opens: a short card with three things to favour and three to pass on.

How do I use it?

1. Notice where you feel it in your body. 2. Describe it in your own words. Not sure what you feel? Write that. It counts. 3. Pick the emotion that fits from the three we suggest. 4. Write what happened, or skip writing for today. 5. See your day.

Is it free?

Yes. The daily check-in, naming your feeling, one journal entry a day, and your Today card are free, and they stay free.

What does Premium add?

Read Further, Discern (one guided session a week), more than one entry a day, morning and night reminders, all 88 emotions in the Library, help naming any feeling, weekly patterns, your full history, achievements, and backup to your own iCloud.

Why don't I see Favour and Pass On today?

You saved your feeling without writing what happened. Favour and Pass On are based on what you write, so with no entry there is nothing to base them on. Write what happened and they will appear.

What are streaks?

A streak counts the days in a row you check in. One rest day a week does not break it. Rest is part of the work.

How do I turn off reminders?

You → Settings → Journal. Reminders are off unless you turn them on.

Does it work on Android, iPad or Mac?

Not yet. It is iPhone only for now.

Your journal and your data

Where is my journal kept?

Only on your phone. We never see it.

What happens if I lose my phone or delete the app?

Your journal lives only on your phone. If the phone is lost, or you delete the app, the journal goes with it, unless you backed it up or exported it. iPhone does not let an app warn you before it is deleted, so please keep a copy:

Settings shows when you last backed up.

• Premium: turn on Back up to my iCloud (You → Settings → Journal). It goes to your iCloud, not to us.
• Free: export your journal any time (see Exporting).

I deleted an entry by mistake. Can I get it back?

Yes, for 30 days. You → Settings → Recently deleted. After 30 days it is gone for good.

Will I lose what I'm typing if the app closes?

No. Your draft saves every few seconds.

If I stop paying for Premium, can I still read my entries?

Yes. Your entries are yours. You can always read and export every one of them, paid or not. Only the Premium features stop.

How do I delete everything?

You → Settings → Delete my journal. This cannot be undone. We don't keep backups.

Exporting

How do I export?

• Your whole journal: You → Settings → Export my journal. You get one Markdown (.md) file.
• One entry: open the entry and tap Share. You get plain text you can copy, paste, or send.

What is an .md (Markdown) file?

A plain text file with a few simple marks for structure, such as # for a heading. For example:

# Wednesday, September 30
**Feeling:** Apprehension

Monday I present the Q4 numbers...

Why Markdown and not PDF or Word?

• It stays the same everywhere. No odd fonts, broken layouts, or missing headings.
• It is just text. You can read it in any app, and copy and paste it anywhere.
• It is easy to turn into something else. Notes apps, writing apps, and converters can make it into a PDF, a Word file, or a web page.
• It lasts. Plain text will still open in 20 years.

Can I open an .md file on my phone?

Yes. On iPhone, save it to the Files app and tap it to read it as plain text. To see headings and bold text styled, open it in an app that reads Markdown. Many notes and writing apps do.

Tips to get the most out of your export

• Keep a copy somewhere safe, like your own cloud drive or email, once a month.
• Search it. Every entry has its date and feeling, so you can search for "Apprehension" and see every day you felt it.
• Open it in a Markdown app (for example, a notes app that supports Markdown) to see headings and bold text styled.
• Make a PDF or print it: open it in a Markdown app or converter and export to PDF.
• Just need the words? Open it in any text app. It reads fine as plain text.

Privacy and the AI

Do you read my journal?

No. Your journal stays on your phone. We have no copy.

What is sent to the AI?

Only the words needed for the moment: what you wrote to name your feeling, and your entry when you ask for your Today card, Read Further, or Discern. It is sent, answered, and not saved by us.

Is my journal used to train AI?

No. (To confirm with the AI provider's data terms before launch.)

What happens when I tap "Did this help?"

We get your rating and the AI's answer, so we can make the answers better. Your own words are sent only if you tick "Also share my words". That box is off unless you turn it on. Ratings have no name or email attached, and we delete them after 90 days.

Do you sell my data?

No. We don't sell data, and we have no ads.

What can my friends see?

Only what you choose: today's feeling, your one-line summary, your palette, and weekly patterns. Never your journal entries. Never your Favour and Pass On.

Discern and Read Further

What is Discern?

A guided look at one situation in your life: self, love, work, or social. It does not give you a verdict or tell you what to do. It helps you see what it might be about, asks if this is something to hold or to let go, and offers a few small ways through.

Why doesn't it just tell me what to do?

Because the choice is yours. Discern helps you see clearly. You decide.

How many sessions do I get?

Everyone gets 1 session a week. Free also has a limit of 3 sessions in total. Premium has no total limit. Each session includes up to 3 follow-up questions. You always see what you have left before you start, and a session you started is never cut off.

What if I use my session for the week?

You can add 3 more sessions for $4.99, once. It does not renew. Or you can ask for a 1-on-1 coaching session by email. We agree the price and format with you before you pay anything.

What if my question can't be answered?

You won't lose the session. Try asking it another way.

What is Read Further?

A short reading for your feeling, based on the Conscious Ground Framework, with one question to reflect on.

Safety

Is this therapy?

No. It is a journal to help you notice and name what you feel. It does not diagnose or treat anything.

What happens if I write that I'm not safe?

The app shows a crisis line for your country right away and does not send your words to the AI.

Crisis lines

• Canada and US: call or text 9-8-8
• UK and Ireland: Samaritans 116 123
• Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14
• Anywhere else: findahelpline.com

(Check every number before launch.)

Premium and billing

How much is Premium?

$9.99 a month, or $59.99 a year with a 7-day free trial.

How do I cancel?

On iPhone: Settings → your name → Subscriptions → Conscious Ground Journal → Cancel. We remind you 2 days before a trial ends.

How do I get a refund?

Apple handles all payments and refunds. Go to reportaproblem.apple.com, or contact Apple Support. We can't issue refunds ourselves, but email us if you need help.

The framework

What is the Conscious Ground Framework?

A way to look at how we build our lives in five layers: the Ground, the Filter, the Lay, the Till, and the Compound. Its core idea: you are always laying ground; the only question is whether you know it.

Where do the 88 emotions come from?

From the Emotion Naming Guide, a field guide to 88 emotions in 8 families.

Do I need to meet all 88 emotions?

No. The Library shows how many you have met, but that number is not a score, and there is nothing to finish.

The 88 emotions are a map of what people can feel, not a checklist. Your life shapes which ones you meet. Some will show up often. Some may never show up. Both are fine.

Not meeting an emotion does not mean something is missing in you. It only means your life has not called for it yet. If a hard one never visits you, that is good news, not a gap.

A new emotion appears in your Library when you name it in a check-in. You never have to look for one. Just be honest about what you feel today.

Who made this?

Marvin Colcol, creator of the Conscious Ground Framework.

Can I book 1:1 coaching?

Yes. You → Settings → 1:1 coaching on Conscious Ground.

Contact

Questions, feedback, or ideas: marvin.colcol@gmail.com