diff --git a/src/bin/consciousness.rs b/src/bin/consciousness.rs
index c369cc0..d014b1c 100644
--- a/src/bin/consciousness.rs
+++ b/src/bin/consciousness.rs
@@ -810,6 +810,10 @@ async fn run(cli: cli::CliArgs) -> Result<()> {
     channel_supervisor.load_config();
     channel_supervisor.ensure_running();
 
+    // Initialize idle state machine
+    let mut idle_state = poc_memory::thalamus::idle::State::new();
+    idle_state.load();
+
     // Create UI channel
     let (ui_tx, mut ui_rx) = ui_channel::channel();
 
@@ -935,6 +939,7 @@ async fn run(cli: cli::CliArgs) -> Result<()> {
                             continue;
                         }
                         app.handle_key(key);
+                        idle_state.user_activity();
                         dirty = true;
                     }
                     Some(Ok(Event::Mouse(mouse))) => {
@@ -961,16 +966,20 @@ async fn run(cli: cli::CliArgs) -> Result<()> {
             // Turn completed in background task
             Some((result, target)) = turn_rx.recv() => {
                 session.handle_turn_result(result, target).await;
+                idle_state.response_activity();
                 dirty = true;
             }
 
-            // Render tick
+            // Render tick — update periodic state
             _ = render_interval.tick() => {
                 let new_count = session.process_tracker.list().await.len() as u32;
                 if new_count != app.running_processes {
                     app.running_processes = new_count;
                     dirty = true;
                 }
+                // Update idle state for F5 screen
+                idle_state.decay_ewma();
+                app.update_idle(&idle_state);
             }
 
             // DMN timer (only when no turn is running)
diff --git a/src/user/tui/mod.rs b/src/user/tui/mod.rs
index 6b9b122..458ae51 100644
--- a/src/user/tui/mod.rs
+++ b/src/user/tui/mod.rs
@@ -370,6 +370,19 @@ pub struct App {
     pub(crate) agent_state: Vec<crate::subconscious::subconscious::AgentSnapshot>,
     /// Cached channel info for F5 screen (refreshed on status tick).
     pub(crate) channel_status: Vec<ChannelStatus>,
+    /// Cached idle state for F5 screen.
+    pub(crate) idle_info: Option<IdleInfo>,
+}
+
+/// Snapshot of thalamus idle state for display.
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub(crate) struct IdleInfo {
+    pub user_present: bool,
+    pub since_activity: f64,
+    pub activity_ewma: f64,
+    pub block_reason: String,
+    pub dreaming: bool,
+    pub sleeping: bool,
 }
 
 /// Channel info for display on F5 screen.
@@ -450,6 +463,7 @@ impl App {
             agent_log_view: false,
             agent_state: Vec::new(),
             channel_status: Vec::new(),
+            idle_info: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -885,12 +899,25 @@ impl App {
         self.channel_status = status;
     }
 
+    /// Snapshot idle state for F5 display.
+    pub fn update_idle(&mut self, state: &crate::thalamus::idle::State) {
+        self.idle_info = Some(IdleInfo {
+            user_present: state.user_present(),
+            since_activity: state.since_activity(),
+            activity_ewma: state.activity_ewma,
+            block_reason: state.block_reason().to_string(),
+            dreaming: state.dreaming,
+            sleeping: state.sleep_until.is_some(),
+        });
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn set_screen(&mut self, screen: Screen) {
         self.screen = screen;
         self.debug_scroll = 0;
         // Refresh data for status screens on entry
         match screen {
             Screen::Thalamus => self.refresh_channels(),
+            // idle_info is updated from the event loop, not here
             _ => {}
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/user/tui/thalamus_screen.rs b/src/user/tui/thalamus_screen.rs
index c080f9b..c17288d 100644
--- a/src/user/tui/thalamus_screen.rs
+++ b/src/user/tui/thalamus_screen.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-// thalamus_screen.rs — F5: attention routing and channel status
+// thalamus_screen.rs — F5: presence, idle state, and channel status
 //
-// Shows presence/idle/activity status, then channel status.
-// Channel data is cached on App and refreshed on screen entry.
+// Shows idle state from the in-process thalamus (no subprocess spawn),
+// then channel daemon status from cached data.
 
 use ratatui::{
     layout::Rect,
@@ -13,38 +13,40 @@ use ratatui::{
 
 use super::{App, SCREEN_LEGEND};
 
-fn fetch_daemon_status() -> Vec<String> {
-    std::process::Command::new("poc-daemon")
-        .arg("status")
-        .output()
-        .ok()
-        .and_then(|o| {
-            if o.status.success() {
-                String::from_utf8(o.stdout).ok()
-            } else {
-                None
-            }
-        })
-        .map(|s| s.lines().map(String::from).collect())
-        .unwrap_or_default()
-}
-
 impl App {
     pub(crate) fn draw_thalamus(&self, frame: &mut Frame, size: Rect) {
         let section = Style::default().fg(Color::Yellow);
         let dim = Style::default().fg(Color::DarkGray);
         let mut lines: Vec<Line> = Vec::new();
 
-        // Presence status
-        let daemon_status = fetch_daemon_status();
-        if !daemon_status.is_empty() {
-            lines.push(Line::styled("── Presence ──", section));
-            lines.push(Line::raw(""));
-            for line in &daemon_status {
-                lines.push(Line::raw(format!("  {}", line)));
+        // Presence / idle state from in-process thalamus
+        lines.push(Line::styled("── Presence ──", section));
+        lines.push(Line::raw(""));
+
+        if let Some(ref idle) = self.idle_info {
+            let presence = if idle.user_present {
+                Span::styled("present", Style::default().fg(Color::Green))
+            } else {
+                Span::styled("away", Style::default().fg(Color::DarkGray))
+            };
+            lines.push(Line::from(vec![
+                Span::raw("  User: "),
+                presence,
+                Span::raw(format!("  (last {:.0}s ago)", idle.since_activity)),
+            ]));
+            lines.push(Line::raw(format!("  Activity: {:.1}%", idle.activity_ewma * 100.0)));
+            lines.push(Line::raw(format!("  Idle state: {}", idle.block_reason)));
+
+            if idle.dreaming {
+                lines.push(Line::styled("  ◆ dreaming", Style::default().fg(Color::Magenta)));
             }
-            lines.push(Line::raw(""));
+            if idle.sleeping {
+                lines.push(Line::styled("  ◆ sleeping", Style::default().fg(Color::Blue)));
+            }
+        } else {
+            lines.push(Line::styled("  not initialized", dim));
         }
+        lines.push(Line::raw(""));
 
         // Channel status from cached data
         lines.push(Line::styled("── Channels ──", section));