A system for monitoring an environment may include an input device for monitoring and capturing pattern-based states of a model of the environment. The system may also include a 5 thalamobot embodied in at least a first processor, in which the first processor is in communication with the input device. The thalamobot may include at least one filter for monitoring captured data from the input device and for identifying at least one state change within the captured data. The system may also include at least one critic and/or at least one recognition system.