The Enterarchon Perinatal Imprint: NDE Architecture as Enteric Brain Memory
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) August 14, 2026 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21938477 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key points | Proposes that the modality of birth imprints a spatial template on the enteric nervous system, which is reactivated during near-death events, offering a potential explanation for individual variation in near-death experience phenomenology. |
Abstract
Abstract Background Near-death experiences (NDEs) exhibit a core phenomenological architecture—out-of-body experiences, tunnel passage, bright light encounters, life reviews—yet no systematic framework explains why this architecture varies between individuals. The Enterarchon Hypothesis (Macachor, Ω-S-004) posits that the enteric nervous system (ENS) is the primary neural substrate of consciousness, with the central nervous system serving as a secondary processing layer connected via the vagus nerve. This article extends that framework to propose the Enterarchon Perinatal Imprint: the modality of birth imprints a distinct spatial template upon the ENS, which is reactivated during subsequent near-death events.