As a compliment to the thread about near death experiences I’d really like hearing people’s experiences of losing consciousness under general anesthesia and what’s it like coming back.
Also interested of things anesthetists may have noticed about this during their career.
I was a squirmy kid who hated the dentist so they had to put me under for a few cavity fillings. I remember the smell of grape (it was a scented nose piece for kids) and then I was out before I knew what was happening. While under I had weird acid trip like dreams taking inspiration from my surroundings, and vaguely remember the next few events, but at the time had no idea it was based in reality.
At some point while I was under, I decided to push the little piece of rubber they use to keep your mouth open with my tongue while the doctor was working on me and bit down super hard. I remember a floating image of him swirling around spouting curse words I had rarely, or not really heard much at that age.
Eventually I woke up and was extremely disoriented, and not feeling well. On the ride home, my mom had to pull over so I could throw up on the side of the road. Later she told me how while I was under, and she was in the waiting room, at one point she heard my dentist yelp from down the hall.
I continued going to this dentist’s office through my childhood, but never had that guy ever again, despite his name being everywhere inside and outside of the office.