Aren't paralysis, pain suppression, and amnesia somewhat separately controlled by different medications in anesthesia?

You hope you go under fully.

Yes, that's what I found so fascinating about combining drugs. Nitrous oxide and opiates for example (caution: nitrous is a fire accelerant and what killed Tony Hsieh [1]). I was able to achieve a state similar to hypnagogia [2]. My only point in commenting is that anesthesia is not like being dead, as far as I know - nobody knows what being dead is like. I'm old so my time is approaching. I look at it like my last big trip. Who knows what will happen!

[1] https://www.thewrap.com/zappos-founder-tony-hsieh-surrounded...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogia

Your experiences only tell you that those were like switching the memory recorder off. It's unclear to me yet how you are able to compare it negatively to the experience of dying.

> compare it negatively to the experience of dying

I'm not sure what you mean by this. My point was I was anesthetized but managed to go to the store, buy things and make it back, something dead people aren't able to manage last time I checked.

Like Nicola Tesla, I believe my brain is a receiver like a radio and I actually exist in a cloud of consciousness that we all exist in, so I don't have as many negative feelings about dying that a lot of people seem to have (people who believe they cease to exist)

I think my use of the word 'negatively' has caused a confusion. Sorry about that.

What I am asking is about your comparison below. You have experienced anesthesia but not death, then how do you say the following?

>> So I'm going to say anesthesia is not like being dead. ...

I anesthetized myself to the point of complete blackout for 24 hours

I walked to the store and purchased things

Dead people don't walk to the store and purchase things

Therefore being anesthetized is not like being dead

Of course.

We are intending to compare only the first part, i.e., going into the period of blackout. The original commentator's [1] is claiming that the experience of death is similar to the experience of going into blackout with anesthesia. And then, for the latter, the person comes back with partial memories of that going-into phase. Hence the original commentator claims that the experience of death has already been witnessed by many alive people.

I am trying to understand your claim that these these two situations are different.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32250773

> The original commentator's is claiming that the experience of death is similar to the experience of going into blackout with anesthesia

I'm not getting your point. I am going to assume that like a lot of people you have a fixed conception of being dead and that is you cease to exist. If you believe that, then I can see how you can compare being dead to being anesthetized.

I'm saying being dead may be far different than being anesthetized:

- You die and cease to exist

- You die and wake up from this computer simulation into an alien world

- You die and wake up in Heaven with the God that you've believed in all your life

- You die and are one with the universal consciousness. You return to the ocean of consciousness like a wave crashing on the shore returns to the sea

- You die and wake up in Nirvana or the body of a pig depending on your Karma (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana)

And so on. No one can say being anesthetized is like being dead

I agree with you, under the assumption of afterlife or other possibilities you have listed.

The current discussion is under the thread of the original commenter, which says:

"... pretty much deconstructed the whole idea of an afterlife in 20 minutes."

That is, we are under "if (there's no afterlife)" branch.

I am not personally settled on which possibility is the reality. So I think we are in alignment.

Good. I thought we might be.