I lost myself, I lost my self

Memory is the self. What happens when the self disappears in a drug-induced vapor? The TeacherRefPoet recounts.

I got the IV. 7:45 AM.

I followed the doctor's instruction of "Roll over on your left side, please." 7:46 AM.

I woke up on my couch. 2:10 PM.

In the interim, I actually said something quite sweet to my wife, received help getting dressed (again, from the wife), was told the results of the procedure, received instruction about my upcoming prescription, got a ride in a wheelchair to the car, rode home, talked to my wife about usage of the carpool lane, trudged into the house, fell asleep on the couch, answered the phone to give my wife my insurance card information, and then woke up and called my parents and sister.

I REMEMBER DOING NONE OF THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH.

The brain can run on autopilot--a fascinating and frightening experience, when awareness returns. Highway hypnosis is the perfect drug-free example of this brain state. Another is blindsight. Consciousness is modular, not unified; a series of perceptions, not an overarching narrative.

Check out The Illusion of Conscious Will by Daniel M. Wegner for more fascinating examples of the brain's ability to fool you into thinking the conscious you is the controlling you.