I cannot tell you what this experience was. Only you can know.
I always encourage people to go astral without the use of any chemicals, brainwave tapes, drugs and mushrooms. This is the only way to truly know that you are experiencing something with a clear mind and not hallucinating.
But intuitively, I would say that it was because of the anaesthesia chemical.
Reasons:
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If you have to question whether this was an actual NDE, then answer is NO.
A real NDE would feel to you more realistic than you being alive right now.
There would be no room for questions as it would be the most real thing you have ever experienced.
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It would not be “just a memory”, but an experience that your whole life would revolve around since you’ve made it. It would be more impressionable to you than giving birth to five children and your wedding day and “your first time”.
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An NDE or an astral projection experience are significantly different from a dream or a lucid dream. If you are not sure what it was, then it was a dream (for reason #1).
Furthermore, the physical brain only plays are role in processing and translating signals from your consciousness down into the physical plane. On the astral, you are using your “astral brain” or your “energy body brain”, whatever you may wanna call it.
And memories are not stored in any of the brains but in the Subconscious Mind (which is the level of Consciousness). The various brains (physical, astral etc.) with all their neural wirings and created circuits are only tools to recall memories on the respective levels. And to operate and run the programs of the various bodies.
Brains are not the memory storages. They are the signal processing devices that consciousness (you!) is using to experience itself on the various planes of existence.
For example the Conceptual Realizations / Conglomerate field will also works on the various brains and therefore enhances those brains’ capabilities of translating information and signals, processing concepts into picture and words et.c so that you can understand these concepts while being in a physical body.