My idea was that anasthesia switches off consciousness itself. It is like closing your eye when you look at the Sun while using painkillers is like wearing sunglasses.
General anesthesia does have an analgesic effect. Many people who woke up during a surgery have reported not feeling any pain. My fear is that sedation, on the other hand, could lead to the patient suffering but not remembering (much of) it afterwards.
Yes, this is my fear. After surgery it is not a problem, but in the weeks leading up to a surgery it's terrifying.