I got high.

Yes, I went to the dentist.

It was not fun, my emotions were everywhere, and my inner monologues were out of control.

I’m pretty sure the dentist and assistant were pretty worried for me, and I’m sure I embarrassed myself. Already in cloud 9, I saw the reflection in the dentist’s glasses a syringe of numbing fluid being injected in my tooth. My high mind freaked out and my heart raced. They asked how I was and I said, “I’m high! She got me high!”

I was referring to the assistant that put the happy gas. The dentist happily turned down the volume I was intaking and I felt way better.

At one point, they were telling me all the right things as soon as I started freaking out. After the first half of the procedure I let the assistant know that they were really mindful of how I was feeling. She said I made it too obvious.

Here’s what I learned:

It was just “happy gas”, but I felt way more empathetic and understanding of other people. I was replaying certain moments of interaction with friends that would get me mad, but I didn’t get mad this time. I genuinely felt like a kinder, more understanding dude. My thoughts had an extra layer of complexity that was simultaneously thinking of pros and cons of arguments. It’s super hard typing this out and not coming off as a total hippie trying to convince you why LSD is good for you.

I’m not saying that. But I do believe that my sober brain does not fully reach it’s potential, or doesn’t have the angle that an intoxicated mind may have. Whether it’s a bad angle or not, it’s still another viewpoint that you were not aware of before being induced. That was my experience at least.