The nature of consciousness is one of the most important scientific issues facing humanity. General anesthesia can modulate levels of consciousness and is considered as a significant method for studying consciousness. In recent years, with the continuous advancement of anesthesia and brain science research, there has been a greater understanding of the neural mechanisms related to consciousness; however, many questions remain unresolved. This article reviews some important scientific questions and research progress related to anesthesia and consciousness from the perspectives of clinical anesthesiology and neuroscience, including the assessment of consciousness states during anesthesia, scientific hypotheses regarding anesthesia and consciousness, and the key brain regions and nuclei that determine consciousness and anesthetic states. These findings will provide reference for future research planning in related fields.