Hello-

I had a rather scary experience while shopping this past weekend.  I
was looking for duct work and noticed that, suddenly, I had what
appeared to be 6 small fluorescent tubes (red, green, blue, yellow,
red, blue) in a pattern of your right hand (pretend there's an extra
finger between thumb and pointer).  There was assorted 'gibberish'
under these fine pulsating lines, I'd estimate they were about 10cm
long when viewed at 4 foot away, about the 5 o'clock position.  Since
I had walked into a hardware store I figured I was just 'blinded' by a
bright light and ignored it.

I drove to the next store and the pattern changed from from a
centralized spot and spread to the 'right' side of my vision, becoming
more like a backwards C and wrapping around from top to bottom.  It
was at this point I noticed I could no longer identify anything
peripherally; the stoplight I was at I had to look at directly to
determine it's colour.  Rather frightened now, I got out, went into
the store determined to finish and get home ASAP, and picked up
another piece of metal.

While looking at it I 'flashed' myself by reflecting the light from
one of the overhead vapor lamps into my eyes, and the pulsations
stopped immediately.

They looked like they were consistent colours and did not 'beat' in
time with my heart rate (since my heart went a bit faster the more
panicked I became).  They maintained the same rate as they spread, and
the colours were consistent in the areas that they started at.  I was
not cognizant of the sudden switch from the central position to the
outer edges, but became more aware of it as I realized I was losing
peripheral vision.

I'm not looking for a diagnosis, obviously, but ideas and terms to ask
about before heading off to the Dr's.  Or even if I should be
concerned.

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide,

Jason Hirsch