For me, it felt like my "animal brain" decided something must be wrong with my eyes: I started rubbing them, as though I had just come indoors after a bright day.

I took my (corrective) glasses off, and then felt confused when everything got blurry. Some part of my brain must have thought they were sunglasses.

I swear I could feel myself get more anxious when taking my glasses off didn't "fix the problem" - like the "animal brain" could remain calm as long as the dim light could be explained by something familiar.