With the caveat that I think stretching the metaphor too much further would exceed its utility, my point is only that awareness is not a smooth process, but occurs in fits and starts, slightly delayed from actual reality- it takes time for a brain to assemble meaning from its sensorium.

Different parts of the brain can work semi-independently, while other parts are strictly single-use. And 'resetting' one's mental machinery after this kind of interference takes a measurable amount of time, much like the triggering of garbage collection.

The Stroop Effect is a good demonstration of this kind of cognitive collision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGpzftQf8oI

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroop_effect