Crowded Parking Lot

During the daily course of my career, it was my habit to stop on my way home to do what little shopping might be needed for the evening. One such night (ca. 2004) I entered a shopping center parking lot, behind the buildings where there was more open space. 

I encountered several canvas canopies, identical to those used in graveside burial ceremonies at cemeteries. Amidst the canopies, a large crowd had assembled to view the burial, which it turned out was the final ceremony for a small boy. Two women were hovering above the coffin, as if fighting over the body of the child. 

I drive alongside the scene, finding a parking space at its far side. Upon stopping the engine and stepping out of the car, I turned to get a better look at the scene. However, as soon as I turned my head to see things more clearly, the entire vision evaporated, leaving nothing but the view of a single unoccupied vehicle.

This hallucinating is noteworthy, in that it was the first occasion I took note of such a “florid,” detailed, and realistic experience, albeit occurring in a rather bizarre setting.