You may have been experiencing hallucinations or dissociation. These can also happen when extreme stress or anxiety is intense.
To me it sound's like anxiety and it seems like you've had it since your youth. Finding comfort in different things or distracting the brain i.e thinking of your room can help. It wouldn't hurt to see a psychologist to try to understand why you feel the way you do.
Could be anxiety. Could be the artificial light -- many people have a very hard time if they're exposed to it too much, especially fluorescent light. Not likely the brain in the sense you're thinking. Ever gone to see a professional to see if they can figure it out?
This does not seem like a panic attack to me. Seeing a neurologist would be a good idea.