What you post sounds similar to what I've encountered but different. At 18, had my first headache, early 20's migraines. Out of the blue in 1999, I had severe shooting pain behind the right eyeball & pain with movement of the globe directionally. Different muscles started to twitch (a first then, but continue today). My eye doc said it could be on. My TSH around that time was suppressed with normal T’s (told it was intermittent hyper/mild graves). r of orbits was normal. The right eye is weaker then the left. Mr of the brain showed a lesion (between the brain and spine). That was months after the right sided facial weakness & followed severe ear pain with fever. That was the first of what I call episodes.

I have a history of migraines but never had that specific eye pain before. Since then, it happened in the left eye and months later, had left sided facial weakness. I was dx w/a dry eye condition a couple years after the first bout of facial weakness. When I am tired and or have very dry eye I experience double vision with a hazy image. Bright light can irritate at times so I adjust the lighting. This December past, my eye crossed momentarily (while different muscle groups have been giving me trouble off and on throughout this last year). Eye doc said it was esotropia but did not know why it happened. PCP wants me to see the rheumy. & neuro. Thyroid levels have been up, t3 one visit, t4 another & need to be re-evaluated by an endocrinologist (was years ago, told hyper and took Tapazole for a year).

I suppose it is possible to have brief episodes depending on how active the inflammation is. When it shows up on mr, I think it's indicative of the repeat assaults to tissue in damage that has been done (how bad the flare is, i.e.: weakness in the body, a signal and example of that type of damage and extent). Like RR ms. From what I've read, on can be an early sign of possible ms or not. There are percentages but I don’t recall what they are. MS causes strange sensations and is sometimes hard to find & can take years to dx.

In earlier years I was very frightened because things started happening. Time has a way of shedding light on previous experiences coupled with new ones. Symptoms and onset compiled can help to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. What you describe sounds like the aura that can accompany a migraine. What precipitated it is a question. If eye dryness is suspect, keep them moisturized.
Back then, if someone told me some of the sensations were due to dryness I'd think them crazy but not anymore. Wishing you well, Gemi