Very interesting. What you describe sounds consistent with thujone from my experiences with absinthe and thuja leaf (though with significantly greater amplitude of effect). The flips to quiet are perhaps a bit uncharacteristic.

Could be interesting (if so inclined) to try chewing on sprig of Thuja cedar - it has very high thujone content, so could confirm that thujone is the active chemical causing this effect.

You didn't mention any hallucinatory symptoms. If you eat cilantro before laying down in a dark room and closing your eyes, do you get hypnogogic imagery (dreamlike visualizations experienced before falling asleep)? I think thujone can promote that for me a bit, but I'm not very thujone sensitive.

I hadn't thought about thujone sensitivity being so variable between people: certainly an interesting lens to view the historical popularity of absinthe.

Thanks for the thorough reply!