Darwin, I love your schoolbus story.
I believe that what you were experiencing is a moment of 'difference'. You used your eyes in a fashion different than you normally use them. The reason the effect only lasted a brief moment was probably due to three factors.
The first factor is a physiological filter. While you were viewing the total distance at a single glance, you were more than likely receiving your images with foveal vision, utilizing the peripheral portion of your sight.
The second factor is similar, but is physcological in nature. While viewing the whole, you had managed to temporarily set aside the perceptual filter of deletion, that is, you were not ignoring the visual information you received.
Factor number three is evaluation, or internal comments about experience. While viewing the large portion of roadway at a single moment, you most likely were able to temporarily suspend internal comments about the experience. If I had to guess, it is most likely this final factor which ended the experience the moment you thought to yourself, "wow".
To sustain this state for more than a fleeting moment can be difficult at first, but very rewarding, especially if you can photoread in the same manner: use foveal vision and bypass visual deletion through use of a soft gaze, and suspend evaluation by using the chant to occupy the conscious mind. (I suspect the complete suspension of internal dialog is even more profound, but have not been able to sustain it while photoreading).
Do what you can to bring the very powerful learning you recieved on the bus into your photoreading experience. I'm certain it will be of great benefit to you.
