How would you feel if solid objects began to dematerialise in front of your very eyes?
When a soft-drinks stand does just that in front of Ragle Gumm he thinks he's having a nervous breakdown, he puts it down to stress. Every day Ragle sends in his entry to the competition in the Gazette. Every day he's a surefire winner. He's a local celebrity, a hero with a position in town to maintain. Despite having no job, ragle is under pressure. Pressure to win.
But as weird things continue to happen to him, Ragle's anxiety turns to paranoia. He thinks he's the centre of the universe, then that "They" - whoever "They" may be - are out to get him. As his desperation grows, he realises that it's all very well being the centre of the Universe, but only if you know which universe.
Star Trek The Next Generation