I was thinking some more about this, especially in relation to one of my favorite #CallOfCthulhu scenarios "Bad Moon Rising," which ends with an extended sequence of horrifying and weird experiences. I think the key difference is that before then, there's an extensive investigation with lots of RP and then the Investigators can explore HMS Selene and do lots of cool things before the Great Race of Yith get a hold of them. It's that build-up that makes the experiential sequences work IMO.