@FNAL - Thank you for sharing.
I was hit in my left eye with a 60mW green laser a while back.
I was at a party, usual stuff going on, it was a nice condo with a great balcony, and as usual I did have a laser on me. I shined it around outside a bit, and inside but only at the ceiling almost directly above me.
One of my friends who I thought was quite responsible asked me to see it. I did warn him to be careful not to shine it anyone or anything shiny. Idiot took the laser and did shine it at the ceiling, and across the room at a wall. When I told him to stop he said ok, and basically plopped down on the couch while at the same time reaching out/pointing the laser at me. WITHOUT TURNING IT OFF. He swept the turned on laser across at least 3-4 people, and happened to only hit me. Fortunately no one else had an eye in the way.
I don't know whether it was a weak battery, angle, large beam, bad divergence, prescription glasses that I wear, or whatever else, but I don't have any permanent noticeable damage. That doesn't mean that there isn't any, just that maybe my brain compensated for whatever damage is there.
In terms of actually getting hit, my experience was very similar, closest comparison I can think of is when a bright camera flash goes off in a dark room. When I opened my eyes, I did see an after spot for quite a while, longer than ever before in my life, the only eerie and scary difference is that an after spot from a flash is usually pretty big, this one seemed tiny. I didn't feel any pain.
I was quite drunk that night, so when I got home I basically passed out asleep. When I woke up the blind spot was gone, thankfully.
It was a very scary experience, of my five senses, sight is by far the most important to me. I have been to an ophthalmologist since, and though my prescription changed a little, as it always does about once a year, there were no other detectable changes.
Since that time I've been very paranoid about handling lasers.