Help!! My iMac 24 screen is going bonkers, then system freezes...

I have been having a problem that is not application-specific, and not Lion specific. This only happens on my 2009 iMac 24 running Lion 10.7.4. (I also run Lion on my 2011 MBP and have not had this problem.) It doesn't matter whether I'm in iTunes, Safari, Logic, Pages... running applications alone or in combination.It doesn't happen right away. It's usually after I've been active on the computer for at least an hour. I will try to describe it the best way I can:
1. I could be browsing Safari, for instance. I'll notice that a small section of my desktop starts "growing" red, green, and/or blue pixels. If left untouched, the pixels overtake about 70% of the display until the computer freezes. Now, if i click anywhere on my screen -- in Safari or on the desktop -- whatever the mouse is pointing at will redraw itself. Meanwhile, the screen starts blinking rapidly and basically, has a tantrumI can't Force Quit, Restart, Shut Down, or any other activity. The only solution is to power it down using the power switch.
2. I'm working on music in Logic Pro. When I have Logic running, it usually spans the entire display. Within the Logic screen I'll see a small section of these red, green, and/or blue pixels. (Well by now, I know what's coming so I immediately save my work before the system freezes.) I quit out of Logic, but the pixels continue to take over my desktop. If left on it's own it starts going berserk as described above. Eventually the system freezes and I have to power down.
This started happening last month. Two things happend last month: (a) I switched my internet service and combined my internet connection with my land line. I had previously been using a dedicated line for internet. (b) My service agreement expired on the iMac... go figure!
If anyone else has experienced this and can offer some solution or workaround it would be greatly appreciated. This is scaring the heck out of me so I am now backing up my backup of my backup. I'm starting to wonder if this is actually Windows somehow cleverly disguised as a Mac.
Gigi

Hi Gigi, not the problem but do this firstanyway...
"Try Disk Utility
1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
5. Click Repair Disk, (not Repair Permissions). Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.
(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)
If perchance you can't find your install Disc, at least try it from the Safe Boot part onward.
If 10.7.0 or later...
Bootup holding CMD+r, or the Option/alt key to boot from the Restore partitiion & use Disk Utility from there.
Then I'd get Lion Cache Cleaner & clear the caches...
http://www.northernsoftworks.com/lioncachecleaner.html
Have you blown the dust out lately?
Get Temperature Monitor to see if it's heat related...
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/12381/temperature-monitor
iStat Menus...
http://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/
And/or iStat Pro...
http://www.islayer.com/apps/istatpro/
One way to test is to Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, Test for problem in Safe Mode...
PS. Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive
Reboot, test again.
If it only does it in Regular Boot, then it could be some hardware problem like Video card, (Quartz is turned off in Safe Mode), or Airport, or 3rd party add-on, Check System Preferences>Accounts>Login Items window to see if it or something relevant is listed.
Check the System Preferences>Other Row, for 3rd party Pref Panes.

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