[ccaian]

How "into" music do you get. I keep my eyes open and often read but I do bop my head or kick my leg when its catchy

 

[KElyas]

Very into it at times. It's can be the most enjoyable thing for me to do, just by sitting and closing my eyes no matter how sad it sounds but that's just how much I love music. I don't shut my eyes much though but when I really want to get immersed in the music and it's not very upbeat I tend to do it, even if it's for just for half a minute. The longest I've done it was when I decided to listen to Kind of Blue by Miles Davis the whole way through for the first time. I just lied on the recliner and almost kept my eyes closed the whole time until the the album ended.
(I'd also close my eyes if I want to analyze the music because it removes all distractions) 
 
Walking outside in the evening past sunset also gives a similar feeling, especially with the wind blowing across my face and I like walking to music which actually helped an album that I couldn't get into before instantly, click with me. Funnily enough, the opposite can also enhance my musical experience - the blazing sun can really help make listening to music more enjoyable but it depends on type of song with ones with more higher pitched sounds tending to work best. This also made me suddenly love an album that I was finding it hard to get into.
 
There's this one part of a song (which is my favorite bit ever in music history!!) where every time I hear it it's like a spiritual expereince and I HAVE to close my eyes and my face actually tenses up almost uncontrollably LOL. Hey I'll post the song here.... it's from 5:14 in the video below that I'm talking about.
 

 

[BrownBear]

I generally don't close my eyes. I have a tendency, when I get into it, to kind of fixate on something and just kind of stare into nothing, if that makes sense. Another thing I like to do, is allow the music to paint pictures in my mind. I'll start with an image of something, and as the music plays I'll just allow it to write a story on that picture. Sometimes it gets pretty emotional, not necessarily 'sad emotional', just any emotion that comes from the mental images that the music and my mind create.

 

[TJ Elite]

When using speakers I often close my eyes, but it depends. Some albums sound better to me with my eyes closed and others with them open. It's weird and there doesn't seem to be a clear pattern to it. I always prefer listening in a dimly lit or darkened room though, because the elimination of visual stimuli heightens your hearing. When using headphones I rarely close my eyes because I feel it seldom makes a big difference.

 

[p a t r i c k]

  How "into" music do you get. I keep my eyes open and often read but I do bop my head or kick my leg when its catchy

 
I don't close my eyes but I do like lowered lighting. I usually switch off the main light in my study/listening room and then just use a desk lamp which I position so the light is being shawn onto the floor mostly.
 
The issue of what you are doing with you mind when listening to music is one which has always interested me. It is quite possible for me to sit down, start listening to a piece of music which I really love, but quite soon after it starts my mind wanders and then returns to the music close to the end of the piece.
 
When I was in my 20s I used to listen to music with friends much more. Then LPs were the only medium available (okay, apart from cassettes) and buying an LP was a big experience. Soon after I'd bought a new LP I would have friends around to my place and we would all sit and listen to "the new LP". What struck me then was what we did with our eyes during this group listening bit. Most usually we would be passing the LP sleeve around and so one of us would be looking at that. But the others would just sit trying to avoid each other's eyes.
 
It is a sort of an issue with audio recordings because there is no visual focus, so, what to do with the eyes...

 

[BrownBear]

The lighting is a good point. I definitely agree with what others posted about lowered or dimmed lighting. That makes for an interesting experience, and allows me to focus more on the music and mental imagery.

In fact, awhile ago, I bought this green light bulb for fun. This one time, I used it while listening to music. The whole room had a gentle green glow going on. It was a pretty cool effect.

 

[Amorgan]

Most of the critical listening i do is with my eyes open. There's a 95% risk that i can fall asleep if i close my eyes. 

 

[Argyris]

It depends on whether or not I'm in "deep listening" mode. If I am, I'll dim or shut off the lights. Sometimes I do close my eyes as well, though the soft glow of the stereo dial or the eerie, dim cast of the LEDs from various electronics creates mysterious shadows and ambiance, so often times I keep my eyes open to experience that.

 

[Lady Stoneheart]

I don't, but I do turn the lights off while I listen. If I really get into a track I will turn my chair round and daydream staring off blindly at the wall.