how aware of your surroundings are you when fixating?

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When I'm off in the land of dreams as I call it, my attention is very much focused on my interest at the time, but I remain fully aware of my surroundings.
A friend of mine says that his attention is so focused that he is unaware of what's happening around him.
I'm intrigued by the differences between us and am wondering how it is for others?
As an example, if watching something on the internet that's captured your imagination, and something happens in the area, are you aware of it or completely oblivious?
( I am always aware of it and it grabs my attention, even if it is annoying, but my friend doesn't even flinch)

When I am fixating I tend to tune out everything around me.

Completely unaware.

I never pay much attention to my environment but I was born with a rare low vision disorder & my brain can sometimes have problems processing things I can see; like I could look rite at something I can see well & not realize that it's there rite away.

I tune things out around me I forget the details around me and I don't notice. This happens when I have something on my mind and focused on my day and what I am doing. I set my mind to it and tune everything out around me.

I can't focus properly, even if it's an interest. I often put earplugs in to help ignore the noise of my family outside my bedroom when trying to fixate myself on to something. L

But I never get so fixated that I forget to eat, poop, pee and sleep. Never.

I forget to eat, drink and sleep.
I don't exactly forget to go to the toilet but I'll leave it until I'm almost ready to burst.

So, yeah.
What surroundings?

When hyperfocused I'm aware of nothing around me....it's like being asleep and dreaming, and it takes a lot to wake me up.

ah...very. i rarely get the feeling of "hyperfocus" common to some other aspies. all i can say is that i sometimes miss the bus.

When I'm fixated there is nothing else. The rest of the world does not exist for me. After a few hours, I usually get broken from my focus when I'm going to pee my paints.

I remain passively aware.
I do not notice details, but i will be aware of changes. for example, i will know that the train stopped, someone comes close to me, that sort of things.

Yes thats what it is like....
For a while there I was starting to think that I was all alone..... phewww

It really depends on how fixated I am. As I'm writing this post I am still aware of my surroundings and the same is true when I'm playing a game or something, but if I'm full on hyper-focusing (which doesn't happen every day) then I will loose awareness of my surroundings.

^I'm the same. When someone or something interrupts me, I get all startled and bewildered, as if suddenly awakening from a dream.

I get like this, and BTW, Hi Raleigh!
But interestingly, I am still aware of my surroundings and I can respond to them if I have to. Like right now I know I have a ton of things that I need to get done today but I am fixating on WP and I can't seem to pull myself away even though I am aware of all the things I need to do.

If passive, like group work and I get bored or drained, it's like a buzzing. Aware but out of track. Distracted by anything else though.

If active, hyperfocus, I can lose track of time and where I am. If at home, sometimes it's 4pm and then it's 8pm.

It happens less now, but it's constant organization - that includes spend less time at home and diversify activities. I can spend really too much time on a computer for instance.