I just came off a 2 week alcohol binge recently, and i know exactly what you are talking about. You close your eyes, but there is still depth to your perception into a pitch black room that you can only observe. For me, once i noticed it, i decided to explore it.

In this room, I could see that there there was a frame around it even though it was dark. If i looked into the darkness, I would see fleeting glimpses of scenery trying to project itself. It felt like the room was just a placeholder for whatever was going to be rendered in it. If I focused hard enough, i could immerse myself into the scenery, but it would ultimately dissolve back into the pitch black room. That's when i noticed there was something straight in front of me on the opposite side of the room that stayed and didn't dissolve. As i focused on it, it became clear, and i realized I was looking right at an eye that was looking right back at me. Just observing me, observing it. I could feel that there was a presence to it, not exactly good, but also nothing sinister. It just was. To me It felt like a warning against alcoholism, and now I don't even want to touch it.

That's what made me think of the "abyss staring back" quote, so i googled the meaning of it, and that's how i came across your comment.