An opinion about the therapeutic effects of Tetris has been trending on comment forums in Japan. The discussion originated from an online comment that mentioned that playing Tetris can help distract the mind and avoid falling into negative emotional states, especially when experiencing traumatic memories. According to the author of the comment,

• «When traumatic memories resurface, playing Tetris helps to scramble cognition and prevent an emotional breakdown. Since learning about this study, I've been using a Tetris app and it definitely has an effect. The problem is that while it prevents deterioration, it is indefinitely time consuming. Today I spent two hours. End of story».

This observation resonated with many users, who shared their own experiences with the game and how Tetris seems to have a hypnotic and addictive effect. Some comments highlighted the absorbing nature of the game: “Some time ago I was given an original Game Boy, I restored it and bought Tetris… and yes, time dissolves infinitely…” and “The Tetris abyss…“.

Other users shared similar stories of how Tetris helped them deal with stress and anxiety. One user recalled how, as a child, he could complete high levels on Tetris DS without much effort, suggesting that the game helped keep his stress levels down: “In elementary school, I naturally played Tetris DS level 20. I think I had less stress back then.“.

The discussion also touched on theories about how Tetris could be a useful tool for managing flashbacks of unwanted memories. One user recalled advice from his therapist about how difficult it is to eliminate flashbacks completely and that it’s more effective to get used to not thinking about them: “The doctor I see says that it is impossible to completely eliminate flashbacks and that people who have a lot of memories tend to experience them more often. So the only thing you can do is get used to not thinking about them to reduce the frequency. He says that doing something that keeps your brain busy, like singing while doing manual labor, is the best. I think Tetris is like that.“.

Others commented on a humorous conspiracy theory suggesting that Tetris was created as a “tool to decrease motivation” and steal time, adding to the game’s mysterious aura: “I heard somewhere that Tetris is a game developed by Russia to decrease people's motivation and consume their time.“Finally, some alternative techniques for managing unwanted memories were shared, such as talking out loud to dispel them, highlighting how distraction techniques can be helpful in general.

Source: Hachima Kikou