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

• «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 spoilage, it consumes time indefinitely. 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 game's absorbing nature: "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 cope with stress and anxiety. One user recalled how, as a child, he could complete high levels on Tetris DS effortlessly, suggesting that the game helped keep his stress levels low: “In elementary school, I naturally played Tetris DS level 20. I think I had less stress back then.“.

The discussion also discussed how Tetris can be a useful tool for managing flashbacks of unwanted memories. One user recalled advice from their therapist about how difficult it is to completely eliminate flashbacks and that it's more effective to get used to not thinking about them: "The doctor I see says it's impossible to completely eliminate flashbacks and that people who have a lot of memories tend to experience them more frequently. So the only thing you can do is get used to not thinking about them to reduce their frequency. He says doing something that keeps your brain busy, like singing while doing manual labor, is 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 speaking out loud to dispel them, highlighting how distraction techniques can be helpful in general.

Source: Hachima Kikou