How Playing Tetris Can Help Reduce Traumatic Memories
For decades, Tetris has been the go-to game for quick mental fun. Bright blocks fall from the sky, players rotate shapes, and neat rows vanish in satisfying bursts. Now, scientists say this simple puzzle may do more than just pass the time. It might also help calm painful memories tied to trauma.
Psychologists have studied this idea for almost twenty years. Their work suggests that playing Tetris at the right moment can weaken the grip of disturbing memories. Early trials show fewer flashbacks, less anxiety, and better mental recovery for some people dealing with traumatic events.
How Tetris Affects Traumatic Memories
Master / Pexels / The brain stores vivid memories using strong visual signals. When a person recalls trauma, images often appear suddenly and feel extremely real.
These intrusive flashes are a major symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder, often called PTSD. Scientists believe the brain uses specific visual and spatial networks to store those intense memories.
Tetris taps into those same networks. The game forces the brain to track shapes, rotate blocks, and plan where each piece will land. Because the brain cannot fully process two heavy visual tasks at once, the game competes with the memory system. That competition weakens the strength of the traumatic image’s stickiness.
Researchers call this method an “imagery competing task intervention.” The name sounds complex, but the idea remains simple. If a game occupies the same mental space as a painful memory, the brain struggles to strengthen that memory. Over time, the flashbacks become less frequent and less vivid.
Inside the Study That Got Researchers Talking
A major trial led by Professor Emily Holmes at Uppsala University tested this approach with healthcare workers. The study included 99 NHS staff members who had faced traumatic situations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many reported experiencing repeated flashbacks tied to stressful moments at work.
Participants first briefly recalled one troubling memory. Immediately after, they played a slow version of Tetris designed to focus attention on the puzzle. The session ended with a visualization step where participants pictured the game grid and imagined blocks falling into place.
The results surprised even experienced researchers. Participants who used the Tetris method experienced ten times fewer flashbacks during the first four weeks compared with those who received standard care. Other participants who listened to music or podcasts did not show the same improvement.
Six months later, the difference remained striking. Around seventy percent of the participants who used the Tetris intervention reported no intrusive memories at all. Many also reported reduced anxiety and better emotional control in daily life.
Earlier Research Hinted at the Same Effect
Pixabay / Pexels / Earlier experiments had already suggested that visual puzzles might protect the brain from forming strong trauma memories.
One study from 2018 focused on people who had just experienced car accidents.
Patients who played Tetris soon after the accident reported fewer intrusive memories during the following week. Researchers believed the game disrupted the brain while it tried to store the intense visual memory of the crash. The disruption seemed to soften the emotional impact.
Another study explored combining Tetris with a therapy called eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing. Brain scans showed changes in the hippocampus, the region involved in memory processing. Participants also reported lower depression and anxiety levels after treatment.
Even earlier work from 2009 provided an important clue. Volunteers watched disturbing film clips designed to trigger stress. Those who played Tetris for less than six hours experienced fewer than half the number of flashbacks compared with those who did nothing.
Researchers often call this period the memory consolidation window. During those hours, the brain is busy converting experiences into long-term memories. A visual task like Tetris appears to interrupt that process and weaken how strongly the memory forms.