So, here’s the situation: You’re out walking, minding your own business, when you’re suddenly accosted by Paris Hilton. She wants to talk to you and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. After the nightmare is over, is there anything you can do to dull the emotional pain of such an experience?
Researchers at Oxford University say that there is, and that solution is Tetris. A group led by Dr. Emily Holmes from the venerable institution’s Department of Psychology undertook a study in which 40 “healthy” subjects were shown traumatic images of injuries and then half the group was handed Tetris to play. The group which played the game “reported less disturbing flashbacks” than those who did not.
The theory is that while our brain processes sensory and analytical data, it has difficulty doing both at the same time. The treatment is said to only be effective when the game is played shortly after a trauma. It’s also unknown at this time how effective games other than Tetris would be for this purpose.
Sounds logical to me. Have any of you ever tried playing a game to help dull some pain?
Puzzle game ‘Tetris’ eases long-term stress [Yahoo! UK Games]
