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Just as quiet contemplation can induce memory formation, playing Tetris after a traumatic event (like a car accident) seems to help prevent the formation of int
by dfabulich 9y ago
Just as quiet contemplation can induce memory formation, playing Tetris after a traumatic event (like a car accident) seems to help prevent the formation of intrusive memories.
https://www.nature.com/articles/mp201723 https://www.nature.com/articles/mp201723
> Preventing intrusive memories after trauma via a brief intervention involving Tetris computer game play in the emergency department: a proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial
- taurath 9y agoDissociation is a very good way to avoid trauma - that’s how I got through grade school.
- wallace_f 9y agoI think it can be an extremely useful tool, but need be applied carefully. It can be therapeutic when dealing with unwanted emotions, but unfortunately sometimes those emotions need to run their course--they're designed as self-defense mechanisms to protect ourselves. Disassociation at the wrong time can enable more problems, sadly.
- taurath 9y agoOh sure, and especially when you continue to use it after the situation has passed. That’s the more difficult part, of course.
- colmvp 9y agoI don't think it's exactly the same process, but I recall Kumail Nanjiani (Screenwriter and star of The Big Sick) saying for the longest time he couldn't stand the sound of collecting coins in Mario games because it reminded him of the time he'd play Mario in the waiting room of a hospital while his then girlfriend (now wife) was in a coma.
- sjg007 9y agoThat’s Pavlovian I’m going to guess.
- lostlogin 9y agoIt’s one hell of a distinctive sound. The Doom rocket launcher and Marathon alien cackle (and rocket launcher) would be couple of the most distinctive computer sounds I could name.
- kstenerud 9y agoI can't even listen to Tears in Heaven let alone play it after I played it at my mother's funeral. I have no idea how Clapton managed to play it so many times...
- mephitix 9y agoThanks for sharing this.. when I was around 4 years old my parents, a relative, and I were in and out of a hospital. We were going through a really tough time dealing with a life-altering diagnosis of one of my siblings. A lot of anger and sadness, especially from my parents. But - the only thing I actually remember from the hospital was playing Galaga in the hospital game room with my relative. Since I was 4 years old, I always wondered (a) why it is such a vivid memory and (b) why I can't remember my family or myself being upset. Quite surreal to see that this specific scenario has been studied.
- ak39 9y agoHebbian theory: "neurons/cells that fire together, wire together". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebbian_theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebbian_theory
- 0xdeadbeefbabe 9y agoIf that were so I would expect aversion therapy to work.
- wastedhours 9y agoI remember learning Rails by reading a book, largely in the waiting rooms at hospitals - the times I was learning it, I can only remember the book, whereas the times I didn't have it, I remember the other emotions. Interesting.
- brokenmachine 9y agoThanks for the interesting anecdote. I wonder, do you associate Galaga with any bad feelings because of this? Have you played Galaga since then?
- davesque 9y agoThis makes a lot of sense to me. I used to game pretty hard and I know there was almost no better way to blow off stress. Of course, it had its down sides too. Distraction is a remarkably powerful tool. I've also experienced this with relationship drama. Sometimes, after a big argument, the best thing that can happen for the parties involved is to just do something to take their minds off memories of the argument. Anything to get the mind to stop spinning around in circles. Later in life, I also got into meditation for a while. I wonder if there's an argument here that some subset of gamers are predisposed to be good meditators because the two activities induce similar brain states?
- goldenkey 9y agoIt is known as "zen state" aka peak state. Being in the zone. Happens with all skilled actions that are so well trained, they become almost automatic. Attaining this kind of state while not actually using a mastered skill is the whole point of zen. But that does sound like an oxymoron since meditation is a masterful skill in itself..;-)
- brokenmachine 9y agoI doubt he achieved peak state while playing games during/after a fight with his significant other.
- gyrgtyn 9y agoIs this why I can't remember _anything_?
- hinkley 9y agoI wonder if this is why so many people want to jump into a video game or other immersive escapism immediately after a stressful event. Self medication.
- gowld 9y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCbler-Ross_model https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCbler-Ross_model
- criddell 9y agoI wonder if my habit of playing Tetris during study breaks while I was in school was a bad idea?
- m3kw9 9y agoLooks like it keeps your mind from replaying the traumatic events in a traumatic fashion early on if Tetris can keep your mind off it, makes sense
- Bromskloss 9y agoDid they figure out what was special about Tetris? What other things would also work?
- lamby 9y ago> playing Tetris after a traumatic event (like a car accident) seems to help prevent the formation of intrusive memories. And, of course, Tetris is enjoyable anytime...