Game Erases Bad Memories

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Tetris relieves stress, a recent study says



Most people think video games drain the brain, and electronic entertainment bears the blame for a myriad of problems, including (and not limited to) laziness, obesity and teen violence. A recent report from Oxford University says otherwise – saying that playing the addictive game Tetris can help patients suffering from traumatic stress syndrome.

Researchers found that playing the popular game shortly after a traumatic event helped them wipe out bad memories. About 40 volunteers waited for half an hour, one half of the group played Tetris for 10 minutes and the other half did nothing. The group who played the game experienced fewer flashbacks than the control group the following week.

The researchers used Tetris because moving the colored blocks uses a large portion of the brain and competes with other things requiring brain resources – in this case, bad memories.

The team at Oxford is not sure other games would work in the same manner, but we say otherwise. Click to see 15 other games that will help you kick back and relax.