The Tetris effect is named after Tetris, the classic game. Although it bears the name of the game, it is more about what happens after playing.

If you have been playing Tetris for a while, it is possible that each time you close your eyes you will see the pieces of Tetris sketched in the dark, as if you could still see the light when you close your eyes if you have been looking at the sun for a while.

Tetris effect and lucid dreams

The Tetris Effect is where you’ve done something so often that it starts to change the way you think about other things in your life. Repetitive activities begin to model all your thoughts. So, for example, if you’ve been playing Tetris for years every day, but take a break to go shopping, you can pack your purchases on the conveyor belt at the time of purchase as you would pack the Tetris pieces so that fit perfectly

You may think that it is a little extreme to have a full effect that has the name of a game, but it goes further. It can be applied to something more than Tetris, in fact it applies to any activity that is repetitive, particularly with shapes or colors. It is the effect of a habit.

You could walk along the path and imagine the bushes and benches as obstacles in Temple Run. It does not have to be an electronic game, it does not even have to be an effect of any game. For example, you may see cobblestones as pieces of a puzzle, or if you have spent time in the military, you may walk informally but keep thinking “left, left, left, right to left”.

Why it happens?

The Tetris effect is the result of memory. If you are doing the same thing over and over again, your brain assumes that it is something you should be good at, something you can do without even thinking too much about it. It makes sense, they are skills you will need again for your brain to continue to develop the mentality of those skills, even when you are not doing that particular activity.

The tetris effect and dreams

So, the Tetris effect is the result of our brains trying to learn and remember a skill, where else do we review the things we have learned and remembered? In our dreams. We often dream about things we’ve been doing and especially things we’ve done over and over again, so you can expect that if the Tetris effect becomes evident in your waking life, it could also appear in your dreams. In a study where people were taught the Tetris game, 60% of them reported that Tetris appeared in their dreams.

Tetris and LUCID Dreaming effect

Making your habit appear in your dreams is one thing, that’s easy, but using the Tetris effect of your habit to have lucid dreams is slightly different. Those who play video games are already more likely to find lucid dreaming easier (see my article on lucid dreams and video games) since you are used to having control of an alternate reality.

The Tetris Effect can take it a step further, as your mind will already be reviewing the skill you are trying to develop. If you are lucid, the Tetris Effect could mean that you are not only aware that it is a dream, but that you can also have control over it.

If your dream has similarities to a game you have played or an activity you have repeated, for example, if there are buildings in your dream world that resemble those you could manipulate in a game, then you may discover that you can create and control the world of your dreams as you would in the virtual reality of your game.

Phenomena of transfer of games

The Tetris effect is linked to the transfer phenomena of the game, since both have their origin in the same thing: playing video games repeatedly. The game transfer phenomena are basically a confusion in the minds of players between the real world and the game world.

There have been cases in which players have been doing their daily life but will see or hear aspects of a game. Some have discovered that they constantly listen to themed melodies of their games, or make involuntary links with what they are seeing in the real world and what it would be like in the game world. The basic reflexes can be influenced by the games, for example, if at some point you shake your thumbs while holding a controller.

Obviously it is a harmless effect, there is no danger when looking through the eyes of a player. The only real concern, mainly of worried parents and the disdainful press, is addiction to games. Of course, there is a point where games can become harmful if it becomes your whole life, but while you’re not locked in alone with your console for days on end, you’ll be fine.

The Tetris effect and the games

It could even be said that he is benefiting from the effect of the games, particularly mind if you play games that involve problem solving. You may find yourself looking for solutions and logic in life, and there is definitely no harm in that. The Tetris effect and insomnia If you find yourself experiencing a more extreme Tetris effect, then if it becomes almost addictive and overwhelming, you may start to have difficulties with your dream We’ve all had nights where we’ve wanted one more game, or where we’ve let our thoughts distract us from falling asleep. But the Tetris effect can mean that you obsess over a certain activity and that is all you can think of. If your Tetris effect is derived from playing an electronic game, this could also contribute to insomnia, such as blue light (emitted by a lot of different electronic devices). with screens) interferes with your body’s clock. The light emitted by different devices is usually what the body associates with the day, so after playing you can feel more energetic, especially with the adrenaline of the game still running. Not playing until the wee hours of the morning can help you avoid any negative effects on your sleep, however. How it can be a break between your game session and when you go to sleep. The Tetris Effect and positivity Surprisingly, the Tetris Effect can help you feel more positive. Our brains are programmed to focus more on negative experiences, if spilling a cup of tea is something you will remember, but if you prepare the perfect cup of tea, chances are you do not remember it the next day. This is how things are. Although it may seem that we do not control the Tetris effect, we can try and use it to help us think more positively. In the same way that we can train our brain to observe the buildings while observing the blocks of Tetris, we can train it to look for positive aspects instead of negatives. For example, instead of looking at things that do not seem to fit well, they should, we can practice looking a little to the left or to the right and focus on the things that fit. We can use the Tetris effect to get the same positive feeling in real life that we would have by being successful in a game.