Since the Old Testament, psychological effects of trauma were recognized. Over the centuries, doctors have attempted finding a cure for traumatized patients by using therapy. In the 20th century, psychologist Pierre Janet developed an approach to treating the symptoms of horrific memories with hypnosis. Referred as PTSD in modern clinicians, hypnosis is still used even though it is controversial. This is because a solution is desired to end sights and sounds triggering traumatic flashbacks that cause anxiety conditions and stress disorders. The video game Tetris, however, has proven to provide a reflection of healed mental state after experiencing a trauma. Science shows playing the video game and focusing on eye movements can help coping with a tragic experience. The simple Russian video game consists of aligning falling digital building blocks into perfect rows of ten repetitively. Further research took place with seventy-one patients at the John Radcliffe Hospital emergency room in Oxford, England. These patients were asked to recall their trauma and worst memories. Afterward, they played Tetris for twenty minutes on a handheld Nintendo DS XL system. Sixty-two percent were found to have fewer invasive recollections a week after their accident. Even though the experiment was diminutive, a larger follow-up trial to test the long-term effects is currently in progress. But for this to happen, researchers are in need of funding. In McNally’s words, “Holmes’ application of Tetris shows promise. Our field needs to be open to possible breakthroughs. Just beware of people claiming ‘miracle cures!”

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/04/09/523011446/how-playing-tetris-tames-the-trauma-of-a-car-crash