Tetris Effect
When people devote so much time and attention to an activity that it begins to pattern their thoughts, mental images, and dreams.
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Origin
Named after the iconic 1984 puzzle game by Alexei Pajitnov. The phenomenon was studied by Robert Stickgold at Harvard in a 2000 paper, which found that participants who played Tetris for hours reported seeing falling shapes when closing their eyes — even amnesic patients who couldn’t remember playing. The effect extends to any absorbing repetitive activity.
Updated February 22, 2026