The Tetris effect

Lately I have noticed that I am starting to ‘suffer’ from the Tetris effect! The Tetris effect occurs when people devote sufficient time and attention to an activity that it begins to overshadow their thoughts, mental images, and dreams. It is named after the video game Tetris.

People who play Tetris for a prolonged amount of time may then find themselves thinking about ways different shapes in the real world can fit together, such as the boxes on a supermarket shelf or the buildings on a street.* Yesterday I was planning a route from my office in Hilversum  to an appointment I had in Utrecht. After some time I realised that I was looking for nice figures in the patterns of the streets of my route! So if in the near future you have an appointment with me and I am late… I am probably figuring my way towards you!

*Read more about the Tetris effect at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris_effect