The 18-year-old from Hellvik in Rogaland has been hooked on puzzles for as long as he can remember.
– Sometimes it is very difficult to stop. “I refused to give up and just wanted to get it done,” he said.
A year ago, he began putting together the world’s largest puzzle, which can be bought in stores.
The 40,320-piece puzzle occupies a total of 14 square meters.
– It’s a bit difficult, but fun. Once you find two pieces that match, I managed to find more, Eike said.
Now he wants to donate this huge work of art.
Thomas Eike’s puzzles on an ever-larger scale. – This is my way of relaxing, he said.
Photo: Marte Skodje / NRK
Develops best between several parts
– I want to give it to a hospital or department that can bring joy to children, he said.
The 18-year-old is in his final year of high school, and his dream is to become an auto mechanic. His advantage is that he is accurate and pays attention to detail.
Working on a large puzzle is painstaking work. A slow hobby that requires a lot of patience.
– What do you think when you sit and play a puzzle?
– Actually there is nothing. I enjoyed it and completely disconnected, he replied.
Thomas Eike is looking for a new wall for puzzle art. Here with father Nils Arild Eike and mother Eli Persson.
Photo: Marte Skodje / NRK
– Thomas has incredible patience and he doesn’t give up. The challenge was to get something that challenged him more, Eli Persson’s mother said.
A large number of puzzles were stored in the attic. It’s been a long time since this family lost count of their son’s growing hobbies.
– He has solved a large number of boards. Many. At the same time he has shared some pictures of the puzzle, so I don’t have a general idea, said father Nils Arild Eike.
Healthy to be addicted?
– There are many people who have rather strange hobbies and get a very good quality of life simply by finding “something or other” that gives them a sense of well-being, says Lill Kjersti Skryten, specialist psychologist at Stavanger University Hospital (SUS).
He believes that getting hooked on puzzles is a positive thing, as long as you have a normal life outside of it.
– In computer games, it is designed so that the user can continue playing. Whereas with puzzles you have a beginning and an end and the user has better control over the activity, Skryten said.
Photo: Tuva Skei Tønset / NRK
– A lot happens to the brain when you do something you like. It triggers hormones that make you relax, you feel in control and will increase the self-confidence of the person doing it, he said.
Specialist psychologists say that the risk of developing an unfortunate addiction is lower with puzzles than, for example, with computer games.
– Puzzles free the brain, and that way you can relax. However, the brain needs different kinds of stimulation, so you also have to do several things throughout the day. Otherwise, it can become unhealthy, he said.
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