39 MB - University of Toronto Magazine

20-26 3/2/05 4:51 AM Page 20Last fall, Professor Adam Anderson beganarriving at his office much earlier than usual,at an hour when the psychology departmenton the St. George campus wasdeserted. He didn’t turn on his computeror even flick on the lights. Each morning,he would shut the door, sit downand close his eyes. He could have usedthe time to get a head start on the workpiled on his desk, but instead he took halfan hour to concentrate on nothing at all.Anderson, an expert on how the brainproduces positive and negative emotions,began his daily ritual because he wasstudying the mental health benefits of?UsHappyILLUSTRATIONS: STEVE ADAMS/ILLUSIONWhatMakesBY MEGAN EASTONScience offerssurprisingnew answers20 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE