There are four different functions of the mind, which facilitate our cognition: 1) citta or the main definition of the mind; 2) ahankara or false ego; 3) manas or emotional mind; 4) buddhi or intelligence. If we don’t know how this mechanism works, we will crash. This body is a machine and intelligence is a steering wheel. Most of the crashes happen in our life because we don’t know how to control the mind.

The function of citta is to reflect the outer world and collect the impressions of the outer world or samskaras. Citta is a subtle element, it is located in the area of the heart. Samskaras can be charged positively or negatively and you can make this energy less or more deep. There are two factors that make samskara strong: 1) emotional. Negative emotions are stronger than positive. By having samskaras emotionally connected we can make them stronger. 2) repetition.

Yogic pratyaksa means you get the information within your mind because your mind is so clear, or you get the information from the higher plane because your citta is connected with universal citta. Yogis of the past due to purification of their citta were able to connect with the universal informational field and get information from there.

Ahankara is a very specific function of citta. Your personality is formed from the past experiences. Ego is the feeling – I am a unique person and I am different from the rest of the existence, and I am the best. Ego separates a person from other people. Ego has two functions: me and mine, it makes some things of the world part of my personality. Two functions of ego are the following: 1) subconscious ego, which regulates functions of the body; conscious ego that projects itself into the outer world; 2) emotional mind has positive and negative emotions – I like it or I don’t like it, and also neutral – I am indifferent to it.

Intelligence is the most important element that distinguishes you as a human being from any other species of life. Intelligence means a controlling mechanism, the ability to control one’s mind and ego. Only in this case you can boldly say that you have intelligence. If you are not capable of controlling emotional reactions and reactions of ego, your intelligence is very weak, and this is what is going on in the majority of cases.

Our brain is a unity of three brains: 1) the most primitive brain is called the reptile brain. There are recorded the most subconscious functions of the mind and instincts; 2) limbic system - I like and I don’t like; 3) neocortex or operational brain.