The mind, the brain, intelligence, brainpower, consciousness, cognition, awareness…just a few of the terms used interchangeably in the popular press when discussing mental functioning. However, without a clear understanding on what we are referring to, understanding what we are optimizing gets confusing.
In the context of the aims of this blog, I’d like to propose the following definitions of the most important terms:
Mind : that element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world, their experience, to think, to feel
Cognition: the amalgam of our experiential selves
Consciousness: one’s subjective experience
and ..A much simpler way of looking it is using the following:
Mind -> cognition
cognition -> consciousness
consciousness -> Mind
As such, the whole concept of mental function includes these terms and refers to the same. Of course, perception, sense of self, memory, thinking, imagining, reasoning are all by-products of what can be done through our mental functions.
Optimal Mental Functioning 