7 Mental Factors

In Vipassana (and possibly other Eastern Schools) there are seven categories of "mental factors" that are ways in which we apprehend the quality of an "object" within the mind.

The seven categories of Universal Mental Factors, are:

1. Feeling
2. Contact
3. Perception
4. Mental Formations
5. Concentration
6. Life Force
7. Awareness

Why Break these up?

Why do Buddhists break these up into categories? Why not just treat it as one lump of "mental stuff" or "feelings?"  

The answer lies in the solution to delusion.  In insight meditation of Vipassana, and the meditation practices of other Buddhist groups - there is a goal to resolve delusion when it arises.  Without categorizing, it makes this very difficult to find the source.