The five core afflictions causing suffering through misperception, directly mapping onto CBT's identification and restructuring of fundamental unhelpful beliefs.
Patanjali identifies five kleshas—fundamental afflictions or cognitive distortions—that generate all psychological suffering: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego/false identity), raga (excessive desire), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death). These are not surface thoughts but deep, structural misperceptions about reality and self. They map remarkably onto CBT's core belief work: avidya parallels all-or-nothing thinking; asmita reflects rigid self-concepts; raga and dvesha embody approach-avoidance patterns; abhinivesha underlies existential anxiety and death anxiety. Modern CBT recognizes that surface automatic thoughts branch from deeper schemas and core beliefs shaped by early experience and worldview. Patanjali's klesa framework provides a philosophy for understanding why certain beliefs persist despite logical contradiction—they operate at the fundamental level of how consciousness perceives reality itself. CBT therapists using this wisdom help clients recognize their particular klesa pattern: Does their suffering stem from ego-identity confusion? Desire-based perfectionism? Aversion-based avoidance? By identifying the root affliction, interventions target the deeper structure, creating more sustainable change than addressing surface thoughts alone.
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