Patanjali's taxonomy of five afflictions—ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, fear—provides a comprehensive diagnostic lens for understanding psychological dysfunction in CBT.
The five kleshas or afflictions (avidya, asmita, raga, dvesha, abhinivesha) form Patanjali's diagnostic system for understanding human suffering. Avidya (ignorance) generates distorted perception; asmita (ego) creates false self-concepts; raga (attachment) drives compulsive pursuit of pleasure; dvesha (aversion) generates avoidance and anxiety; abhinivesha (fear of death/change) maintains rigid protection patterns. This framework maps precisely onto CBT's understanding of psychological disorders. Anxiety disorders reflect excessive dvesha; depression involves ignorance about mood-behavior relationships; personality pathology stems from asmita; addictions manifest raga; and trauma involves abhinivesha. CBT interventions directly address each klesa: psychoeducation counters avidya, cognitive restructuring challenges asmita, behavioral activation addresses raga-driven avoidance, exposure therapy processes dvesha, and values work transcends abhinivesha. By understanding disorders through the klesa lens, therapists gain diagnostic clarity and can match interventions to root causes rather than symptoms. This ancient system validates modern CBT's comprehensive approach while offering a unifying conceptual framework that deepens clinical understanding and treatment precision.
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