Patanjali's five kleshas (afflictions)—avidya, asmita, raga, dvesha, abhinivesha—map the psychological mechanisms that generate and maintain addictive patterns.
Patanjali identifies five kleshas or afflictions that cloud consciousness: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego-identification), raga (attraction), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death). These operate as a system creating psychological suffering and reactive patterns. In addiction, all five kleshas are present: ignorance about true causes of suffering, identification with the addicted self, attachment to the substance or behavior's promised relief, aversion to internal discomfort, and unconscious fear underlying compulsive seeking. Understanding addiction through the lens of kleshas provides a comprehensive map showing how psychological afflictions interlock to create and maintain addictive cycles. Rather than treating addiction as a single problem, this framework reveals it as a constellation of psychological patterns needing specific attention. Healing involves systematically addressing each kleSha: cultivating correct understanding, loosening ego-identification, gradually reducing craving-based attraction, tolerating discomfort, and addressing existential fears. This multi-layered approach explains why willpower alone fails—genuine recovery requires systematic psychological transformation addressing all five afflictions.
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