Kleshas: The Five Afflictions Underlying Anxiety

Patanjali identifies five kleshas—mental afflictions or obstructions—as the fundamental patterns generating all suffering: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego/I-ness), raga (attachment/craving), dvesha (aversion/rejection), and abhinivesha (fear of death/existential anxiety). Anxiety sits at the intersection of these patterns. Fear of failure involves ego (asmita) and aversion (dvesha). Health anxiety involves attachment (raga) to the body's permanence and abhinivesha (death fear). Social anxiety combines ego's sensitivity to judgment and aversion to rejection. By mapping anxiety onto the kleshas framework, you gain specificity: which patterns fuel your particular anxiety? This precision enables targeted practice. Rather than treating anxiety as one monolithic condition, the kleshas model reveals its composite nature. Meditation, pranayama, and study address specific kleshas: pranayama reduces abhinivesha's grip; self-inquiry dissolves avidya; practicing equanimity toward gain and loss weakens raga-dvesha. This multi-layered approach aligns with modern understanding that anxiety involves cognitive, emotional, and existential dimensions requiring integrated treatment.