Five fundamental psychological afflictions—ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, and fear—that Patanjali identifies as roots of all suffering that CBT systematically addresses.
The Kleshas are five fundamental afflictions that Patanjali identifies as the root causes of all psychological suffering: avidya (ignorance or lack of clear seeing), asmita (ego-identification), raga (attachment and craving), dvesha (aversion and avoidance), and abhinivesha (fear of death and clinging to life). This taxonomy provides a profound framework for understanding what CBT targets in treatment. Avidya reflects the distorted thinking patterns CBT addresses—misperceptions about danger, self-worth, and others' intentions. Raga drives the anxiety and urgency of anxiety disorders; dvesha fuels avoidance behaviors maintaining all anxiety disorders. Abhinivesha explains why people cling to safety behaviors despite recognizing they don't help. Rather than viewing these as character flaws, the yogic framework normalizes them as universal human tendencies, reducing shame in therapy. CBT interventions directly target each klesha: psychoeducation counters avidya, behavioral experiments challenge asmita, values clarification addresses raga, exposure therapy contradicts dvesha, and existential exploration transforms abhinivesha. Understanding the five kleshas gives therapists and clients a sophisticated map for why anxiety persists and how systematic practice gradually undermines each root cause of suffering.
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