Kleshas and Fundamental Psychological Afflictions

Patanjali identifies five kleshas—fundamental afflictions or distortions—that create psychological suffering: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego-identification), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death/annihilation). These aren't moral failings but structural confusions about reality that generate defensive psychology. Avidya—mistaking the temporary for the permanent, the body for the self—creates fundamental existential confusion mirrored in psychoanalytic discussion of identity disturbance and existential anxiety. Raga and dvesha manifest as the approach-avoidance patterns that dominate neurotic psychology: we compulsively pursue what we believe will complete us while rigidly avoiding perceived threats. Abhinivesha—the primal fear of non-existence—underlies existential defenses including denial, grandiosity, and compulsive striving. Psychoanalysis addresses these same afflictions through different language: reality testing corrects avidya, ego strengthening addresses asmita, understanding transference reveals raga and dvesha patterns, and existential work addresses fundamental annihilation anxiety. Patanjali's framework provides a comprehensive psychology of human suffering grounded in these fundamental confusions, offering both diagnosis and developmental pathway toward psychological freedom.