The five root psychological patterns (ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, fear) that generate suffering and physically manifest as chronic stress, inflammation, and disease.
Patanjali identifies five kleshas (afflictions) as the root sources of suffering: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death). These aren't merely philosophical concerns—they're psychological patterns that directly create physical disease through stress physiology. Ignorance about our true nature generates existential anxiety; ego defensiveness maintains muscle tension and emotional reactivity; attachment to outcomes creates chronic worry; aversion generates resistance and internal conflict; fear activates perpetual fight-flight response. Each kleshal pattern corresponds to measurable physiological dysregulation: elevated cortisol, inflammation, immune suppression, cardiovascular strain. Understanding the kleshas provides a sophisticated framework for psychosomatic illness. Rather than treating symptoms separately, this teaching addresses root psychological patterns generating both mental suffering and physical disease. Through yogic practices that progressively dissolve these afflictions—meditation, self-inquiry, and ethical cultivation—practitioners experience simultaneous mental liberation and physical healing. Recognizing kleshias in oneself becomes the key to transforming the mind-body intersection.
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