Patanjali's five mental afflictions—ignorance, ego, craving, aversion, and fear—as the root causes of attachment dysfunction in adult partnerships.
Patanjali identifies five kleshas (afflictions) that distort perception and create suffering: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (craving), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of loss). These manifest directly in attachment patterns. Ignorance keeps partners unconscious of their own trauma triggers and reactive cycles. Ego prevents vulnerability and genuine apology. Craving creates desperate need for validation through the other person. Aversion triggers withdrawal and defensive criticism. Fear of abandonment drives controlling or clingy behaviors. By recognizing these five obstacles operating within yourself and your partner, you gain psychological mastery. Rather than personalizing your partner's reactive behavior, you see the kleshas at work—suffering mechanisms rooted in misperception. This yogic framework transforms blame into compassion and enables both partners to work consciously on their internal patterns, fundamentally healing attachment insecurity.
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