Patanjali's framework of five mental patterns (correct knowledge, misconception, imagination, sleep, memory) that form the root of cognitive biases and distorted perception.
Patanjali identifies vritti—the five types of mental modifications—as the fundamental sources of human error and bias. These mental patterns include pramana (correct knowledge), viparyaya (misconception), vikalpa (imagination), nidra (sleep), and smrti (memory). Understanding these five categories reveals how cognitive biases originate within our mind's inherent processing patterns. When we mistake imagination for reality, or filter information through misconception, we create systematic distortions in how we perceive the world. By studying vritti, we recognize that biases aren't external flaws but natural byproducts of how the untrained mind operates. This framework transforms bias-recognition from judgment into scientific observation, allowing practitioners to detect when each type of mental modification is hijacking their perception and decision-making processes.
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