Klesa: The Five Afflictions Root Anxiety in Ignorance

Patanjali teaches that five fundamental afflictions, or klesas, generate all psychological suffering, including anxiety. These are avidya (ignorance or misperception), asmita (ego or false self), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion or repulsion), and abhinivesha (fear of death and clinging to life). Anxiety arises when the mind is rooted in these klesas. For instance, health anxiety reflects avidya (misunderstanding the true nature of health and illness) combined with abhinivesha (fear of death). Social anxiety may stem from asmita (identification with a fragile ego that needs others' approval) and dvesha (aversion to rejection). Generalized anxiety often involves all five klesas working together: ignorance about what we can control, ego investment in outcomes, attachment to security, aversion to discomfort, and terror of loss. By identifying which klesas fuel a person's particular anxiety, treatment becomes more targeted and conscious. Rather than simply managing symptoms, practitioners can uproot the fundamental misconceptions and attachments that generate anxiety. This framework transforms anxiety work from surface-level coping into deep psychological inquiry and liberation.