Klesas and Core Dysfunctional Beliefs

The Klesas—avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego/false identity), raga (craving/attachment), dvesha (aversion/rejection), and abhinivesha (fear of annihilation)—are Patanjali's five root afflictions from which all suffering springs. These ancient categories remarkably align with core dysfunctional beliefs CBT targets. Avidya reflects distorted, incomplete self-knowledge; asmita maps to rigid identity beliefs ("I am my anxiety"); raga and dvesha represent the attachment-aversion patterns driving compulsive behavior and avoidance; abhinivesha underlies existential anxiety and catastrophic thinking. CBT's belief hierarchy work aims directly at these klesas: therapists help clients identify which foundational afflictions fuel presenting symptoms, then systematically challenge and reformulate them. A client with panic disorder may harbor abhinivesha (fear of death/losing control) and asmita (identity as "fragile"). CBT exposes and questions these beliefs through behavioral experiments. Patanjali's five-category framework provides therapists a comprehensive diagnostic tool for understanding the philosophical roots of psychological suffering, while suggesting that targeting core klesas creates cascading shifts in surface symptoms.