Klesha: The Five Afflictions and Core Part Burdens

Patanjali identifies five core afflictions (klesha) that obscure consciousness: avidya (ignorance), asmita (egoism), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death). These are not moral failures but fundamental misperceptions about reality. In IFS work, exiled parts often carry these exact afflictions as core wounds. An exile might believe 'I am inherently flawed' (asmita), cling desperately to an abusive relationship (raga), viscerally reject all intimacy (dvesha), or be frozen by existential dread (abhinivesha). Understanding that these are klesha—treatable afflictions, not truths—reframes unburdening work. Rather than trying to eliminate these beliefs through cognitive challenge, IFS helps exiles access the Self's perspective, which naturally transcends klesha. Patanjali teaches that yoga practice gradually illuminates the falsity of these afflictions. Similarly, when a client's Self witnesses an exile's suffering with compassion, the exile's grip on its core burden naturally loosens, and healing emerges from clarity rather than force.