Klesha: The Five Afflictions Perpetuating Trauma

Patanjali identifies the kleshas—five fundamental afflictions—as the root of all suffering. For trauma survivors, these are particularly relevant. Avidya (ignorance) manifests as not understanding that trauma is conditioning, not reality. Asmita (ego) creates the identity of "damaged survivor." Raga (attachment) manifests as desperate clinging to safety or avoidance. Dvesha (aversion) appears as avoidance of triggers and feelings. Abhinivesha (fear of death/harm) drives hypervigilance. These kleshas interweave with trauma, creating a tangled web of suffering. A PTSD sufferer avoids the grocery store (dvesha), identifies as broken (asmita), and fears future harm (abhinivesha), all rooted in ignorance that these reactions are conditioned patterns, not truth. Patanjali teaches that yoga dissolves these afflictions by revealing their nature and addressing them at the root. By systematically working with pranayama, meditation, and vairagya, survivors gradually uproot the kleshas. This framework offers trauma therapy a philosophy of radical causation—addressing not just symptoms but the underlying afflictions.