Klesha Framework: Identifying Root Patterns of Traumatic Reactivity

The Yoga Sutras identify five kleshas (obstacles or afflictions): avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death/clinging to existence). This framework is remarkably precise for trauma psychology. Trauma survivors live in avidya regarding their own safety and worth. They develop fragmented asmita (defensive ego structures) to survive. Raga creates desperate clinging to rescuers or substances; dvesha generates avoidance patterns and dissociation. Abhinivesha manifests as existential despair or paradoxical self-harm. Rather than treating trauma as a single pathology, Patanjali's framework shows how different layers require different interventions. A survivor might address avidya through psychoeducation about trauma, asmita through ego work and humbling practices, raga through acceptance practices, dvesha through gradual exposure, and abhinivesha through meaning-making and philosophy. This sophisticated understanding prevents superficial treatment and enables trauma healing that transforms the entire psychological foundation, not just symptoms.