Kleshas: The Five Afflictions of Trauma

Patanjali's five kleshas (afflictions)—avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of annihilation)—describe fundamental human confusions that trauma catastrophically amplifies. Trauma survivors often develop distorted narratives about themselves and reality (avidya), rigid identity around victimhood (asmita), desperate clinging to safety strategies that no longer serve (raga), visceral rejection of anything resembling the trauma (dvesha), and existential terror of annihilation (abhinivesha). Patanjali's framework reveals these aren't personal failures but natural psychological patterns that become pathological under trauma's weight. By recognizing how each klesha operates specifically in your trauma response, you gain precision in addressing root causes rather than just managing symptoms. Healing involves gradually loosening identification with these afflictions, seeing through the ignorance they contain, and reinstalling accurate perception. This knowledge-based approach empowers survivors to understand their reactions as understandable defensive patterns rather than permanent damage, opening pathways to gradual transformation.