Skandha Analysis: Dissolving the Self

Abhidharma psychology employs skandha analysis as a systematic tool for investigating how the sense of 'I' arises from five interdependent processes rather than from a metaphysical soul. Patanjali's yoga emphasizes pratyahara (sense withdrawal) and prajna (direct insight), which directly support this analytical work. The skandha framework reveals that what we call 'self' is actually form interacting with sensation, which triggers perception, which activates mental formations, all witnessed by consciousness. This is not mere intellectual dissection; Abhidharma treats skandha analysis as a contemplative practice that progressively loosens identification with each aggregate. Yogic mastery intensifies this process: as the mind becomes absorbed in observing each skandha's arising and dissolution, the habitual sense of selfhood becomes increasingly transparent. This experiential deconstruction is the psychological bedrock of liberation.