Lacanian Theory and Patanjali's Obstacles (Kleshas)

Lacanian Theory and Patanjali's Obstacles (Kleshas) Cristian Rojas Abstract The Patanjali Sutras, a cornerstone of yoga philosophy, outline the concept of kleshas, mental afflictions that hinder progress on the path to liberation. Interestingly, parallels can be drawn between these kleshas and the concepts of the Lacanian Real, the Imaginary, and the Symbolic order, as presented by French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan. Exploring these connections can offer a fresh perspective on understanding and overcoming obstacles in yoga practice. The Lacanian Framework Lacan's theory posits three orders that structure human experience: ● The Real: The unknowable, traumatic, and instinctual dimension that lies beyond language and symbolization. It represents our primal desires and anxieties. ● The Imaginary: The realm of pre-symbolic experience, formed through early interactions with caregivers and marked by the "mirror stage" where self-identity is established through an idealized image. ● The Symbolic: The realm of language, culture, and social norms that shape our understanding of the world and ourselves. It provides a system for meaning-making. Articulating Lacan and the Kleshas 1. Vyadhi (Disease) & The Real Physical illness can be seen as a manifestation of the Real, the raw and disruptive force that disrupts our symbolic order and sense of self. Illness, with its unpredictable symptoms and disruptions to our bodily functions, confronts us with the limitations of our symbolic order (language, culture) and the raw, unmediated experience of the body. Sudden illness can shatter our sense of control and mastery, highlighting the limitations of our symbolic world. We encounter the Real as a force that disrupts our carefully constructed identities and routines. The experience of illness, especially chronic or life-threatening conditions, can trigger anxiety and a sense of trauma. This relates to the Real's association with the unknown and the threat of annihilation. Lacan, following Freud, placed significant emphasis on hysteria, a condition where psychological factors manifest as physical symptoms. This can be understood as the body attempting to express unconscious desires or anxieties that cannot be articulated through language (the Symbolic). 2. Avidya (Ignorance) & The Imaginary & Symbolic Ignorance, in Lacanian terms, stems from a misapprehension of the self in the Imaginary and a misunderstanding of the Symbolic order. We confuse the idealized self-image with our true being and fail to grasp the limitations of language and social constructs. Lacan's concept of ignorance deviates from the traditional understanding of simply lacking knowledge. In his work, ignorance is elevated to the status of a passion, alongside love and hate, that plays a crucial role in the human psyche Lacan builds on Freud's concept of repression, where individuals subconsciously push away unacceptable desires. However, Lacan goes further, suggesting there's a drive not to know these repressed elements. His concept of the Real refers to the unknowable, traumatic dimension beyond language and symbols. Ignorance, in this context, becomes a way to avoid confronting the Real's disruptive nature. Lacan posits these three fundamental passions as driving forces in the human experience. Love seeks connection and recognition, hate seeks destruction, and ignorance seeks to maintain a comfortable distance from the Real and its unsettling truths. For Lacan, the ignorant subject finds a sense of comfort and stability in not knowing. They cling to familiar structures and avoid confronting the complexities of the Real and their unconscious desires. However, this blissful ignorance can become a barrier to growth and self-discovery. By refusing to confront the unknown, the subject remains trapped in a limited understanding of themselves and the world.. Lacan saw resistance as a manifestation of the passion of ignorance. Patients may resist delving into painful memories or unconscious desires, clinging to the familiar even if it causes suffering. Conversely, the patient's curiosity and desire for the analyst's knowledge can be seen as a way to overcome their own ignorance and gain a deeper understanding of themselves. 3. Asmita (I-ness) & The Imaginary A false sense of self, rooted in the Imaginary order, creates clinging and attachment, hindering progress on the yogic path. Lacan proposes a developmental stage, the "mirror stage," where an infant encounters their reflection around 6-18 months. This initial image creates a sense of a unified self, although it's based on an illusion of wholeness. The child identifies with the reflected image, forming the initial foundation of the ego. The reflected image becomes an idealized version of the self, separate from the caregiver. This initial sense of self is inherently egocentric as it focuses solely on the child's own experience. The Imaginary self is fragile and incomplete because it's based on an illusion. It doesn't capture the full complexity of the child's developing sense of self. While the Imaginary lays the foundation for selfhood, it's the symbolic order that allows us to move beyond egocentrism. Language and social structures introduce the concept of "otherness," forcing us to recognize that our perspective is not the only one. As the child enters the symbolic order through language and social interactions, they begin to understand themselves in relation to others. This social order provides the framework for a more nuanced understanding of self, moving beyond the initial egocentrism. 4. Raga (Attachment) & The Imaginary & The Symbolic & The real Uncontrolled desires, similar to the fixations of the Imaginary order, pull us away from a more balanced and centered state. In the mirror stage, the infant confronts an idealized image of itself in the mirror, leading to a sense of wholeness and self-recognition. However, this image is illusory and creates a yearning for a unified self that doesn't truly exist. This relates to attachment in the sense that the caregiver becomes a source of mirroring for the infant. The infant seeks the caregiver's approval and recognition to solidify its own sense of self. Language and social structures (the Symbolic order) shape our understanding of the world and relationships. We are always positioned in relation to the "Other" (caregiver, society) and our desires are mediated by language. Attachment can be seen as a way to navigate the Symbolic order. We seek connection with others for a sense of security and belonging within the social framework. Lacan argues that humans are fundamentally defined by a lack – a sense of incompleteness. This lack drives our desire for the Other, the caregiver, who is supposed to fulfill this need. However, the Other can never fully satisfy this lack, leading to frustration and a perpetual longing. This concept suggests that attachment can be a source of both comfort and frustration. Attachment can be seen as a way to manage the anxieties of the Real. We seek closeness with others to feel safe and secure in the face of the unknown. 5. Dvesha (Aversion) & The Symbolic & The Imaginary & The Real Aversion to unpleasant experiences can be seen as a resistance to the symbolic order, which inevitably includes suffering and loss. The Real represents the unknowable, traumatic, and instinctual dimension beyond language. It can be a source of anxiety and disruption to our sense of self. Aversion can arise as a defense mechanism against confronting the Real. For instance, someone might avoid public speaking due to a fear of public humiliation, which is a manifestation of the disruptive force of the Real on their self-image. The Imaginary is the realm of pre-symbolic experience, formed through early interactions. It's associated with an idealized self-image established in the "mirror stage." Aversion can be linked to protecting this idealized self. Someone might avoid situations that could challenge their self-perception, like a competitive sport, due to a fear of failure that could shatter their imagined competence. The Symbolic order is the realm of language, culture, and social norms that provides a framework for meaning-making. Aversion can be linked to a resistance to certain aspects of the Symbolic order. For instance, someone might avoid social gatherings due to anxieties around social norms and expectations, which can feel restrictive and lead to a sense of not belonging. Lacan uses the term "object-a" to represent the object of our desire that can never be fully attained. Sometimes, aversion might be directed towards things associated with the "object-a" because they remind us of the inherent lack in desire itself. For example, someone might avoid intimacy due to a fear of getting hurt, stemming from a deeper desire for complete emotional connection that is ultimately unattainable Lacan also talks about the "gaze," which represents the feeling of being observed and judged by others. Aversion can be a response to the perceived negative gaze, where we avoid situations to protect ourselves from potential criticism or rejection. 6. Abhinivesha (Fear of Death) & The Real The fear of death stems from a confrontation with the Real, the unknown that awaits beyond the symbolic order. Lacan distinguishes between the fear of death and the encounter with the Real. The Real, in Lacanian theory, represents the unknowable, traumatic, and instinctual dimension beyond language. Death, in this sense, is not necessarily the physical end, but the confrontation with this unknowable Real. The fear of death, then, is a reaction to this potential encounter. Freud theorized a "death drive" as an unconscious force pushing us towards a return to an inorganic state. Lacan reinterprets this concept. He argues that the death drive isn't about a desire for physical death, but rather a striving for a return to the state of the Real - a pre-symbolic, formless state where desires are unfulfilled and lack definition. Language and social structures (the Symbolic order) provide a sense of order and meaning. However, they also impose limitations. The Symbolic order can never fully capture the Real, and this creates a fundamental anxiety. The fear of death, then, can be seen as a manifestation of this underlying anxiety - a fear of the unknown that lies beyond the limitations of language and meaning. Interestingly, Lacan sometimes suggests that the fear of death can be a mask for a deeper fear - the fear of life itself. Life, in this view, can be experienced as chaotic and unpredictable, mirroring the unknowable Real. The fear of death becomes a way of avoiding confronting this existential anxiety. 7. Samsaya (Doubt) & The Symbolic Doubt arises from the inherent ambiguities and limitations of language (the Symbolic) in representing the Real. In Lacanian theory, doubt isn't simply a state of uncertainty. It's a fundamental feature of human experience linked to the limitations of language and the inherent instability of our sense of self. or Lacan, the "Symbolic order" refers to the realm of language, culture, and social norms that shape our understanding of the world and ourselves. Language provides a system for meaning-making, but it's not perfect. Beyond the Symbolic order lies the "Real," the unknowable and traumatic dimension that disrupts our symbolic understanding. It represents primal desires and anxieties. Language can never fully capture the Real. This gap creates a fundamental "lack" in the Symbolic order, a hole that can't be fully filled with words or concepts. This lack manifests as doubt. The Symbolic order provides us with a sense of self, but is this self real, or just a construct of language and social norms? Doubt arises as we question the solidity of our own identity. The Path Forward Just as yogic practices aim to overcome the kleshas, Lacanian psychoanalysis seeks to navigate the complexities of the Real, Imaginary, and Symbolic. Through techniques like meditation and self-reflection, yoga practitioners cultivate a deeper awareness of these underlying forces. This mirrors the Lacanian goal of achieving a more authentic sense of self through analysis and a recognition of the limitations of symbolic structures. The Significance of the Comparison Exploring the parallels between Lacanian theory and the Patanjali Sutras offers a valuable tool for understanding the nature of our obstacles in yoga practice. By recognizing the influence of the Real, Imaginary, and Symbolic on our mental afflictions, we can develop more targeted strategies for overcoming them. This enriches the traditional yogic framework by incorporating a psychoanalytic lens, potentially leading to a more holistic approach to self-realization. Limitations It's important to acknowledge that Lacanian theory and Patanjali's Sutras stem from different philosophical and cultural backgrounds. While the parallels offer an interesting perspective, they shouldn't be seen as a perfect fit.