The summer of 2024 brought unprecedented heatwaves, floods, and fires. Climate psychologists have noted a surge in "pre-traumatic stress." This is Abhinivesham on a collective scale. We are clinging to the idea of a stable Holocene planet. Every time we see a glacier calving on TikTok, we experience a micro-death. The constant exposure to ecological mourning triggers the same neurological pathways as the fear of one's own extinction.
The classical antidote to Abhinivesham is Vairagya (dispassion or detachment). But in 2024, we have to redefine detachment as well. It does not mean being a cold, unfeeling stoic. It means playing the game of life without negotiating for the outcome.
While the acute phase of COVID-19 is over, the psychological residue remains. We lived through a mass confrontation with mortality. Now, in 2024, we are dealing with the fallout: agoraphobia, health anxiety, and a desperate need for control. This is Abhinivesham manifesting as hypochondria. abhinivesham 2024
So why is 2024 the year of Abhinivesham? Because we have detached the fear of death from the biological body and attached it to everything else.
One of the great ironies of Abhinivesham is that the more you fight it, the stronger it gets. In 2024, the wellness industry has attempted to monetize this. "Conquer your fear of death!" shout the Instagram gurus. "Biohack your way to immortality!" The summer of 2024 brought unprecedented heatwaves, floods,
This is a trap. According to the Yoga Sutras, Abhinivesham is the only Klesha that flows by its own power, even in the wise. You cannot "beat" it. You cannot optimize it away with a cold plunge or a dopamine detox.
What you can do is recontextualize it.
We can no longer ignore the environmental crisis. Abhinivesham here is not just fear of the planet dying, but the paralyzing resistance to accepting the reality of the situation. We cling to business-as-usual because letting go feels like drowning.