This is a very good theme for a paper, and it fits Jain thought quite naturally if you keep Jain Darshan as the base and psychology only as a supporting lens.

Below is a simple, Jain‑centered way to understand this topic.

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1. Mohaniya Karma in Jain Philosophy

In Jain Dharma, Mohaniya karma is “deluding karma” – the karma that:

• disturbs right faith (samyak darshan)
• disturbs right conduct (samyak charitra)
• creates rāga–dveṣa (attachment and aversion)

It is called the most dangerous karma, because as long as it is active, the soul cannot stay steady in true vision and conduct.

Classically it has two main divisions:

1. Darshan‑mohaniya (belief/perception‑deluding)

- Mithyātva‑mohaniya – wrong belief - Mishra‑mohaniya – mixed, confused belief - Samyak‑mohaniya – karmic form that can disturb even right belief

1. Charitra‑mohaniya (conduct‑deluding)

Works through: - four kashāyas: anger (krodha), pride (māna), deceit (māyā), greed (lobha) - nokashāyas: laughter, indulgent liking, aversion, sorrow, fear, disgust, and sexual impulses

Both Digambar and Shvetambar accept this same basic structure (minor terminology/technical details may differ).

More on Mohaniya karma is explained here: You can read more here

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2. What are “cognitive distortions”? (Psychology language, in Jain light)

Modern psychology uses the term cognitive distortions for common errors in thinking, for example:

• “All‑or‑nothing” thinking (everything is either perfect or useless)
• Over‑generalizing from one event (“I failed once, so I always fail”)
• Mind‑reading (“They definitely hate me”)
• Catastrophizing (“This small problem will ruin my life”)

From a Jain viewpoint, these are:

• wrong ways of seeing situations
• driven by kashāyas (anger, ego, deceit, greed) and rāga–dveṣa
• expressions of Mohaniya karma at the level of thought

So psychology is only describing the pattern; Jainism explains the root cause in terms of karma and passions.

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3. How Mohaniya Karma creates “distorted thinking”

(A) Darshan‑mohaniya → basic wrong worldview

Darshan‑mohaniya karma leads to:

• “I am this body, this name, this role.”
• “Lasting happiness will come from possessions, power, or praise.”
• “Violence, deceit, or greed are necessary sometimes.”

These are not just false ideas; in Jain Darshan they are results of Mithyātva‑mohaniya karma. Many cognitive distortions rest on this base: if I identify with body/ego, everything that touches them looks huge and dangerous.

(B) Charitra‑mohaniya → emotional & behavioral distortions

Charitra‑mohaniya stirs the four kashāyas:

• Anger: “They insulted me; I must hurt them back.”
• Pride: “How dare they treat me like this?”
• Deceit: “I’ll twist facts to protect my image.”
• Greed: “Whatever happens, I must not lose this benefit.”

These kashāyas then color our thoughts. Many “cognitive distortions” are simply:

• the mind justifying anger, pride, deceit, or greed
• building biased stories about people and events

So from Jain view:

> Mohaniya karma → kashāya (passion) → rāga–dveṣa → distorted thinking → wrong speech & action → new karma.

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4. Attachment and delusion in Jain terms

Two key Jain points:

1. Rāga (attachment): “I must have this person/thing/idea as I wish.”
2. Dveṣa (aversion): “I cannot bear this loss/insult/pain.”

Mohaniya karma:

• makes us over‑value pleasant things (so we cling)
• makes us over‑react to unpleasant things (so we hate or fear)

Psychology calls this “exaggeration, negative bias, catastrophizing.” Jainism calls it delusion about the real value of worldly objects and ignorance of the Self.

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5. Using this comparison in a healthy way

If you are writing or reflecting on this topic, you can:

Step 1 – Keep Jain Darshan primary

• Clearly state: Jain karma theory is independent, not derived from psychology.
• Mohaniya karma is a real karmic bondage of the soul, not just a mental habit.

Step 2 – Use psychology only as a practical mirror

You can show:

• How Mithyātva appears as common thinking errors (e.g., “My worth = success/appearance”).
• How kashāyas show up as mental narratives:

- Anger → “They always do this to me.” - Pride → “I am better than them.” - Greed → “I won’t be happy unless I get this.” - Fear (a nokashāya) → “Disaster is sure to come.”

This helps modern readers notice Mohaniya karma working inside their own minds.

Step 3 – Spiritual application

Jain sādhanā already includes powerful “cognitive correction” tools, but rooted in soul‑knowledge, not just mental health:

• Svādhyāya (study) – hearing the true nature of soul and karma again and again.
• Bhāvanā / anuprekṣā – reflecting: “I am a pure, eternal soul; all else is changing.”
• Samayik and pratikraman – observing thoughts, confessing faults, softening kashāyas.
• Vows (vrata) – limiting behaviour so that passions cannot freely express themselves.

Over time, this:

• weakens Mohaniya karma
• reduces cognitive distortions and emotional reactivity
• stabilizes samyak darshan and samyak charitra

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6. Digambar–Shvetambar note

• Both traditions fully accept Mohaniya karma as deluding karma with:

- division into Darshan‑mohaniya and Charitra‑mohaniya - its central role as the most dangerous bondage

• The language and technical details in commentaries may differ,

but there is no real disagreement that: - Mohaniya karma is the root of attachment, aversion, and wrong belief - its destruction is required for Keval‑jñān and ultimately moksha

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If you are writing this as an article or paper, a clear structure could be:

1. Classical Jain explanation of Mohaniya karma
2. Short introduction to “cognitive distortions” (defined, but kept secondary)
3. Mapping: how Mohaniya → kashāya → distorted thinking patterns
4. How Jain practices address both delusion and distorted thoughts
5. Caution: psychology as a helpful description, Jain Darshan as the spiritual foundation

For core details on Mohaniya karma, you can read more here