Pratyahara (Yoga)

The senses lead the individual to project consciousness outwards rather than bringing it to rest within and guiding it back to the transcendental source. Unless a tight rein is kept upon the senses, then, there is the beginning of a chain of action described in the Bhagavad Gita, through contact, desire, anger, bewilderment, disorder of memory, destruction of the faculty for wisdom and the man is lost. The initial stages of yoga reverse the tendency for senses to flow outwards to sense objects. This is only possible if there is an inner distance from mundane things. Although the senses appear to be controlled by the mind, in fact the mind withdraws into itself with no external object of attraction. It may be achieved by force of will (raja yoga) or by the attraction of an internal object of devotion (bhakti yoga).

Interpreted by some as the fifth component of Patanjali's eightfold path of yoga.