Gaslighting

“Gaslighting” is a term used to describe a dynamic way of systematic conditioning and manipulation; in some relationships this behavior is considered mental abuse.

The term’s origin stems from a 1938 stage play and 1940 black and white movie called “Gas Light” in which the husband deliberately and methodically attempts to convince his wife (Ingrid Bergman) that she is unstable and possibly “insane.”

Gaslighting is associated with losing one’s sense of reality through constant and persistent pressure to meld into the reality of “the other.” The victims of Gaslighting have systematically learned to question their own perceptions to the point of not being able to defend their authenticity and truth.  They begin to lose trust in themselves and in their judgments, perceptions, and memory.