Gaslighting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses, see gaslight.
Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse. It uses persistent denials of fact which, as they build up over time, make the victim progressively anxious, confused, and less able to trust his or her own memory and perception. A variation of gaslighting, used as a form of harassment, is to subtly alter aspects of a victim's environment, thereby upsetting his or her peace of mind, sense of security, etc. This technique is supposed to have been used by the Manson Family during their "creepy crawler" burglaries: Nothing was stolen, but furniture in the house was rearranged. [1]
The term was coined from the 1940 film Gaslight and its 1944 remake in which this technique is perpetrated several times on the main character. The classic example in the film is Gregory turning on the gas lamps in the loft, causing the rest of the lamps in the house to dim slightly; when Paula comments on the lights' dimming, she is told she is imagining things.
A more recent example was a storyline in the Australian Soap Opera Neighbours, in which Elle Robinson drove Max Hoyland crazy after he caused her brother's death in a car accident. Elle stole his car, kidnapped his son Charlie, stole his football tickets, and ordered alcohol in his name. The result was that Max's friends and family, and finally Max himself, believed that he was forgetting things and losing his grip on reality.
[edit] References
- Santoro, Victor (June 1994). Gaslighting: How to Drive Your Enemies Crazy. Loompanics Unlimited. ISBN 1559501138.
- George Cukor (director). (1944). Gaslight [35 mm]. MGM.
