Because of its innate insidious nature, victims of gaslighting often don’t recognize that they are being manipulated. This, in turn, enables the manipulation to continue and stealthily keep ramping up until the victim questions what is real and ultimately, questions their own sanity.
Make no mistake about it: gaslighting is emotional abuse.
What is the origan:
The term "gaslighting" originates from Patrick Hamilton's 1938 play Gas Light, which was later adapted into a 1940 British film and a 1944 Hollywood film starring Ingrid Bergman. In the play and films, a husband manipulates his wife by secretly dimming the gas lights in their home and then denying that the lights changed when she points it out, making her believe she is losing her mind. The term was first used in its modern psychological sense in the 1950s and gained broader recognition in the 2010s, describing a form of emotional abuse where a person manipulates another into doubting their own sanity and reality.
I had the pleasure of seeing the play present at my local equity theater last winter. It was that play that helped me finally understand the term and the insidious nature of "Gaslighting".
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