What is gaslighting, the reasons for its use. Signs of manipulation of human consciousness. Methods for countering gaslighting.
Gaslighting is one of the forms of psychological violence, in which the manipulator, for a specific purpose, inspires the victim with an inadequate perception of the events that are taking place. The main thrust of the actions of such a dangerous person is to make the object of moral "treatment" believe in their own madness. In some cases, such manipulations are humorous and do not harm the victim of the prank. The situation is different with a deliberate desire to distort a person's vision of reality.
What is gaslighting in psychology?
There are many types of manipulation of human consciousness in the form of hypnosis, psychological pressure and other forms of influence on the mind of a weak personality. All of them are dangerous in their own way for the selected object as an experiment. However, not so long ago, a new concept appeared in the science of studying the human soul, which cannot be ignored.
In psychology, gaslighting is a fairly new term. It was first announced in scientific circles in the 60s of the last century. The psychological thriller Gas Light (1940) served as the reason for considering this problem from a separate angle. The question may arise why it took specialists 20 years to realize and voice the example of a sustainable impact on human consciousness described in the film. The answer is simple to the point of banality. Psychologists drew attention to this kind of manipulation due to the increasing frequency of gaslighting in relationships between people.
Experts asked themselves the question of decoding the contingent of persons who can suppress the puppet people. After the research, psychologists came to the conclusion that sociopaths are most often found among manipulators. It is difficult for such emotional vampires to feel in a comfort zone without a submissive victim nearby. They do not choose strong personalities as an object for psychological pressure. And they feel sorry for the time, and wasted energy. As a result, they are looking for a "weak link" and actively feed on its vital energy.
The gaslighting situation also develops if the narcissist acts as a manipulator. At the same time, the pressure is slightly reduced compared to the attack of a sociopath. Individuals in love with themselves can assert themselves at the expense of others, but egoists are mostly busy with their own brilliant person. The maximum they are capable of is by influencing the human consciousness to convince the victim of her inferiority. This development of inadequate relationships can last for years, because the "weak link" is usually pathologically tied to the "narcissist."
