This is from, “Gaslighting, the Double Whammy, Interrogation and Other Methods of Covert Control in Psychotherapy and Analysis” by Theo. L. Dorpat
“Gaslighting in a type of projective identification in which the individual (or group of individuals) attempt to influence the mental functioning of a second individual by causing the latter to doubt the validity of his or her judgments, perceptions, and/or reality testing in order that the victim will more readily submit his will and person to the victimizer.
Gaslighting is a common and powerful interpersonal dynamic in a variety of different tactics and techniques both individuals and groups have used for attaining interpersonal and social control over the psychic functioning of other individuals and groups. Gaslighting is an important aspect in many of the brainwashing and indoctrination techniques employed by cults and totalitarian fascist and communist regimes in their coercive management and oppression of political prisoners of war.
The various types of gaslighting have in common two defining features. The first is an attempt to impair or destroy an individual’s confidence in his or her psychic abilities. After this first aim has been achieved, the second aim is to gain control over the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors of the victim.
By making another person feel fearful, guilty, or ashamed, the manipulator is in a position to gain control over an individuals affects, thoughts and behaviors by substituting his own beliefs. This is the basic mechanism of gaslighting whether used in every day life, psychotherapy situations, or in the thought-reform and mind-control manipulations of cult leaders. Some advertising and many social interactions in which one person attempts to gain control over another are based on this principle…”
Has anyone or anything ever confused, the taken over your thinking?
For more on this topic – tag: Gaslighting
Someone’s deliberately doing this right now…I guard by staying away! People have done this to me a lot, actually, but I wonder if they really do believe I’m crazy or just don’t want to believe that I might be right on? I mean, who’s to say who’s right, you know? It’s all about listening to the gut for yourself, but objectivity is hard.
lol ex boyfriend.
Yes. It’s creepy, and makes you lose trust in your own judgement. A kind of mental violence I’d say.
“guard your mind” absolutely. The mind is the last line of defense. This kind of manipulation is super soft and permeable, slips right under the radar. The worst
Yes. It’s surreal to think about it now. I became friends with someone during a period of my life where I was vulnerable and lonely. She had a lot of serious problems, as did I. So I thought for a long time we were a comfort for each other.
You know, in some ways we were…but we had very different styles of communication. Part of the issue was her uber-chronic pot smoking…not hating on the pot smokers here, but I’m sorry…this isn’t a reliable route to enlightenment…sleep and muchies yes, profound insight into reading your friend kashmiri’s mind, not so much
Much of this relationship was extremely damaging for me, so I try to hold on to the good things…she was very quick-witted, for example, which on a good day cheered me up a lot.
Heh. I could write a book myself on the ways this has been used on me.
Unfortunately.. yes.
Yes. I went into detail about it in the thread on the boards. First husband was a champ at gaslighting.
I learned my lesson very well and no one gaslights me these days. Occasionally my current husband will unintentionally shift my reality in an argument or something. I just try to wait it out. If I am the one confused or wrong it will clear up in my head. If he’s wrong he will come around very quickly. It’s a bit like driving in the fog. If you can only see a few feet in front of you it makes no sense to barrel ahead.
On the other hand if someone is pumping a fog machine in front of your face the only way to get clear is to distance yourself from them.
I am still trying to figure out if it happend to me.
Yes. However I cannot help myself from being defiant. Even if on an intellectual level I am unaware of this bs I know on a subconscious level. Astrologically, I could explain it as a Leo Sun conj. Uranus 7th house with Aquarius rising. On a personal level, father and his family literally fought against Franco during the civil war. My uncle, Mariano spent 10 years in a rehab/prison camp in Morrocco. My father was lucky he eventually escaped Spain. He and my mum (9th gen Canadian) strongly believed in individuality and instilled in me and my sibs of our human rights and to always think and act for ourselves. I think I was very lucky to have them as parents.
My son is becoming a gaslighter- hes becoming a teenager as well and his whole personality is changing. He doesnt confront me on anything. If I do something that bothers him he will sneak attack me subtly and when I (mars in aries) call him out and say “Why did you just do that?” Like: WTF? He makes this whole story up about how he was doing or meaning something else entirely! He has Mars conjunct Neptune…opposite Moon.