A malicious, often hidden abusive technique causing mental and emotional harm that can occur in any sort of relationship. It causes the recipient to doubt themselves and/or their reality.

Gaslighting is an insidious form of manipulation and psychological control. Victims of gaslighting are deliberately and systematically fed false information that leads them to question what they know to be true, often about themselves. They may end up doubting their memory, their perception, and even their sanity. Over time, a gaslighter’s manipulations can grow more complex and potent, making it increasingly difficult for the victim to see the truth.

The term derives from the title of the 1944 American film Gaslight, which was based on the 1938 British theatre play Gas Light by Patrick Hamilton, though the term did not gain popular currency in English until the mid-2010s

References

Gordon, Sherri, What Is Gaslighting? Signs of Gaslighting and What to Do, VeryWell Mind, November 07, 2022

Gaslighting, Psychology Today

Ricketts, R. (2021). Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy. Atria Books.