Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse. Psychological abuse or emotional abuse is a form of abuse characterized by a person subjecting or exposing another to behavior that is psychologically harmful It involves an increasing frequency of systematically withholding factual information from, and/or providing false information to the subject, having the gradual effect of making the victim 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.
The term was coined from the 1940 film Gaslight and its 1944 remake in which changes in gas light levels are experienced several times by the main character. This article is about the 1940 film Gaslight For the 1944 film see Gaslight. This article is about the 1944 film Gaslight For the 1940 release see Gaslight. The classic example in the film is the character Gregory using the gas lamps in the attic, 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. Paula believes herself alone in the house when the dimming occurs, unaware that Gregory has entered the attic from the house next door. The sinister interpretation of the change in light levels is part of a larger pattern of deception to which the character Paula is subjected.
This technique is also supposed to have been used by the Manson Family during their "creepy crawler" burglaries during which nothing was stolen, but furniture in the house was rearranged.
Cultural references
Similar events have been depicted more recently in soap operas. A soap opera is an ongoing episodic work of Fiction, usually broadcast on Television or Radio. In Coronation Street in 2003, con-man and murderer Richard Hillman gaslighted Audrey Roberts to ensure that no one would believe her suspicions about his illegal activities. Coronation Street (commonly known as 'Corrie' is an award-winning Soap opera created by Tony Warren Richard Charles Hillman is a Fictional character in the British television Soap opera, Coronation Street, played by Brian Capron Audrey Roberts (née Potter) played by Sue Nicholls, is one of the longest running characters on the Soap opera Coronation Street In Neighbours, Elle Robinson drove Max Hoyland crazy after he caused her brother's death in a car accident. Neighbours is a long-running multiple Logie Award -winning Australian Soap opera, which first aired in March 1985 Lucinda 'Elle' Robinson is one of two daughters of Paul Robinson on the long-running Australian Soap opera Neighbours and is Max Hoyland was a Fictional character in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Stephen Lovatt. Elle stole his car, kidnapped his son Charlie, stole his football tickets, and ordered alcohol in his name. Charlie Hoyland is a Fictional character in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by the child actor Jacob Brito from October 2008 taking over from Aaron 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.
In a 2007 episode of the soap opera The Young and the Restless, character Drucilla Winters was also a target of gaslighting. The Young and the Restless is a 39 time Emmy Award winning American Television Soap opera, first broadcast on CBS on March 26 Methods included her belongings being repositioned in her home, slashed car tires, prank phone calls, and the apparent witnessing of phantom persons. Crucially, the character was not believed by her friends and family, and thus became isolated in her experience of these events, to the point at which she decided to check herself into a mental institution.
In an episode of Frasier, Fortysomething, Frasier's producer Roz Doyle tries to gaslight Frasier after he forgets her name
In the 2001 movie Amélie, the titular protagonist embarks on a mission to gaslight her local grocer as punishment for his cruelty toward his intellectually impaired assistant, Lucien. Amélie is a 2001 French film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tautou. Amelie switches his lightbulbs with lower wattage bulbs and replaces his slippers with smaller ones, among other tricks.
On their album Two Against Nature, the band Steely Dan include the song "Gaslighting Abbie" about two people conspiring to torment their room-mate. Two Against Nature is an Album by Steely Dan, released in 2000. Steely Dan is a American rock band centered on core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. "Gaslighting Abbie" is the first track on Steely Dan 's 2000 Grammy Award -winning album Two Against Nature.
In the 2007 movie The Darjeeling Limited, Adrian Brody's character asks Jason Schwartzman's character "Could she be gaslighting you?" when he discovers his ex-girlfriend had placed her perfume into his luggage. The Darjeeling Limited is a 2007 Drama-comedy film directed by Wes Anderson, and starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody
In the 2007 Edward Burns film, Purple Violets, Debra Messing's character implores Selma Blair's character not to let her husband "gaslight her". This article is about the actor-director born in 1968 for other people with the same name see Edward Burns (disambiguation. Purple Violets is a relationship comedy written and directed by Edward Burns. Debra Lynn Messing (born August 15 1968 is an American Actress. Selma Blair (born June 23 1972) is an American actress After numerous supporting roles in the 1990s she starred in the film Cruel Intentions
The play The Mystery of Irma Vep makes reference to this with a scene where Lady Enid is recounting to her husband all of the strange things that have been happening in the house whereupon the lights begin dimming. The Mystery of Irma Vep is a play in two acts by Charles Ludlam. When she comments on it, her husband assures her that the lights are not dimming, convincing her that she must be going crazy.
In the episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" called "Chain of Command" Gul Madred attempts to force Captain Picard to say that there are five lights behind him in the torture chamber, when there are actually four lights. " Chain of Command " is an episode of Star Trek The Next Generation that aired in two parts during the sixth season of the series He uses this as a method of breaking Picard's mental barrier, but Picard never admits that there are five lights. As he is rescued he defiantly states that he sees four lights, but later confides to Doctor Crusher that he saw five lights.
More recently, the Church of Scientology adopted Gaslighting as part of its 'Fair Game' policy. The Church of Scientology is the largest organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The term Fair Game is used to describe various aggressive policies and practices carried out by the Church of Scientology towards people and groups it perceives as its enemies
See also
2007 film Darjeeling limited
References
- Santoro, Victor (June 1994). Fabricated or induced illness (FII or Factitious disorders, originally and more commonly known as Munchausen syndrome or Munchausen syndrome by Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental is intentionally The Martha Mitchell effect is the process by which a psychiatrist psychologist or other mental health clinician mistakes the patient's perception of real events as Delusional Gaslighting: How to Drive Your Enemies Crazy. Loompanics Unlimited. ISBN 1-55950-113-8.
- Stern, Dr. Robin (May 2007). The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life. Broadway. ISBN 978-0767924450.
- George Cukor (director). Gaslight [35 mm]. MGM.