What is Gaslighting?

Gaslighting has become a ubiquitous term used in social discourse.  But how exactly should it be defined?  Through common use, gaslighting has largely been drained of its original meaning.

The term Gaslighting first came into common use about 20 years ago.  But the term’s origin goes back 80 years to the Hollywood golden age, when the film Gaslight (1944) was released.  In the movie, Ingrid Bergman’s husband attempts to convince her she’s insane by having the gaslights, which are used for illumination, dimmed nightly, only to tell her the dimming light is a figment of her imagination.

So gaslighting could be accurately defined as “telling someone to ignore the evidence of their eyes and ears” and that they are “mentally unwell”.

#gaslighting #mentalhealth #therapy