09/20/2024
GASLIGHTING: What is it?
Lately, I've been hearing the word "gaslighting" a lot but didn’t fully understand what it meant—until a friend shared her experience with Spiritual Gaslighting, which led me to look deeper into the topic.
With a little help from my daughter and chatgpt I learned how the term gaslighting started!
The term "gaslighting" comes from the 1944 movie *Gaslight*, based on a 1938 play. In the film, a husband, Gregory, manipulates his wife, Paula, into doubting her sanity in order to cover up his own criminal activities. Gregory secretly dims the gas lights in their home, but when Paula notices the lights flickering and asks about it, he insists she’s imagining things. He also moves objects around and denies it, making Paula question her memory and perception of reality. His goal is to make her feel unstable so she won’t suspect that he’s searching for hidden jewels in the house.
The film's portrayal of psychological manipulation gave rise to the term **"gaslighting,"** which now refers to the tactic of making someone doubt their reality or sanity through deceit and manipulation.
And in the spiritual or religious community gaslighting is a form of manipulation where someone twists religious or spiritual beliefs to make another person doubt their own feelings or experiences. It often involves making the victim feel guilty, inadequate, or wrong for questioning authority or raising concerns. For example, someone might be told their doubts are a lack of faith or that they’re "spiritually immature" for disagreeing with a religious leader. This kind of manipulation can erode a person’s self-trust and make them dependent on someone else's version of the truth.
It’s terrible to think this has been happening for centuries, with spiritual and religious groups benefiting from it.
As a 67-year-old grandma who's been in the spiritual community my whole life I'm learning what all of this means and how harmful it can be.
I love seeing how today’s technology allows people to share their stories, letting others in similar situations know they aren’t alone or "going crazy"— they may be getting gaslit.
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