Gaslighting

Currently Listening: No Women, No Cry, Mr. Bob Marley

Gaslighting

An interesting word, and an insightful definition. I try to avoid referencing Wikipedia, but I find this definition fitting. I came across this word after looking into Wes Anderson's work. Think of this word and definition in terms of your relationship with the media and maybe even in your personal relationships.

Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse. 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, and 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. 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 played by Ingrid Bergman 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.