The Gaslit Brain not only reveals the psychological functions of the manipulator’s brain, it also reveals the impact gaslighting has on our minds. It shines a spotlight on the way manipulative brains seduce us into believing them which disrupts our mind’s ability to work effectively.
This psychological study analyzes the onslaught of gaslighting that has recently dominated the world stage, making many turn to the dictionary just to figure out how it works, who’s at risk, and why it’s becoming normalized. When power, credibility, and social status are harnessed to manipulate—not just individuals—but whole populaces may suffer violence against facts and truth. Our recent concern with gaslighting’s destructive force has made psychological safety a priority in relationships at home and at work.
In PART ONE, we look at the impact gaslighting has on targets’ brains and minds. Many do not realize that gaslighting has an extremely harmful neurological impact. If manipulation leads to insanity, it’s because the brain and mind have been distorted and compromised. With the advent of non-invasive technology, scientists use brain imagery to examine what happens to brains that are lied to, manipulated, and betrayed. The damage is physical and visible and provides insights into why the mind’s functions are compromised.
PART TWO focuses on individuals who successfully identify and resist gaslighting. These individuals are role models who illustrate that it is possible for all of us, from different walks of life, to reject the seduction of gaslighting. Too often, gaslighting is treated as impossible to see until it’s too late. These five stories refuse the coverup demanded by manipulators and instead place their personal trauma into a public arena. All five begin in gaslighting and end in advocacy.
PART THREE is practical and applicable. It teaches how to harness psychology and neuroscience to stay safe and sane. It provides proven exercises to keep us sharp and skeptical when faced with every manipulation from smear campaigns to spin doctors. It provides the tools needed to maintain clarity when exposed to those who are sowing the seeds of confusion and destabilization in an attempt to shatter our brains and lives. We can strengthen our brains and minds’ capacity to recognize and resist falsehoods, level by level, mechanism by mechanism, function by function. PART THREE of The Gaslit Brain turns the psychological and brain research into practical, applicable strategies that anyone can apply to identify and resist the manipulation of gaslighting.
