ABSTRACT
Gaslighting is a term originating in a play and film. It refers to a person who persuades another that their perceptions are mistaken, and gets them to doubt themselves and elevate the deceiver. In Part 1, Robin Stern shows how many of her patients in therapy have let themselves be taken in by gaslighting. She shows how HBO comedian John Oliver was gaslighted by candidate Trump. In Part 2, Judith Logue traces a number of instances in the campaign where Trump made misleading statements designed to undermine people’s perceptions and thus gain followers and support for his candidacy. Logue shows the roots of this gaslighting in popular entertainment and media advertising campaigns, and how gaslighting can appeal to those who have been susceptible to prior deceptions.
