The Circle of Gaslighting
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2026 9:48 pm
The antidote to gaslighting is anchored clarity.
Gaslighting works by destabilizing your internal reference system. It trains you to distrust what you clearly saw, clearly heard, clearly felt. Over time, you begin outsourcing your perception. You stop asking, “What is true?” and start asking, “Am I crazy?” That is the shift.
The antidote is threefold: truth, documentation, and internal alignment.
First, truth. Jesus said in Gospel of John 8:32 that the truth makes you free. Gaslighting survives in vagueness and emotional fog. Truth is specific. “This happened.” “This was said.” “This pattern repeats.” When you name something plainly, its power weakens. You do not argue with fog; you turn on light.
Second, documentation. Even if only for yourself. Write down what occurred, what was said, what you felt, and why. When the narrative later shifts, you have a fixed reference point. Gaslighting depends on memory erosion. Written clarity restores stability.
Third, internal alignment. The Holy Spirit does not lead by confusion. First Epistle to the Corinthians 14:33 says God is not the author of confusion but of peace. When you are gaslit, you feel mental spinning. When you are grounded in discernment, you feel settled—even if the situation is uncomfortable. The antidote is reconnecting with that settled place. Ask: “If no one questioned me, what would I conclude?” Often the answer is already there.
There is also a practical boundary component. Gaslighting loses strength when it is not entertained. You do not have to defend every perception. You do not have to convince someone else of your internal experience. Calm, minimal responses remove fuel.
In simple terms: write it, name it, trust the pattern, and refuse to argue with your own eyes.
Peace is steady. Manipulation is circular.
The antidote is stepping out of the circle.
Gaslighting works by destabilizing your internal reference system. It trains you to distrust what you clearly saw, clearly heard, clearly felt. Over time, you begin outsourcing your perception. You stop asking, “What is true?” and start asking, “Am I crazy?” That is the shift.
The antidote is threefold: truth, documentation, and internal alignment.
First, truth. Jesus said in Gospel of John 8:32 that the truth makes you free. Gaslighting survives in vagueness and emotional fog. Truth is specific. “This happened.” “This was said.” “This pattern repeats.” When you name something plainly, its power weakens. You do not argue with fog; you turn on light.
Second, documentation. Even if only for yourself. Write down what occurred, what was said, what you felt, and why. When the narrative later shifts, you have a fixed reference point. Gaslighting depends on memory erosion. Written clarity restores stability.
Third, internal alignment. The Holy Spirit does not lead by confusion. First Epistle to the Corinthians 14:33 says God is not the author of confusion but of peace. When you are gaslit, you feel mental spinning. When you are grounded in discernment, you feel settled—even if the situation is uncomfortable. The antidote is reconnecting with that settled place. Ask: “If no one questioned me, what would I conclude?” Often the answer is already there.
There is also a practical boundary component. Gaslighting loses strength when it is not entertained. You do not have to defend every perception. You do not have to convince someone else of your internal experience. Calm, minimal responses remove fuel.
In simple terms: write it, name it, trust the pattern, and refuse to argue with your own eyes.
Peace is steady. Manipulation is circular.
The antidote is stepping out of the circle.