 Horror/Scary: October 19, 2016 Issue [#7922] |
  Horror/Scary
This week: Horror by gaslight Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Quote for the week: "There is no such thing as paranoia. Your worst fears can come true at any moment."
~Hunter S. Thompson
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Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse in which the abuser tricks the victim into doubting their own sanity. It is named for an old movie and play called "Gaslight" in which a husband attempted to convince his wife that she was going insane by making her doubt her own perceptions of reality.
The title came about because of one of the ruses the husband used to convince his wife she had lost her sanity. The couple lived in a Victorian mansion that used gas jets (gaslights) for light. By turning the gas jets in the attic on, he caused the lights in the main part of the house to flicker and dim. When his wife commented on the flickering flames, he said he didn't see it, and it must have been her imagination. He also moved pictures and placed items in his wife's purse, and later said she had moved the items herself.
The husband's motive for driving his wife insane was to commit her so he could gain control of her fortune, but a villain might use gaslighting for other purposes as well. They might want to take the victim's job, get revenge for some past act, or simply keep the victim dependent on them. Domestic abusers often use some form of gaslighting for the third reason.
A horror villain who practices gaslighting would be difficult to catch because he targets his victim's mind. This type of villain is very skilled at appearing normal, and often comes across as caring and concerned about the victim's welfare. He will usually isolate the victim from family or friends, because his plan will not succeed with other people around. The wife in the movie eventually realized what her husband had been doing when another character saw the flames flicker.
Here are some examples of how a villain might use gaslighting in a horror story:
Bring spiders, snakes, or insects into the house and claim he does not see them.
Hack into his victim's email account and send nasty messages to her family and friends.
Use the victim's credit cards or bank accounts for extravagant purchases that would be out of character from them. Or use the victim's account to purchase a murder weapon.
Behave in a mean or vicious manner toward the victim when they are alone, but sing the victim's praises to other people. That way, when the victim says the villain is a mean, vicious person, she will seem to be the one who is unfair. I once saw a Facebook comment from a person who bragged about doing this to coworkers (Ugh!)
Spike the victim's food or drinks with drugs that will affect memory, perceptions, or behavior.
Something to try: Write a horror story in which the villain uses gaslighting to control his victims. It also might be interesting if the victim turns the tables and gaslights the villain!
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