Thanks Peter for reading and appreciate your comment. I think the nature of gaslighting inadvertently reduces power of those gaslighted, as their reality is distorted in such insidious ways, while the gaslighter gains more power. It is dependent on the context and circumstance also. Chronic gaslighting by a husband or partner is likely to reduce power of person substantially, but even lesser incidences can affect someone if their self esteem is affected. As in the 1944 movie, when the husband gaslighted his wife saying her mother had been committed to an asylum and was mentally ill, etc, whereas this wasn't true. The isolation of the victim plays a big role, as they are isolated while grabbing to understand if this is really true. If not so isolated, they could at least have more power to think different and realise it is a lie. Sadly people can really do these things and situations like this can arise, that isolate someone.