The Gaslit Brain

Reveals the psychological functions of the manipulator's brain and the impact of gaslighting on our minds, shining a spotlight on how manipulative brains seduce us into belief and disrupt our ability to think 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 lasers in on the brains of those who bully and gaslight. Many do not realize that those who lie and manipulate have deficits in their brains. If manipulation leads to insanity, it's because the brain and mind have been distorted. With the advent of non-invasive technology, scientists use brain imagery to examine what's going on in the brains of bullies and gaslighters and why they're so effective. The damage is physical and visible, and it provides insights into why the mind's functions are compromised, destructive, and dangerous.

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.

Author: Jennifer Fraser
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Published: 11/04/2025
Pages: 392
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.54lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9781493090921


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 09/19/2025 pg. 1

About the Author
Dr. Jennifer Fraser is the author of four books and an international expert on bullying and abuse. After getting her PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Toronto in 1996, she held a faculty position at University of Toronto until 2003. After moving to Victoria, B.C., she was an award-winning teacher at two university prep schools. In 2017, after the cover-up of the abuse done to her student, she left the education system in order to found The Bullied Brain (https: //bulliedbrain.com/). Dr. Fraser is asked for comment by media when bullying and abuse cases are in the news. Her latest book The Bullied Brain was reviewed in The Toronto Star and multiple times on CTV across the country, ABC in Portland, Global News, CBC, and CP24 national stations in Canada. Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, Rob Cribb of The Toronto Star, eight years after his first in-depth coverage of Dr. Fraser's battle to stop abuse, has interviewed and quoted her work in April 2023 as author of The Bullied Brain.