Gaslighting may stem from disrupted normal learning processes.

Published in Personality and Social Psychology Review by Willis Klein, PhD, et al.

Based on prediction error minimization theory—beliefs update when expectations conflict with experience.

Gaslighters exploit epistemic trust—confidence in another’s interpretation of reality.

Manipulators create repeated “prediction errors,” then provide false explanations.

Victims internalize these distortions, losing confidence and agency.

Risk factors: anxious attachment, low self-esteem, rejection sensitivity, isolation.

Dopamine, oxytocin, and cortisol may biologically reinforce dependence.

Recovery: rebuild epistemic self-trust via mindfulness, creativity, and supportive relationships.

Authors call for computational and neurophysiological testing.