Dark Psychology, Gaslighting and Manipulation: Discover How Narcissists, Sociopaths & Others Use Covert Manipulation, Brainwashing, Persuasion, Mind Control Of Empaths & More

By Sarah Evanson

Discover How Dark Psychology & Manipulation Works So You Can Prevent Yourself Falling Prey To It In The Modern World! 

"Dark Psych

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sarah Evanson
• Release date: Oct 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9781916673434

Book preview

Introduction

Do you feel like a puppet in someone else's show? Do you feel like someone makes you do things against your wishes? Do you want to learn how to distinguish genuine from fake emotions in others so that you can defend yourself from being abused and controlled? If you answered yes to any or all the above questions, then this book is for you. 

Even if you're just curious about how people use psychology to control and manipulate others, this book will help you learn how to protect yourself against danger.  

So, what exactly is dark psychology?

The mind is one of the most complex organs in human beings. The brain and all its relevant processes have been a focused area of study by professionals who try to explain how the mind affects our behavior.

As human beings, we can be good and contribute to the lives of others in a positive manner. However, underneath the good self, we also have the dark self, which if we don't control it, can surface and lead us to intentionally harm others in order to benefit us. This dark side stems from our survival instincts. Dark psychology is the study of the dark side which aims to explain how our behavior can harm others.

Some people consciously use their dark side to control and manipulate others. This dark side usually develops from a young age. For example, when parents instill feelings of guilt in their children to control them, the children grow up using the same technique to control others. In short, dark psychology is all about explaining the motivation behind these behaviors and understanding the outcomes for the victim. This dynamic involves a narcissist or a psychopath, who commits the manipulation, and their victim.

A narcissist is a person who feels superior and entitled, a person who envies others and controls and manipulates them for his benefit. Narcissism and psychopathy share common characteristics, such as impulsive behavior, lack of empathy, selfishness, and an inability to accept responsibility. 

These people will become emotionally, verbally, and physically abusive to their partners and children. 

So, what can you do to stay away from such a relationship?

First, you need to recognize the situation for what it is. Once you can admit there is an issue, seek support as soon as possible. Dealing with such people is exhaustive, but it can also be dangerous and deadly. 

Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that dark psychology is used to control us in such a way that we lose our identity. As a result, we are conditioned to feel guilty and responsible for the other person's personality issues. If we are conditioned to believe we are responsible, we will continue to engage in similar relationships in our lives, which will result in a never-ending cycle.

You need to break this cycle.

This book will help you do exactly that. 

Chapter 1

How Exposed Are We to Manipulation?

As children, we were taught to be strong, to never give up, and to never show our fears to others. That is because if we appear vulnerable, people will take advantage of us. Ironically, vulnerability and weakness are what distinguish us from other species.   

When we stop being vulnerable or caring about others, we become what we resent, and we hurt other people. 

Recognize that emotions are normal, and we cannot function without them. They are the reason we want to make meaningful connections with other people. Of course, the desire to create relationships exposes us to risk because each one of us has different motivations for developing connections. For example, some people want to genuinely build meaningful relationships, while others simply want to manipulate people to gain or achieve something. Knowing, or at least being able to detect the signs of manipulation, will be valuable in protecting ourselves from bad situations, and instead of letting opportunities pass by, we remain cautious but available.    

Our emotions can act both as a guide and as defenses to protect us, but if we don't control them, they will protect us even from good people. By becoming aware of our vulnerabilities, we can improve our strengths. 

Some Thoughts on Manipulation

Manipulation is a type of mind control that the victim finds hard to prevent. Many techniques can occur in everyday life, and in some cases, they can occur without the victim’s awareness or control. The manipulator will work quietly to achieve their goal without raising the victim’s suspicions. The manipulator is unconcerned about who they are trying to hurt or how others may feel, and most of them are incapable of understanding other people's needs. They only know what they want and what must be done to get it.

To manipulate someone is to influence or control that person. However, it is one thing to manipulate with no bad intentions and another thing to use abusive or deceptive tactics to cause harm. This may include gaining financial profit, earning a higher job position, or gaining power over someone. On the other hand, some people manipulate others just for fun. Let’s have a look at some manipulation techniques.

Chapter 2

Self-Hypnosis

This technique is primarily used for self-improvement, stress reduction, or motivational purposes. While some people can reach the state of self-hypnosis without any help, others need the help of certain audio hypnosis recordings or a professional. Self-hypnosis works well for improving well-being, relaxing, and overcoming fears. 

Traditional hypnosis is the most used type of hypnosis. In these scenarios, a hypnotist makes suggestions to the person's unconscious mind. It's usually most beneficial for people who accept what they are told, without any questioning.   

Anchoring can be used to encourage you to complete a task by associating pleasant feelings with it. For example, this method is frequently used to assist individuals in finding the desire they need to follow a diet and lose weight. The hypnotist will collaborate with the person to create a positive anchor associated with the individual's mental image—in this case, the individual imagining their body is slim. When the individual sees this image again, the anchor is triggered, and they experience the positive motivation they require. Anchoring can be used to help an individual improve their self-esteem in a variety of situations.

Flash is another type of hypnosis that is considered highly effective and is frequently used to shift thoughts and feelings in an individual's unconscious mind. It can be beneficial to those who suffer from chronic stress or addiction. During this process, the hypnotist will reverse the individual's feelings, so that instead of a certain memory bringing enjoyment, it will begin to bring pain, or instead of stress, it will bring relaxation.  

Those who are highly stressed have found that this works well for them. When a person is under stress, they may have difficulty controlling their anger or any physical symptoms. With this technique, they learn what triggers them and instead they replace their feelings with relaxation.

Reframe is the third type used in hypnosis. This technique is extremely effective because it assists the individual in changing their behavior. To complete this process, the hypnotist must understand that each of the behaviors performed by a person result in a secondary gain or a positive outcome.

During the reframing process, the hypnotist negotiates and reasons with the individual's unconscious mind. The goal is to have the unconscious assume responsibility for replacing the behavior with a new behavior that is effective at achieving the needed result. For example, if the individual tends to eat when they are unhappy, the hypnotist will use this technique to teach the unconscious to do something else. The act of eating could be replaced by working out or reading a good book. 

Despite how the media portrays hypnosis, it is not bad. It is nearly impossible to induce the altered state and harm the individual. Rather, it is used to help people improve their lives.

Lying

Lying is one of the most popular dark psychology methods. Manipulators can use different types of lies to help them achieve their ultimate goals. Sometimes they make up stories and leave out facts. Sometimes they are unaware that they are lying until someone else points it out. They also use shame and guilt. As a result, when faced with allegations of wrongdoing, they would deny it and then make you feel guilty.

When a manipulator lies, it's because he understands that the lie will advance his agenda far more successfully than the truth. Telling someone the truth may cause them to refuse to help, which would be completely counterproductive to their plans. Instead, the manipulator will lie to persuade the person to do something for them.

The manipulator may also decide to leave out some of the truth in whatever they tell. They will leave out certain things that are not compatible with their plans.  

When dealing with a manipulator, it is important to understand that whatever they say could be a lie. They don't care how it affects the subject or others around them if they get what they want.

The manipulator will create the desired image and then persuade the person that it is reality.

To begin, the manipulator will implant ideas into the individual's mind.

Rationalization: The manipulator will come up with a reason to make themselves look good. They may claim that they only performed an act to help someone. The manipulator will convince everyone that their actions are not as negligent or damaging as the person believed. One example is when the manipulator claims that an insult or taunt was a joke, and that the person should not take it too seriously.

Selective attention or inattention: During this strategy, the manipulator works to avoid paying attention to anything that might divert their attention away from their goal. They will belittle it and make it appear unimportant to them, which it is not. When the manipulator says, I don't want to hear it, this is an example.

Manipulators are not only skilled at lying to individuals, but they are also skilled at avoiding direct answers to