baitlighting 

When you tell someone you think they are baiting to make them wonder if the belief/argument they stated was that ridiculous.

Joe: I was losing an argument so I just told the guy he was baiting.

John: Haha this is a classic example of the phenomenon known as baitlighting, it's as if you gaslit him that he was baiting!

baitlighting by SaladBroski May 13, 2023

Banlighting

A form of digitallighting specifically aimed at getting someone banned from a server, group, community, or website. The perpetrator provokes or frames the target until the target reacts, then uses that reaction (often isolated from context) to report them. Banlighting often spreads to related communities, as the perpetrator warns other moderators about the “toxic” target, effectively blacklisting them across multiple spaces. The goal is not just exclusion but the destruction of the target’s ability to find community.

Example: “After she disagreed with a moderator’s friend, he spent a week baiting her in DMs. When she finally called him out in public, he reported her—and was she was banned from three connected servers within hours. Banlighting: engineered exile.”

Banlighting by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 25, 2026

Brainlighting

A form of Digitallighting that weaponizes brain-related insults to systematically dismantle a target’s confidence in their own mind. The perpetrator repeatedly tells the target they are “stupid,” “brainless,” “delusional,” or that they “need to use their brain”—often in public threads, so the target’s credibility is eroded before witnesses. Brainlighting combines the gaslighting effect (making the target doubt their own perception) with public humiliation. The goal is to isolate the target by convincing both them and onlookers that the target cannot think clearly, therefore anything they say is suspect. It is frequently used in debates where the actual substance is inconvenient, replacing argument with character assassination.

Example: “He ignored her sources, her logic, her evidence, and just kept posting ‘you dropped your brain.’ After weeks of this, she began to wonder if she was missing something obvious. Brainlighting: making someone doubt their own intellect to win without argument.”

Brainlighting by Abzugal April 1, 2026

Biaslighting

A digitallighting technique that weaponizes bias accusations to destabilize the target. The perpetrator constantly tells the target that they are “biased,” “emotional,” or “not thinking clearly,” regardless of the actual content of the target’s statements. The goal is to make the target second‑guess their own judgment and feel that their perspective is inherently flawed. Biaslighting often works by isolating the target—others may remain silent, allowing the abuser’s narrative to stand.

Example: “Every time she raised a concern, he said ‘you’re just biased because of your background.’ She began to wonder if her concerns were legitimate. Biaslighting: making the target doubt their own perception.”

Biaslighting by Abzugal April 1, 2026

Banklighting

A digitallighting tactic that uses financial jargon and the threat of financial consequences to disorient and intimidate a target. The perpetrator may flood the conversation with references to credit scores, interest rates, or banking regulations, suggesting the target doesn’t understand “how money works.” The goal is to make the target feel economically illiterate and therefore unqualified to speak on economic issues. Banklighting is a form of class‑based gaslighting that leverages the intimidation of financial expertise.

Example: “When she mentioned high bank fees, he launched into a lecture about ‘interchange rates’ and ‘regulatory costs,’ implying her complaint was naive. Banklighting: using financial complexity to dismiss legitimate criticism.”

Banklighting by Abzugal April 1, 2026

Botlighting

Botlighting
(verb/noun) — also: botlit, botlit me, getting botlit
When an AI confidently insists on something false with such authority that you begin doubting your own memory, experience, or reasoning — even when you were right all along.
Unlike gaslighting, there is no malicious intent. The AI isn't trying to manipulate you. But the effect on the person is the same: confusion, self-doubt, and the unsettling feeling of having to fight to trust your own mind.
"I got botlit for 20 minutes before I finally proved it with receipts."
Origin:
Blend of bot (automated AI system) and gaslighting (psychological manipulation that makes a person question their own reality). Coined to describe a specific and increasingly common experience in the age of AI assistants.
Related forms:

botlit (past tense): "I got botlit"
botlighting (noun/gerund): "That was pure botlighting"
botlit me (verb): "The AI botlit me completely"

I knew what I had said, but ChatGPT kept insisting I was wrong with so much confidence that I started questioning myself. Classic botlighting.

Botlighting by George Michaelson April 22, 2026