cool, the scientific name for studying gaslighting!

Gaslighting and confabulation are very different things.

Gaslighting are deliberate lies with the intent of creating self-doubt in the targeted person. Confabulation is creating falsehoods without an intent to deceive.

When we're discussing naming, it might be a good idea not to throw more misleading names onto the bonfire.

my point is they're related. but i didn't explain why

and you're mistaken on the intent of gaslighting. it's intended to control

'confabulation' reflects on how that's sort of control is even possible

Gaslighting is also usually associated with disorders involving strong delusional behavior. Delusions are maladaptive protective behavior (a false worldview that avoids actual ‘dangerous’ thoughts or information), and when challenged in a threatening way, particularly dangerous folks often gaslight the threat. It’s easy and natural for them to do, because they already have all the tools necessary to maintain the original delusion.

It’s the ‘my world view will be unchallenged or I will destroy yours’ reaction.

NPD being a very common example. Certainly not the only one though!

That one is not part of everyone’s vocabulary

That's even better, then, to address the issue of laypeople misinterpreting a distinctive problem according to familiar, overloaded definitions of the word used to refer to it.

Not too late still, though an uphill battle

If we’re going to play this game then my imaginary friend Apophenia wants to join in.