Part 6/8:
The analogy of a mind virus is particularly evocative. Just as a biological virus infects and weakens an organism's immune defenses, the narcissist's "fantasy" infects the victim's mental defenses—particularly when the individual is isolated.
The narcissist's goal is to "take away" or corrupt the victim's immunity—those external inputs and reliable relationships—that help maintain a clear sense of reality. Without these buffers, the victim's mind can "play tricks" on them, leading to confusion, self-doubt, and dependency on the narcissist as the only "trustworthy" existence.