People aren't really brainwashing themselves the prequels don't exist, they are simply of the opinion that the PT is not canonically accurate. There are many instances in which the viewer/reader of a certain franchise has to make their own choice of what is the complete canonical story - I mean, which Batman story is your preferred version? Do you prefer the Raimi trilogy of Spiderman, or did you like The Amazing SpiderMan? Do you watch Superman Returns, or Superman 3 and 4?

Often these decision are made based on the fact that there are multiple versions to choose from that contradict each other, but that doesn't necessarily have to be the case. If you don't like something, it's your right to write it out of your continuity. A lot of people enjoy The Clone Wars that don't like the PT. Just because they are technically part of the same canon doesn't mean you can't cut and paste what you like. You could completely rewrite TPM and AotC, and still fit it narratively with TCW. And then follow it up with a RotS that is COMPLETELY different than what we got.