Anyway you can just use common sense to realize that every single ex-member of every grouping of people or organisation who speaks out against it cannot automatically be labeled unreliable. As an example just from the top of my head, someone who was sexually abused by a priest as a child and then spoke out about this would have to be deemed not credible based on this premise. It sounds like Freud at his worst, where he categorized children's recollection of child sexual abuse as wishful thinking.

Another example that comes to mind is Jim Jones, where some ex-members related stories about what was going on. One can only wish that these stories hadn't been true. Well the list goes on and on doesn't it?

And I offer myself up. I have no emotional baggage with regards to Rawat nor do I portray myself as a victim. I'm very happy with my life and I don't need to blame it on anyone. On the contrary, I like to take credit for it. Though I mostly just feel very fortunate and grateful for how things turned out. My time with Rawat was part of that.

With this background I think I make a fairly objective as well as knowledgeable source of info about Rawat and his movement. But the interesting thing is that only through participating on this forum that I have been able to get a clear view on this part of my life and develop a healthy attitude about it - that is after becoming an apostate. Before that, the period I spent as a premie was a deep dark secret that I would hardly tell anyone about. What's worse is that I never really thought the whole thing through. It was just a black hole in my life.