A very good post which I'll have to think about for a while before I reply. It's difficult for me to remember what it felt like after I ex-ed because it was 25 years ago and even though I lasted around 7 years I was never comfortable with Rawat and his "philosophy" and for me it was experiential rather than beliefs based.

It's interesting that Jim says I'm cynical because that's how I see him in contrast to myself who anyone who knows me knows that I am an overly optimistic pollyanna. The problem I have with much of the criticism of premies that people replying to this thread have made is that they use concepts, like yourself, such as how can premies "truly" enjoy and appreciate or that living "happily" based on "lies" is a different happiness based on beng an ex-premie. Jim goes so far as to compare them to victims of Dracula.

Having seen premies regularly for over 25 years while being an ex and having family members and friends in the wider community to compare them with (not that I think in those terms very often) has given me a pretty solid belief that their lives are much the same as everybody else. Certainly those very few premies who exit via ex-Premie Forum expereince a 'liberation' and renewed zest but it seems very similar to that I've seen new premies experience.