Hi Joe!  It's true I can't speak for the ashram premies--most of whom were much younger than me at the time they got into this cult, and riding a wave of hope and a search for higher consciousness that made them very vulnerable to the propaganda and lies of M and the top people of his organization!  No question about that!  In addition, I was older than most when I received K, even in the early 80's (should have known better of course!).  Still, though, I feel I lost a lot too--financially, educationally, career-wise, family relationships, and all of that. Psycholigically and spiritually too--let's not forget those!  It's taken the last three years of being an ex to evaluate some of those losses, make amends to family members where I can, and get on a track that's better for me, and that is more considerate of my family as well.  I don't know how helpful it is to compare degrees of damage, and I still think labelling is dangerous, but I do heartily agree that Rawat is definitely responsibility for every single deception that came down the pike in the name of "knowledge"!   He still is!  This needs to be talked about and the lies exposed!  This forum is doing a great job that way, and while we may differ in some ways, it's great that there's dialogue, and the facts very often do speak for themselves.

Cheers!

Shelagh