Thanks for posting this Flipper. It will be a big help to our newbies and those who are just finding out they have been deceived.
Cognac, your post brought tears to my eyes. Those feelings of drifting and being purposeless should subside. I'm deciding to just make the best of this life I've been blessed with. It may be all we get, I'm not sure about that at this point.
I feel strongly that those of us who made it through should help those who are just starting out. We should be mentors, in a way. There were probably 15 or so who really helped me when I first stumbled onto all the falsehoods.
I was raised "in the truth" also. My disfellowshipping at age 18 removed my body from the organization, but not my mind. That freedom came about 5 years ago, about 16 years after I was df'd. The realization still hurt tremendously. I looked back and saw a wasted life. A life wasted in fear of the end, feelings of worthlessness because I was not good enough to be a witness. Yes, I could have gone back, but somehow I had no real desire to return. Even though I was miserable I was enjoying my freedom.
Flipper, I'm gonna get a copy of that book. CoC helped so much, maybe the "Mind Control" book will finish what Ray started. It is available on his website. Commentarypress.com.