When my inquiries revealed the opposite, I had what most ex-Witnesses will refer to as an “awakening”—something by no means as pleasant or euphoric as it sounds, at least not to begin with. Not only do you get the jarring realization and intense frustration that you have wasted years supporting and promoting a harmful sect—you also have the pressing problem of how to extricate yourself, with as little damage as possible, from an existence defined by unquestioning allegiance to an organization.
