Those words about the premie community and how it changed over the years: really good. Yes, it was kind of an "evolved hippie community," maybe a generous term, but, yeah.

I was just in it from 1974 to 1979, I'm guessing in the transition from the cool hippie cult days to the "loner intent on climbing to the top of the heap to get closer to the Master" mentality. 

The psychology of that cultic "social climbing" was well documented by Mike Finch in his book. I was not an insider, so was not at all privy to the machinations of those who yearned for a in-person relationship to Guru Maharaj Ji...although many of us "community premies" may have fantasized about such a relationship.

(at the end of my journey I did live with--was house father for--OG premies...but that's another story)