1) The author was born in 1954 and raised Lutheran but experienced turmoil in her family and rejection from siblings, leading her to join a cult called the Unification Church at age 18. 2) While in the cult in New York, she began hearing voices and experienced 18 months of horror with loud demonic voices terrorizing her. 3) During a thunderstorm, she heard a voice tell her to believe in Jesus Christ and she would be saved, starting her journey to leave the cult and seek mental health treatment. 4) After attempting suicide, she found hope and new life through her faith, reading the Bible daily. She has since worked to educate others about recovery from mental illness.