Well Nark, a very interesting subject for me as I have, in the last few days, been rechecking Tolle's opinions.
Firstly, I have had a similar experience (mental or ego suicide) to you and have literally faced death in the search for truth on a number of occasions since moving on from the jws. Suffice to say that I did a full circle on consciousness and reality, firstly going to the extremes of belief in illusion, even to the point of going to a shaman in Sumatra and asking for a ceremony to open my spiritual eyes (which brought on years of travel in India and a form of madness, or periods of lucid dreaming in a Jungian sense) to currently believing that ALL is reality.
Tolle, I find quite boring in approach and message. I read a lot of Krishnamurti in India and Tolle not only parrots his message but apes his manner. Imho I believe he is making people spiritually lazy (staying in the grey, which is extremely dangerous) not enlightened. At least Krishnamurti preached, find your own truth.
He is just another "guru" who will fade in time and his mantle will be taken up by another ear tickler (with followers still searching for truth without seeing the secret of personal responsibility)
But I am sure that you would agree that if we keep pushing through though as individuals, the journey is well worth it.