Touching a bare neutral
Yes, that is absolutely correct.  

When a neutral is disconnected from the neutral bus on the panel, what happens next is unpredictable.  

If absolutely no loads are connected, the neutral wire will "float".  You will not be able to harness it for any useful work, but it will have a phantom voltage induced onto it by adjacent wires.  This doesn't have any real EMF behind it, and can't shock you.

If any load is connected, the load will be taking in line voltage and trying to return the current via neutral.  That means neutral will track with line voltage. If something gets between this neutral and either panel neutral or earth, they will indeed be in series with the load(s) and will not enjoy the experience none too much.  Worse, if they bridge a neutral that's downstream from a GFCI, the GFCI will not trip to protect you.

It's unpredictable because you never know when someone is going to throw a light switch or a thermostat will pop on.