Gregg, personal experiences can be deeper than common ones,
but need not be more valid, as we see with instincto 'instinct'
(probably misnamed intuition), which varies with the user.
   A few comments--
   Siberia, putative home of shamanism, is no nearer Ukraine than
California's near Labrador.
   The chants of First Americans ("American/Red Indians') don't all
sound alike except to the Western tin ear.
   Many cultures appeal to sky gods validating their ways, which of
course differ.  I know of no citified or literate culture but, so
far, the Indus River culture of -2600 that seemed to spring from
nothing, and that was a full millennium after Shumer.  When their
language is deciphered things will become clearer too.
   Ball lightning is so far neither well understood nor validated,
though most likely it exists.
   ESP and UFOs have failed all validation tests done by non-frauds
who understood something about tricksters and self-delusion.  I was
in contact with the Beyond Human group, known to the press as
Heavensgate, and found their notions interesting, in the Christian
tradition, and not credible.

 Pet