you hit it on the head whne you said it doesnt matter either way. the experience itself was significant and doesnt need validation as having taken place in 'reality' to be important. it begs an interesting question though that may aid you down the line. why is it important to you to distinguish between 'inside' and 'outside'? if you can get to the true answer to this then you can start unravelling the aristotle 'its one or the other' gunk that people have covered us with. one aspect is the notion of 'proof' but im not dealing with anything that can be proven except by direct experience. i dont think black elk ever felt a burden of proof whatsoever. in your position i would dwell or meditate on the inherent beauty of lifes design that leads to visions