**I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. (2 Cor 12:2-4)**
Could St. Paul be talking about himself?
Of course he is...but it is not because he had "deeper prayer". And, he is no St. He is just a saint, like you or I...if we are among the elect. His remarks are about being caught up by Christ to view what awaits...like Ezekiel had a vision of Israel. But, to connect this with some kind of "meditative state of prayer" is disingenuous. For the OP to imply that Paul being chosen to be an apostle and is taken to heaven is something you or I or some silly monk somewhere could do (because he had too much time on his hands) and we pray ourselves into a "state", is patently absurd.