HaLeivi: I think he means it as in “if you would like to believe what I have been telling you, then consider the following…”
Also, if you look at the second paragraph here:
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=39500&st=&pgnum=5&hilite=
you will see that he quotes the Rambam in Moreh that his understanding of maaseh merkavah is based on shikul hada’as and not on any nistar that he was mekabel.
If you tell me that there are parallels between the Rambam and kaballah, then I still won’t say it is because he learned it. I would say it is because the Rambam’s Torah is still Toras Emes so even if it wasn’t written al pi kaballah, its still al pi kaballah.
Sam2: I actually heard Reb Berel Wein say that he saw a manuscript in YU I think, where his wife says he didn’t make it up. I have to find it again.