You summed it up very nicely! I observed that with the Kogis or in the Amazonas. It was beautiful, powerful, frightening too (for the westener) but to be honest you can see this initiations in any indigenous tribe in the world.
ALSO: In the west, there was a deeper meaning in the traditions we through out of the window. Beeing it rituals in the religions or in the "closed minded" villages with their rituals.
Sometimes it's just hard to distinguish between: a ritual with a loving intention, or a ritual with a controlling intention?
Love knows best.