I think you said it best when you explain how you and your surroundings are the same.... i.e. composed of the same materials. That you can share molecules with a plant as you exchange breaths with that plant. This is a truth that can not be denied. That way of looking at the world may seem like simple science, but it goes much deeper or can go much deeper than simply a realization of these facts and it can be filled with much emotional connection as well. The hardest part about a vision quest was not the sleep deprivation, pain, or fear for me. The hardest part was the isolation and the sudden lack of connection with others. This void is filled by a deeper connected feeling to the natural world. The long and short of it for me at least is that I realized I was empty inside and yet paradoxically full of false images of myself and my connections to the world. So, the vision quest for me was a death or a letting go of this false filling and a letting in of that which was more real or substantial and that is the very real connection to the natural world at large. The vision quest for me, was a letting go of that artificial stuff that is taught by society, teachers, parents, friends, etc. The realization that someone is not beautiful, ugly, stupid, worthless, or better than someone else. We are all equal and yet we can maintain some differences and it is these slight differences that make life bearable and not completely and mind numbingly boring. The ability to simply be at peace and to let go.... Mind you, I still get caught up in the moment sometimes and I am no different than you or anyone else. I've had a certain types of experiences that I found valuable and I've chased after those experiences the same as anyone chases after those experiences they find valuable in life. The one thing I truly know and I don't know much... the mind is a very powerful tool and it can be manipulated very easily and is manipulated much of our lives by the programming we received learning how to be a part of this world from the moment we were born. To me, pejuta can be like a surgeons knife as can a vision quest, etc. The main differences in the two for me is that pejuta can work with little effort on the part of the person and for this reason it can be much more dangerous. A vision quest can be ended at a moments notice by the simple intent to stop. Pejuta may not be so forgiving. Both the vision quest and pejuta can give equally powerful visions. I think from hearing you talk that you have your own tools and you definitely have your own philosophy. I respect that. Your simple tool of seeing that you share the same molecules as other life, rock, trees, etc. is very much the same way that those on shamanic paths see the world. They may sometimes word it differently, but the feeling that can be harnessed and the way it shapes your thoughts begins to become a circular phenomenon where the thought engenders a feeling and the feeling strengthens the thought and around and around this process goes in different ways and deeper connections are formed between those thoughts and emotions and more thoughts begin to get tied into this such as your thoughts of sharing the molecules that you breath with the plants. This back and forth cyclical process is much the same that happens... but then I already said that. The point I'm trying to make is that you are already on a shamanic path to a certain extent as you have elements of your thoughts that are tied into that way of thinking. Everything is connected. We are all related. This is why you feel good when you are out in the woods, in the mountains, or at the beach. You are feeling that connection with nature. One thing that some people fail to realize or pay much notice to however is that you may feel more connected to one spot... but ten feet over... you don't feel that connection as strongly. This is how we subconsciously choose where to sit, where to relax, etc. We choose those places that we feel more comfortable in or more attracted to. We may often fail to contemplate why a spot ten feet over in the same woods does not attract us or feel as comfortable to us. Enough rambling.
Back to pejuta, it must be utilized with respect as it is very powerful. This is why I try to state... one button is enough. One button can have profound effects on the mind. In fact, I would say until you have learned how to experience one button that anything more is probably too much for the average person. But that is my bias and how I personally see it. I would much rather take the slow road than the fast when dealing with a medicine that I consider to be extremely power. Which is why I will share with you a technique I learned. You may wish to try it... modify it or discard it altogether, but you've already tried it to some extent so I will share with you something that I learned by listening to the teachings of another.
I was once told to prepare for a vision quest... since I could not sweat regularly.... that I could go out in the woods and find two different spots. The spots should be very close... within seeing distance of each other, but no closer than 7 feet or so. These spots could be a place that feels warmer or somehow more inviting than another. The other could feel colder, more distant, or simply not appealing. The spots need not be earth, but could be water... tree, stone, etc. Areas of land occupied, but in a natural setting was the gist of things. Upon finding these two spots or choosing these two areas, trees, cacti, etc.... I was told that I had to talk to these places, beings, etc. as I would any person. I should tell the more inviting one that I would spend a few moments with it every day for 28 days, but the first day would be shared with the place, tree, cacti, rock, etc. that felt less inviting, colder, etc. Mind you, you need not stay the whole day. What is needed is a commitment to a few minutes each day. So, for the first day a few minutes for both places. After that the rest of the 28 days is only spent with the more inviting place, spirit, etc. Now, the most important part of this exercise I was told was to talk to these places, beings, etc. as you would any other person. Now, to be honest that felt odd and out of place for me. I did as I was told. That first day, you have to explain that after the 28 days is up you will spend the next 28 days with the place that felt colder or less appealing. The same stipulation applied... you have to commit to a few minutes each day to talk to that spirit. You have to commit to physically going to that place. I was told that if I could do that that I would be given a gift. I was told also not to tell anyone else what I was doing. I was told that if I was able to keep this commitment without breaking it that I would change and that others would make note of that fact to me without me ever telling them anything as the change would be that noticeable. I am sharing that gift with you as for me, it was a very powerful experience and one that I initially laughed at and felt awkward doing. Should you choose to try this exercise I can honestly tell you that for me at least... it bore fruit.
I will share with you one brief moment from this experience... I chose two different trees by the way the first time I did this exercise. I was sitting there in silence as while I did talk as required, I also sat and thought and sometimes just sat. My theory being that it was the time that was important and the keeping of the commitment to talk. I was never told I had to talk the whole time, so much of it was silent communication or simply relaxing. Sometimes I'd just go for a brief moment if my day was too hectic. I was going to keep my commitment no matter what, and so on some days I spent more time to make up for those days I spent less time. This day, I was spending more time and was just sitting there relaxed. Perfectly still, trying to think about the vision quest I would soon be on in the coming year. How, I needed to be able to be still or at least not worry about constantly moving as I knew I'd be confined to a small area as a vision quest altar is not very large and the sage you stand on makes a circle about as wide as your feet are... well on this day.... I had a chipmunk run up and into my hands. Now, that freaked me out and I moved and of course the chipmunk ran away. Later, I found that by being perfectly still during this exercise that this chipmunk would come back and so would some birds. I was pleasantly amazed at how close some of the wild animals would get to me... simply by my relaxing and not moving every three seconds. Now, I imagine that is nothing to many people, but to me it was a new experience and one of my first in learning how to slow down and relax. So, that is one very small lesson I learned. I assure you there were others and I don't want to color the experience for you too much so I will simply leave the instructions as they were told to me from that and relate to you this as a bit of extra. If you take with you a cacti you can alter that place and form yet another connection. Leave the other colder cacti or less appealing cacti at the other location or simply bring each one to their location each time... you see...... This connection forms.... That to me is the perfect way to truly get to know a medicine. You don't eat the medicine, drink the medicine, etc.... but you spend time with it. You grow the medicine, take care of the medicine, and you even confide in the medicine. This all goes back to the medicine wheel, the spiders web, etc. Your mind can be thought of as a spiders web. The world... every time you make a connection and you have a positive thought or emotion with it then that connection becomes stronger. Now, if that other person, spirit, medicine... also has positive thoughts, feelings, etc. then that connection grows stronger as well. That is how it was all taught to me and for what its worth... I didn't believe or understand it back then. I still don't believe I understand it, but I can tell you that if you have a moment... it is worth experimenting with to come to your own conclusions and your own insights. I felt extremely self conscious doing that exercise... that much I can tell you and not in a good way at first. Now, with all that said... its just a tool I was taught... just one exercise. It sounds like you have your own tools so, if you never try that tool you will have lost nothing as you can eat with a fork just as easily as you can chopsticks or vice versa.