Again, it is not bout consciousness -which we share with other animals as a necessary survival factor - but about self- consciousness, The awareness of ourselves as unique individuals.

This is an evolutionary development, the result of a mutation that proved useful. Whether it is a by-product of the imagination mutation upon which all humant development rests, or whether imagination is a by-product of self-consciousness, we don't know. Nature, evolution, the Universe do not seem to have specific aims in their creativity - at least in regard to living beings - so we fall back on 'it just happened that way.'

But we are, as stated, an imaginative species and until and unless the nature of consciousness is explained in a manner that sits within the context of what we know about the Universe as a whole, then people will continue to imagine explatations..

It goes without saying that we don't know much about the Universe. It's also more than probable that as we do learn more, there will be any number of paradigm shifts as to what constitutes 'reality'. One of these may eventually give us the answers we seek to the issue of consciousness.

Unfortunaterly, too many of the imaginative and speculative ideas we have come up with have caused a good deal of conflict and harm. Speculation is fine. Religion is fine as long as it is recognised as a lifestyle choice and nothing more. Be nice if everyone could stop laying down the law on these things until we have some actual answers.