I love what your post is doing here ...in my view, mind and life are continuos ...
in my opinion, self-awareness is a concept that exist in language. that is to say, it exists in Popper's world #3, the world of abstract ideas. it does not exist in world #1 (the world where truth and logic obtains), a world that does not make any sense in world #2 (experience) and world #3 (world of language).
unless we objectivity in parenthesis, we can't really discuss these profound ideas ... we can't co-construct in the sense of virtuous circle as opposed to a self-denying vicious cycle where the privileged few with access to the Truth (a concept existing in world #3) make compelling arguments ...
RE: Insects: little robots or conscious beings?