I also think consciousness is more fundamental, as even before
   survival. All one has to notice is "there's a difference here".
   In human brains, that takes 400ms for form the self at any given
   'moment'.

   If everything stays the same, if there's only you, nothing to
   bounce against, there's no consciousness. Tabla Rosa? Yeah. But
   we start hysteresis the moment we split into two cells, actually
   before that. Hysterisis is built into physical systems / energy
   / magnetic / whatever systems. Part of why we have Time. Oh
   well. This is where I sound nutty and usually shush I have to
   remind myself that I'm just another 43 year old guy going,
   "EUREKA EVERYBODY! I HAVE THE ANSWERS". I was that way at 11, at
   25, at 43, and I'll be that way 'til I croak